Schizophrenia Diet

Some foods, rich in certain kinds of nutrients, are known to help with schizophrenia symptom management. As a schizophrenia patient, you should aim to include the following types of foods into your daily diet: 

A patient with schizophrenia has an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Patients’ diets are often poor, smoking and physical inactivity are common and antipsychotic medications may contribute to weight gain, hyperglycemia and hypertriglyceridemia. Metabolic syndrome is also significantly more prevalent in people with schizophrenia, even among those who have not yet started taking antipsychotic medication. To avoid cardiovascular disease, you can become more physically active, watch your fat intake and add more dietary fiber in your diet.

Many studies have suggested that type 2 diabetes mellitus and impaired glucose tolerance are associated with antipsychotic treatment, which is a common treatment in this disease. It is known that most people with schizophrenia don’t eat well, which makes them more likely to have high sugar levels. A diet that consists of foods having a low glycemic index might ease the symptoms of schizophrenia. Cutting out refined sugars found in all-purpose flour, sugar, sweetened beverages, fruit juices, sweets and cake is a good place to start.

(Read more: Blood sugar test)

Weight gain in schizophrenia patients is a concern due to psychotropic drugs, lack of exercise, potential metabolic changes and poor diet. A small study suggests that schizophrenic patients, especially males, may have 2-5 times more visceral fat than others; this increases their cardiovascular disease risk. Evidence indicates that behavioural interventions can aid persons with schizophrenia to manage their weight. For starters, they would need to watch their calorie intake and consume a balanced diet that includes whole grains, pulses, legumes, milk, milk products, all colourful fruits and vegetables, lean meat, poultry, nuts, etc. For a customized diet plan, consult your nutritionist.

(Read more: Healthy foods to lose weight)

Mental health and food allergies are closely related. Some people with mental health problems are more likely to be sensitive to few food items, which can worsen or trigger symptoms of mental illness. Here’s what you can do about it:

Identify food intolerances: In case of food allergies, some of the usual suspects are gluten (wheat, rye, barley), dairy (all types – cow, sheep and goat milk, cheese, cream, etc), soya, yeast and eggs. If you suspect one of them to be the culprit, you can try an elimination diet. In this diet, you would exclude such foods from your diet for a brief trial period and reintroduce them one by one to understand which food you are allergic to.

(Read more: Gluten-free foods)

Get a food intolerance test: Alternatively, you could undertake an IgG ELISA blood test to determine whether you have raised antibody levels to specific foods in your blood. Whatever the results may be, don’t make dramatic changes to your diet or cut out whole food groups without professional guidance to ensure your diet remains healthy and balanced.

Following is a sample daily diet plan, which can be followed or adapted for those who suffer from schizophrenia:

• Early morning: Warm water (1 glass) + almonds (4-5) + walnuts (5-7 pieces)
• Breakfast: Paneer or egg sandwich (2) + strawberry smoothie (without sugar) (1 glass)
• Mid-morning: Any seasonal fruit (100-150 gms)
• Lunch: Millet chapati (2) + chana curry (1 bowl) + any seasonal green vegetable (1-2 bowl) + salad (1 bowl)
• Evening tea: Herbal tea (1 cup) + sprout bhel (1 bowl)
• Dinner: Chapati (2) + soya/ fish curry (1 bowl) + mixed vegetable (1 bowl)
• Bedtime: Turmeric milk (1 glass)