Integrative Psychiatry & Longevity Blog in St. Louis, MO & Washington DC 

TL;DR: A recent study from Keck Medicine of USC found that omega-3 fish oil supplements did not significantly slow Alzheimer’s-related cognitive decline. That finding isn’t particularly surprising—and it doesn’t mean fish oil is ineffective. Alzheimer’s disease is increasingly understood as a disorder of impaired brain energy metabolism, insulin resistance, mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation, and vascular disease. Fish oil supports healthy brain cell membranes, neurotran

TL;DR Emerging research in metabolic psychiatry is challenging the traditional view that mental health conditions are solely disorders of neurotransmitters. New studies suggest that conditions such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and potentially ADHD may also involve dysfunction in how the brain produces and uses energy. While ketogenic diets are not a cure-all, they have shown promising early results in several psychiatric conditions, highlighting the importa

TL;DR: ADHD May Be a Brain Energy Disorder A major 2026 review published in Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews proposes a new way of thinking about ADHD. Rather than viewing ADHD solely as a disorder of attention, the authors suggest ADHD may involve difficulties regulating and allocating the brain’s energy resources. While this model is still evolving, it helps explain why people with ADHD often experience inconsistent performance, fluctuating focus, executive dysfunction,

By Ryan Sheridan, DNP, PMHNP-BC | Proactive Psychiatry TL;DR A new 2026 systematic review suggests that GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 medications) may have significant neuroprotective effects that extend far beyond weight loss and diabetes treatment. In animal models, these medications consistently reduced two of Alzheimer’s disease’s hallmark pathologies: amyloid-beta plaques and tau tangles. Human studies remain limited, but early evidence suggests GLP-1 medications may im

Most people have heard omega-3s are “good for your heart.” Fewer people understand why they matter for the brain. That is unfortunate, because the brain is not just a bag of neurotransmitters floating around waiting for a medication to fix everything. The brain is tissue. It is made of cells, membranes, fats, mitochondria, inflammatory signaling molecules, and electrical networks. When we talk about mental health from an integrative psychiatry perspective, we have to talk abo

There’s a tendency in mental health to jump straight to neurotransmitters, diagnoses, and medications. Sometimes that’s appropriate. But more often than we’d like to admit, we overlook something foundational: how the brain is fueled in the first place. A recent randomized controlled trial published in the Cell Metabolism journal, highlighted and broken down by Nick Norwitz, adds an important layer to that conversation. It suggests that depression, at least in part, may involv

One of the things I see nearly daily now, whether I’m working with patients or families in St. Louis, D.C., Colorado, or beyond, is that...

Let’s talk daylight saving time. Seriously, what exactly are we “saving”? It’s time to pick one time system and stick with...

A New Wave of Mental Health Research: Exercise as a First-Line Treatment For decades, mental health treatment has followed a predictable...

SSRIs have saved lives, I'm sure. Let’s get that straight. But they’re not a free pass to long-term wellness. What most prescribers...

A massive new cohort study just confirmed what many of us have suspected for years: SSRIs accelerate cognitive decline in dementia...

Most people think all sugar is the same. That whether you get it from fruit, honey, or a Snickers bar, it all comes down to calories in...