Dr. Wilson presents a controversial view on the relationship between diet, brain function, and mental health. His concept of CARB syndrome challenges conventional thinking in psychiatry, health, and nutrition. He emphasizes the need for scientifically grounded treatments over what he perceives as unscientific trends. His blog post serves as a robust and pointed argument against a popular health and wellness article.

This briefing document provides a summary of the key points from the sources. Further investigation is recommended to explore carbsyndrome.com and Dr. Wilson's views further.

CARB Syndrome and Critique of Mindfulness

• Critique of Common Scientific Studies: Dr. Wilson argues that many scientific studies are flawed because they do not account for CARB syndrome, specifically in the field of psychiatry where he believes a vast amount of research is invalidated. Dr Wilson writes, "Thus in my opinion virtually all psychiatric studies in recent years are invalid because they missed or ignored the CARB syndrome concept."
• Reinterpretation of Depression: He proposes that atypical depression is actually CARB syndrome, not a true psychiatric disorder, and that it is distinct from melancholic depression (classic depression) which requires totally different treatment. He argues, "In my opinion atypical depression is not really a psychiatric disorder at all and it has no connection to classic depression. It is a brain/metabolic disorder called CARB syndrome and if you fail to treat it like CARB syndrome the patient will get worse rather than better."
• Critique of Integrative Medicine: Dr. Wilson is critical of integrative medicine, calling it “woo-ville” and claiming that medicine is either based on solid science or not. While acknowledging some practices may have benefits, he states that they are not part of real medicine because their effectiveness is not based on scientific evidence. He also writes, "If people want to meditate, eat mindfully (say by chewing on a single raisin), attend a yoga class or practice controlled breathing, go for it. These activities can be enjoyable and satisfying but they are not part of medicine because there is little good science to support their effectiveness at reversing or treating common diseases."
• Critique of "Mindful Eating": The blog post includes a point-by-point rebuttal to the suggestions by Michelle May for "eating in the moment" which is described as the book "Eat What you Love, Love What You Eat" suggesting each suggestion is only useful or necessary for people with CARB syndrome, not healthy individuals. He concludes that, "These 14 “tricks” are likely some of the worst nutritional advice that I have ever been exposed to if you want to be healthy."
• Emphasis on Low-Carb Diet: Dr. Wilson advocates a low-carbohydrate, moderate protein, and high-fat diet (healthy fats) as ideal for enhancing brain function and avoiding CARB syndrome. He references authors like Joe Mercola, Jimmy Moore, Robb Wolf, Robert Lustig, Richard Johnson and Gary Taubes who all point in the same direction - low fructose, moderate protein and high quality healthy fats are key to health.