The Mind Gut Conversation Podcast

Welcome to Episode 50 of the Mind Gut Conversation!

In this episode of the MGC podcast, I talk to Drew Ramsey, MD. Dr. Ramsey is a psychiatrist, author, and farmer. He is one of psychiatry’s leading proponents of using nutritional interventions. He is an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, and currently provides psychiatric care via telehealth. He has authored 3 books and offers online courses to both healthcare professionals and patients about healthy eating and its therapeutic effect in depression and anxiety.

I sit down and talk with him about his emerging field within psychiatry and what impact it has on the treatment of common psychiatric conditions, like depression and anxiety. Here are just some of the topics we address:

1. What is Nutritional psychiatry and how did you get interested in this new field in psychiatry?
2. In one of your podcast appearances, you ask the question: nutritional psychiatry, scam or not? How do you answer this question?
3. Does the evidence support a benefit from various supplements, including so called psychobiotics for psychiatric disorders?
4. Considering the multiple factors that play a role in the pathophysiology of psychiatric diseases (from genetics, epigenetics, adverse life events etc.) how important a role do you think diet plays?
5. What are foods that are key to brain health and why are they more important than others, like fiber and polyphenols?