What published clinical protocols has Dr. Annette Bosworth authored for ketogenic therapy, and where are they peer‑reviewed?
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Executive summary
Dr. Annette Bosworth (Dr. Boz) has published a patient-facing ketogenic “protocol” principally in the form of books, workbooks, clinic materials and online courses — notably ketoCONTINUUM — while third‑party listings attribute at least one peer‑reviewed article linking ketogenic therapy to cognitive effects (Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2023) to her [1] [2] [3]. The public record assembled in the provided reporting shows clear, repeatedly promoted clinical guidance in books and clinical practice, but limited verifiable evidence in these sources of formally peer‑reviewed clinical protocols beyond the single article listing and without the underlying journal article text to inspect [3] [1] [2].
1. Books and clinic protocols: the ketoCONTINUUM "protocol" marketed as clinical practice
Dr. Bosworth’s most visible, consistently described protocol is the ketoCONTINUUM system — a book, workbook and associated courses that the author says distills the step‑by‑step program she uses in clinic to produce sustained nutritional ketosis and reverse insulin‑related illness; these works are sold on her website, mainstream retailers and promoted as the protocol used at her Meaningful Medicine clinic in Sioux Falls (ketoCONTINUUM paperback, workbook, and product pages) [1] [4] [2] [5]. The reporting repeatedly frames ketoCONTINUUM as a clinical protocol practiced at her clinic and taught in courses [1] [2], but these are trade publications and educational products, not journal‑published clinical protocols subject to peer review in the academic sense [1] [2].
2. Peer‑review claims: a Frontiers article listed but not linked in the reporting
At least one source — the Coalition for Metabolic Health profile — lists a peer‑reviewed article in Frontiers in Psychiatry titled “Ketogenic diet acutely improves cognitive function in patients with Down syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease,” presenting it under “Peer‑Reviewed Article” in Dr. Bosworth’s publications [3]. The provided material does not include the Frontiers journal link, authorship details, DOI, or the full text, so while the coalition page attributes this peer‑reviewed paper to her record [3], the reporting here cannot independently confirm authorship, the nature of the article (clinical protocol, trial, review), or the degree to which it outlines implementable clinical protocols versus reporting study results [3].
3. What counts as a "clinical protocol" and how Bosworth’s materials fit that standard
Clinical protocols in academic medicine are typically standardized, peer‑reviewed documents published in journals or registries, often accompanied by trial registration, methods, and reproducible procedures; the materials most visibly attributed to Dr. Bosworth in the reporting are books, workbooks, course curricula, and clinic practice descriptions that function as pragmatic protocols for patients but lack the conventional peer‑review record that formal medical protocols carry [1] [2] [4]. Multiple profiles, speaker pages and interviews portray her as an authority on ketogenic therapy and brain health and amplify the ketoCONTINUUM method as a clinical approach, but those are promotional and educational formats rather than the standard peer‑review format for clinical protocols [6] [7] [8].
4. Alternative viewpoints, possible agendas and the limits of the available reporting
Supporters and patient testimonials quoted on Bosworth’s own website and in syndicated profiles emphasize clinical success stories and educational value of her protocol [8] [7], while the nature of the sources — author pages, sales listings, speaker bios and promotional sites — suggest a commercial and outreach agenda to sell books, courses and clinic visits [1] [2] [6]. The one explicit peer‑review attribution (Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2023) could point toward academic validation if verified, but the sources provided do not furnish the journal article itself, authorship confirmation, or details showing that her clinic protocol has been peer‑reviewed as a reproducible clinical guideline [3]. Therefore, the most defensible conclusion from the reporting is that Dr. Bosworth has authored widely distributed ketogenic treatment guides and clinical practice materials (books, courses, clinic protocols) and that at least one peer‑reviewed article relevant to ketogenic therapy is listed in third‑party profiles — but independent verification of formally peer‑reviewed clinical protocols authored by her is not present in the supplied sources [1] [2] [3].