Schizophrenia Diet

For many years there has been speculation that certain dietary proteins may contribute to the symptoms of schizophrenia. Gluten, a protein from wheat and some other grains, and to a lesser extent casein, a dairy protein, have been the targets of research on food sensitivities as contributors to schizophrenia. People with schizophrenia have been shown to be more likely to have immune reactions to these proteins, than the general population. A preliminary trial of a gluten-free/dairy-free diet found that patients with schizophrenia improved on the diet and had shorter hospital stays than those eating normal diets. The results of double-blind trials, however, have been inconsistent. The gluten-free/dairy-free diet improved responses to medications in one controlled trial. These improvements were lost and symptoms of schizophrenia were aggravated when gluten was re-introduced in a “blinded” fashion. Another clinical trial found similar positive responses in only 8% of patients. Other controlled trials have found no improvement when gluten and dairy were removed from the diet. In one clinical trial, blinded reintroduction of gluten appeared to cause improvement of symptoms. These results suggest that some, but not all, people with schizophrenia may benefit from a gluten-free/dairy-free diet.