Avoid or reduce caffeine, sugar, refined carbohydrates and alcohol. Eating a diet that will stabilise your blood sugar and minimise your intake of stimulants and sugar. Click here for more details.

Up your intake of essential omega 3 and 6 fats

This means eating fish at least twice a week, seeds on most days and supplementing omega 3 and 6 oils

The best fish for EPA, the type of omega 3 fat that’s linked with improving mood, are:
Mackerel (1,400mg per 100g/3oz) Herring/kipper (1,000mg) Sardines (1,000mg),fresh tuna (900mg), Anchovy (900mg), Salmon (800mg),Trout  (500mg). Tuna, being high in mercury is best eaten not more than three times a month.

The best seeds are flax seeds and pumpkin seeds. Flax seeds are so small they are best ground and sprinkled on cereal. Alternatively, use flax seed oil, for example in salad dressings. While technically providing omega 3 only about 5% of the type of omega 3 (alpha linolenic acid) in these seeds is converted in your body into EPA.

When supplementing omega 3 fish oils you are aiming for about 1,000mg of EPA a day for a mood stabilising effect. That means supplementing a concentrated Omega 3 Fish Oil capsule providing 500mg, once or twice a day and eating a serving of any of the above fish three times a week. Alternatively supplement a combination of omega 3 (EPA, DHA) and omega 6 (GLA). These essential fats can be found in combination supplements.

Increase Antioxidants

To ensure you are getting the proper types and amounts of antioxidants, both eat lots of fruit and vegetables with a variety of colours, and also supplement daily with 2,000 mg of vitamin C, taken in two divided doses, plus 400iu (300mg) of vitamin E, as part of an all-round antioxidant that contains N-acetyl-cysteine and/or reduced glutathione, as well as Co-enzyme Q10.

Don’t smoke and minimise passive smoking.

Check your homocysteine level and get enough B vitamins

Your homocysteine level is an indicator of your B vitamin needs. , You can test yourself using a home test kit. If your level is above 9mmol/l take a combined ‘homocysteine’ supplement of  B2, B6, B12, folic acid, zinc, and TMG, providing at least 400mcg of folic acid, 250mcg of B12 and 20mg of B6. If your homocysteine score is above 15mmol/l double this amount. Also eat B vitamin rich whole foods – whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables. Folic acid is particularly rich in green vegetables, beans, lentils, nuts and seeds,  while B12 is only found in animal foods – meat, fish, eggs and dairy produce. A good starting point is also to supplement a multivitamin providing optimal levels of B vitamins, which means 25mg-50mg of B1, B2, B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxine) and at least 100mcg of folic acid and 10mcg of B12 and biotin. Much higher levels may be beneficial but are best given with the advice and support of your doctor or nutritionist.

Consider supplementing niacin

Some people feel much better on large amounts of niacin of 1gram and above a day. Very large amounts, ten times this levels, can be liver toxic especially in the sustained release form. In any event,  we recommend that anything over 1g is best taken under the supervision of a qualified practitioner. If you become nauseated, that is an indication to stop supplementation and resume three days later, with a lower amount.

Niacin comes in different forms. Niacin (formerly known as nicotinic acid) causes a harmless blushing sensation, accompanied with an increase in skin temperature and slight itching. This effect can be quite severe, and lasts for up to 30 minutes. However, if 500mg or 1,000mg of niacin are taken twice a day at regular intervals, the blushing stops.

Some supplement companies produce a ‘no-flush’ niacin by binding niacin with inositol. This works, so it's probably the best form, but it is more expensive. Niacin also comes in the form of niacinamide, which doesn’t cause blushing either. It has to be said, however, that both of these forms appear to be slightly less effective than niacin. This may be because the blushing effect of niacin improves blood flow, and hence nutrient supply to the brain.

Finding help
If you would like help overcoming schizophrenia with a nutritional approach are a number of clinics and nutritional therapists who can help you. Click here to find out more.

Dig deeper by reading these books and special reports:

Optimum Nutrition for the Mind - Patrick Holford

DO YOU NEED HELP?

Come to the Brain Bio Centre, our outpatient clinic, specialising in the 'optimum nutrition' approach to mental health problems.