Nutrition in the Treatment of Schizophrenia: Rationale and Review of Recent Evidence

• Published in: Current behavioral neuroscience reports 2023-09, Vol.10 (3), p.49-57
• Main Authors: Kulaga, Stephanie S., Kelly, Deanna L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antibodies; Antipsychotics; Behavioral Therapy; Brain research; Celiac disease; Cognition & reasoning; Diet; Dopamine; Fatty acids; Food; Gluten; Inflammation; Lifestyles; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Mental disorders; Metabolism; Neurology; Nutrition research; Oxidative stress; Pathophysiology; Pediatrics; Prenatal development; Psychiatry; Psychopathology; Psychotropic drugs; Quality of life; Schizophrenia; Vitamin D
• ISSN: 2196-2979; 2196-2979
• DOI: 10.1007/s40473-023-00259-2

Purpose of Review This review aims to provide an overview of the pathophysiological basis for the use of nutritional strategies in the treatment of schizophrenia, outline the evidence for dietary intervention strategies, and discuss clinical considerations around their implementation. Recent Findings Inflammatory and metabolic mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of schizophrenia are well-characterized and may provide promising treatment targets. Existing literature on dietary intervention strategies for schizophrenia provides evidence supporting the use of antiinflammatory diets, select vitamins and supplements, and more targeted approaches such as gluten-free or ketogenic diets in specific subsets of patients. Implementation of these strategies is limited by physician education on nutrition, inherent difficulties in researching nutrition, patient factors, and structural factors. Summary Nutritional approaches represent an important and potentially underutilized treatment strategy to reduce symptoms and improve quality of life for patients with schizophrenia.