The more recent research on schizophrenia is very exciting and diet and lifestyle changes do seem to have a profound affect on this disease.

I hope my notes below can help bring a little understanding and hope to those touched with this disease.

Kindest regards,
Andrew Cavanagh


SCHIZOPHRENIA

First the basics:

DHA
Your brain is around 60% fat.
A good percentage of this fat is DHA (docosahexaenoic acid).
DHA helps lay down brain tissue and repair nerve endings
DHA is essentail for the functioning of synapses in your brain (to transfer information)
DHA Is essential for the functioning of mitochondria in your brain cells (which make energy for those cells)

DHA is found in fish oil.
Your body can also produce its own DHA but this is a very inefficient, involved process requiring many links in a chemical chain.

EPA and EICOSANOIDS
Nearly all the functions of your body are controlled directly or indirectly by the "master hormones" eicosanoids.
Like most hormones there are two kinds of eicosanoids "good" eicosanoids and "bad" eicosanoids.
The "good" eicosanoids balance out the functions of the "bad" eicosanoids.
The winners of the 1982 Nobel prize for medicine explained, quite accurately in my humble opinion, how all chronic disease is a result of an imbalance of good and bad eicosanoids.

Good eicosanoids are involved in the production, release and uptake of neurotransmitters in your brain, hence their importance in neurological diseases like schizophrenia and depression.
The basic building block of good eicosanoids is EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid).

EPA is also found in fish oil.
Again your body can produce its own EPA but this is a long inefficient, involved process requiring many links in a chemical chain.

So if your diet is not high in fish oil or fish oil supplements you're relying on your body to produce its own DHA and EPA essential for mental and physical health.

SCHIZOPHRENIA AND GENETIC PROBLEMS IN PRODUCING DHA AND EPA
Schizophrenics suffer from at least two kinds of abnormal genes.
First they have a gene that increases the rate of removal of essential fatty acids like EPA and especially DHA. This removal interrupts the long chain of production of these fatty acids in the body.
Second they have a gene that reduces the rate of incorporation of these essential fatty acids into the cell membranes.

So schizophrenics are unlikely to produce adequate quantities of DHA and EPA essential for mental health when they actually need higher levels than average to ensure that enough of these essential fatty acids make their way into the cell walls.

For this reason it is imperative that schizophrenics supplement with fish oil to ensure the adequate levels of DHA and EPA essential for mental and physical health.

Various studies support this basic premise of supplementing fish oil with schizophrenics.
www.medscape.com/viewarticle/441139
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=12837515
www.newhope.com/nutritionsciencenews/NSN_backs/Sep_00/polysaturated.cfm

RECOMMENDED DOSAGE FOR THE TREATMENT OF SCHIZOPHRENIA WITH FISH OIL:
5 GRAMS (EIGHT CAPSULES) DAILY OF PHARMACEUTICAL GRADE FISH OIL.

Severe cases could require twice this dose and the dose can be increased symptomatically.
Pharmaceutical grade fish oil is NOT currently available in health food stores.

Lower grades of fish oil at this dosage could be hazardous to your health due to PCB, heavy metal contamination.
In Cairns you can currently buy searslabs pharmaceutical grade fish oil or Clearwater pharmaceutical grade fish oil (the only brands I'm confident of at this point) from Robert Zmeskal 0401 698 339.

RELATED COURSES OF ACTION
Supplementing fish oil is only one step to improving the body's balance of good and bad eicosanoids.
This balance is profoundly affected by several other factors.

In particular excess insulin (caused by eating a diet too high in carbohydrates and a poor balance of protein at each meal) can inhibit the production of good eicosanoids and increase the production of bad eicosanoids.
Eating fruit and vegetables (NOT potatoes, bananas or others high on the glycemic index) is a step towards decreasing excess insulin production.

Also schizophrenia could be linked to a gluten intolerance or insensitivity.
Gluten sensitivity is known to cause neurological and psychological problems which can abate when you eliminate wheat, barley and rye products from your diet.
Since bread pasta, spaghetti, dohnuts etc are high in high glycemic carbohydrates which stimulate the production of insulin this makes the elimination of these products from the diet especially important.

Essential to the control of insulin is a correct protein/carbohydrate ratio in every meal and the consumption of adequate good fats (outlined in my books or in any Zone diet book by Dr Barry Sears).

Other factors that affect eicosanoid production include:

Advanced hygiene - advanced hygiene can help avoid the contraction of full blown viruses and viruses inhibit the production of good eicosanoids.

Advanced hygiene can also increase blood levels of albumin.
Albumin acts as an antioxidant in the brain and carries good fats to the brain helping increase the production of good eicosanoids.

Sleep - Since abnormal sleep is characteristic of schizophrenia looking at sleep habits is worthwhile.
Supplementing with 3mg of melatonin (1/2 to 1 hour before bedtime), the sleep hormone, is also worth considering.
Melatonin's production is controlled indirectly by eicsoanoids and melatonin helps produce deep, good quality sleep and acts as an antioxidant in the brain.

Sleep is essential to reduce your body's levels of cortisol, the stress hormone.
Cortisol inhibits the production of eicosanoids and can increase your body's production of insulin.

Exercise - reducing body fat to healthy levels and exercise have been shown to help in schizophrenic patients.
A simple, progressive daily exercise routine is advised.
Exercise also helps reduce your body's production and levels of insulin.

Emotional health - Dealing with the past emotions which may lead to deranged thought patterns etc and learning relaxation exercises should help the schizophrenic patient.
Stress and especially emotional stress not dealt with effectively increases your body's levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

Other supplements:
Vitamin C 500mg 4 times daily.
Vitamin E 500iu twice daily.
B complex vitamin tablet daily
B6 tablet daily
Evening primrose oil ONE 500mg capsule ONCE A WEEK
Colloidal minerals (majestic earth or TJ Clark) daily or twice daily.

LITHIUM
Lithium can inhibit the removal of essential fatty acids in the long chain of their production.
Remember that schizophrenics have a faulty gene that removes too many of these essential fatty acids like DHA and EPA.
So lithium may be a particularly valuable supplement.
Basic levels of lithium are present in any colloidal mineral preparation.
Larger doses should really be taken under medical supervision.

Schizophrenia is genetic and other related health problems present in relatives of schizophrenics who don't develop full blown schizophrenia.
(Common problems in children include defects in verbal and social skills including dyslexia, low IQ, attention defecits, ADD, ADHD and an inability to form friendships in childhood).
Thus it is good practice to recommend the supplementation of fish oil and insulin controlling diet as a minimum precaution and therapy to all blood relatives.


As with all neurological diseases I highly recommend you read the free book From Depression to glorious health in six steps which outlines a diet and lifestyle protocol for neurological disease.

Free download of the groundbreaking book From Depression to glorious health in six steps.

http://www.geocities.com/glorioushealth