• Supporting Scientific Evidence
• Helpful Actions

Recently gathered epidemiological data suggest an association between high fish consumption (suggesting high Essential Fatty Acids and Omega 3 oils) and positive outcomes in patients with schizophrenia. Schizophrenia patients often show reduced levels of Omega-3 and Omega-6 Essential Fatty Acids (EFA)in their red blood cell membranes. These EFAs (also known as poly-unsaturated fatty acids) normally contribute to brain cognitive and behavioral function, development, and growth.

If schizophrenia risk is also increased, as some scientific evidence has suggested, by pre-natal viral infections (thus raising inflammatory immune reactions in the body), EFA supplementation could play a protective role here by helping to control this inflammatory response.

Action: Omega 3 fatty acid supplementation for people may have a beneficial effect on the probabilities of getting schizophrenia, or on better control of symptoms if one already has schizophrenia. (Please note that researchers tell us that there is no good, validated research that supports the idea that any type of vitamin or fatty acid (EFA) will cure schizophrenia). It is imortant to maintain a balance between omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids (the former reduces inflammation, while the latter promotes it) - a healthy diet consists of roughly one to four times more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3 fatty acids. Sources for Omega-3s include fish (i.e. salmon, mackerel, halibut, sardines, and herring) and plant oils (i.e. flaxseeds, flaxseed oil, canola (rapeseed) oil, soybeans, soybean oil, pumpkin seeds, pumpkin seed oil, purslane, perilla seed oil, walnuts, and walnut oil). You can also buy fish oil capsules or flaxseed oil in health food stores.

Supporting Research (a sample):

• Revisiting the Idea That Omega-3 Fatty Acids Can Treat Schizophrenia (News)
• Can perinatal supplementation of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids prevents schizophrenia in adult life? (Research)
• Decreased antioxidant enzymes and membrane essential polyunsaturated fatty acids in schizophrenic and bipolar mood disorder patients. (Research)
• Clinical potential of omega-3 Fatty acids in the treatment of schizophrenia (Research)
• Eicosapentaenoic acid in the treatment of schizophrenia and depression: rationale and preliminary double-blind clinical trial results (Research)
• Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid concentrations in red blood cell membranes relate to schizotypal traits in healthy adults. (Research)
• Supplementation with a combination of omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants (vitamins E and C) improves the outcome of schizophrenia. (Research)
• Polyunsaturated fatty acid (fish or evening primrose oil) for schizophrenia (Research)