Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that affects the patient’s ability to feel, think, and behave clearly. The condition is marked by delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized behavior. Patients often lose touch with reality and start seeing or hearing things that don’t really exist. While there’s no cure for the disease, timely treatment, lifestyle changes, including eating habits, can help reduce symptoms.

This article attempts to shed light on the different types of foods that control or aggravate schizophrenia. That said, it is recommended that patients talk to their doctor before adding or removing any of these foods from their diet.

Foods to eat

1. Fatty fish
Omega-3 fatty acids found in fatty fish, like salmon, are helpful against mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia. Studies have proved how beneficial omega-3 fatty acids are to help alleviate symptoms of the condition. Patients who regularly consume omega-3 fatty acids report milder symptoms. Omega-3 fatty acids also counter mood swings and frequent behavioral changes.

2. Shellfish
Oysters, lobsters, and crabs are a few types of shellfish that should be part of a schizophrenia patient’s diet. They contain omega-3 fatty acids, which, as we already know, reduce symptoms of schizophrenia and other mental disorders. Experts, meanwhile, have also found that people with schizophrenia have low levels of zinc in their bodies. Shellfish are rich sources of zinc, which helps improve mental performance and decreases mental decline.

3. Fruits
Almost all kinds of fruits can be safely included in a schizophrenia patients’ diet. Eating more fruits can improve mental health and decrease symptoms of various psychiatric conditions, including schizophrenia. Furthermore, fruits have an indirect effect on this disease. Apples, bananas, and raspberries are high in fiber, known to reduce the risk or symptoms of chronic conditions like diabetes. Such conditions are linked to increased risk of schizophrenia, so by decreasing the risk or severity of such problems, one can control the mental disorder.

Foods to avoid

1. Gluten
Gluten is a group of proteins found in wheat, barley, and rye. Most people can tolerate gluten, but in others, it can trigger adverse reactions. Patients with schizophrenia should avoid foods that have gluten, as the protein has been linked to increased risk of psychiatric disorders. Bread, pasta, and baked goods are all rich in gluten, so they must be avoided.

2. Sugar
Diabetes and schizophrenia are closely linked. A high percentage of patients with schizophrenia also have diabetes, which means they have high blood glucose. It is, thus, recommended that patients with schizophrenia avoid sugar and sugary foods. Canned fruits, energy drinks, iced tea, and flavored coffees are a few foods and beverages rich in sugar.