Nutritional Deficiencies and Clinical Correlates in First-Episode Psychosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Schizophrenia Bulletin, sbx162, https://doi.org/10.1093/schbul/sbx162, 30 November 2017
Joseph Firth Rebekah Carney Brendon Stubbs Scott B Teasdale Davy Vancampfort Philip B Ward Michael Berk Jerome Sarris
Schizophrenia might be treated by folic acid, vitamin B12 and vitamin D – May 2014
Overview Schizophrenia and Vitamin D contains the following summary
14 reasons to think that schizophrenia is associated with low vitamin D
1) 97% of patients with schizophrenia are vitamin D deficient
2) Schizophrenia varies with latitude (UVB) by 10X (controversy)
3) Schizophrenia is more common in those with dark skin (when away from the equator)
4) Schizophrenia is associated with low natal vitamin D
5) Schizophrenia has been increasing around the world when vitamin D has been decreasing (controversy)
6) Schizophrenia is associated with low birth rate, which is associated with low vitamin D
7) Schizophrenia is associated with Autism which is associated with low vitamin D
8) Schizophrenia Bulletin Editorial (Jan 2014) speculated that Vitamin D could be a major player
9) Schizophrenia 2X more likely if low vitamin D - meta-analysis
10) Schizophrenia increased 40 % for Spring births after Danes stopped vitamin D fortification
11) Schizophrenia is associated with season of birth
12) Schizophrenia is associated with poor Vitamin D Receptor genes
13) Schizophrenia risk is decreased if give Vitamin D after birth
14) Schizophrenia symptoms reduced when Vitamin D levels are restored
Note: This stiuy did not look at the interaction of cognition and Omega-3
Items in BOTH the categories Cognition and Omega-3 in VitaminDWiki
- Risk of Alzheimer’s is decreased by food, supplements, and lifestyle – Aug 2024
- APOE-04 Alzheimer’s progression slowed up by Omega-3 – RCT Aug 2024
- Dementia prevented by Omega-3, Vitamin D, etc. book and video May 2024
- Better cognition associated with higher Omega-3 index – Sept 2023
- Alzheimer’s delayed 4.7 years by high Omega-3 index (7.6 years if also have APOE-4) June - 2022
- Dementia 4.1 X high risk in those with low Vitamin D, Omega-3, etc.2 decades before (behind paywall) – Nov 2021
- Early brain development helped by Iron, Iodine, Vitamin D, Omega-3. Zinc etc. – Oct 2021
- Omega-3 paused Alzheimer's decline - RCT Sept 2021
- Seafood (Omega-3) during pregnancy increased childhood IQ by 8 points – review Dec 2019
- Omega-3 index of 6 to 7 associated with best cognition in this study – Nov 2019
- Eating fish improves cognition (Omega-3 fish during pregnancy in this case) - Oct 2019
- Mental disorders fought by Omega-3 etc. - meta-meta-analysis Oct 2019
- Omega-3 prevents Parkinson’s Disease – Review of RCT July 2019
- Omega-3 helps brains of seniors – May 2019
- Omega-3 helped Alzheimer’s only if good level of B vitamins – RCT April 2019
- Standard Omega-3 not get past blood-brain barrier in seniors at high risk of Alzheimer’s – Patrick hypothesis Oct 2018
- APOE4 gene problems (Alzheimer’s) reduced by both Vitamin D and Omega-3 - Dec 2018
- Omega-3 is important for Brain Health during all phases of life – Aug 2018
- Hypothesis: Omega-3 reduces Alzheimer’s directly and via the gut – Sept 2018
- Improve Cognitive Health and Memory with Vitamin D and Omega-3 – World Patent March 2018
- IQ levels around the world are falling (perhaps lower Vitamin D, Iodine, or Omega-3)
- Adding Vitamin D, Omega-3, etc to children’s milk improved memory (yet again) – RCT June 2018
- Omega-3, Vitamin D, Folic acid etc. during pregnancy and subsequent mental illness of child – March 2018
- Why Alzheimer’s studies using Omega-3 have mixed results – quality, dose size, Omega-6, genes, etc. March 2018
- Benefits of Omega-3 beyond heart health - LEF Feb 2018
- Supplementation while pregnant and psychotic – 20 percent Omega-3, 6 percent Vitamin D – June 2016
- ADHD, Autism, Early Psychosis and Omega-3 – review Dec 2017
- Mild Traumatic Brain Injury prevented with Omega-3, Resveratrol, etc (in rats) – Oct 2017
- Omega-3 found to treat Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s in animals – Sept 2017
- The End of Alzheimer's and Dementia if adjust Vitamin D, B-12, Iron, Omega-3, etc.
- Violent schizophrenia patients treated by 3 months of Omega-3 – RCT Aug 2017
- Psychosis risk reduced for 80 weeks by just 12 weeks of Omega-3 – RCT Aug 2017
- Alzheimer’s (apoE4) may require more than Omega-3 - May 2017
- Infants getting 1 g of Omega-3 for 12 weeks got better brains – RCT March 2017
- Omega-3 reduces many psychiatric disorders – 2 reviews 2016
- Cognitive Impairment 1.8 times more likely if low Omega-3– Oct 2016
- Omega-3 may treat schizophrenia
- Benefits of Omega-3 on brain development
- Omega-3 helps childhood cognition – meta-analysis April 2016
- Football Brain injuries prevented by Omega-3 – RCT Jan 2016
- Schizophrenia treated by 6 months of Omega-3 – RCT Nov 2015
- Omega-3 and infant development - dissertation Sept 2015
- Omega-3 etc improved both cognition and mobility of older women – Aug 2015
- Schizophrenia relapses reduced 3X by Omega-3 – RCT Mar 2015
- Cognitive decline in elderly slowed by Omega-3 – meta-analysis May 2015
- Cognitively impaired brain atrophy was slowed 40 percent by Omega-3 and B vitamins – RCT July 2015
- Omega-3, Vitamin D, and other nutrients decrease mental health problems – March 2015
- Vitamin D, Omega-3 supplementation helps cognition – perhaps due to serotonin – Feb 2015
- Vitamin D and Omega-3 may reduce cortical atrophy with age – Nov 2013
- Alzheimer’s and Vitamins D, B, C, E, as well as Omega-3, metals, etc. – June 2013
Download the PDF from VitaminDWiki
Objective
Diet is increasingly recognized as a potentially modifiable factor influencing the onset and outcomes of psychiatric disorders. Whereas, previous research has shown long-term schizophrenia is associated with various nutritional deficiencies, this meta-analysis aimed to determine the prevalence and extent of nutritional deficits in first-episode psychosis (FEP).
Method
A search of electronic databases conducted in July 2017 identified 28 eligible studies, examining blood levels of 6 vitamins and 10 minerals across 2612 individuals: 1221 individuals with FEP and 1391 control subjects. Meta-analyses compared nutrient levels in FEP to nonpsychiatric controls. Clinical correlates of nutritional status in patient samples were systematically reviewed.
Results
Significantly lower blood levels of folate (N = 6, n = 827, g = −0.624, 95% confidence interval [CI] = −1.176 to −0.072, P = .027) and vitamin D (N = 7, n = 906, g = −1.055, 95% CI = −1.99 to −0.119, P = .027) were found in FEP compared to healthy controls. Synthesis of clinical correlates found both folate and vitamin D held significant inverse relationships with psychiatric symptoms in FEP. There was also limited evidence for serum level reductions of vitamin C (N = 2, n = 96, g = −2.207, 95% CI = −3.71 to −0.71, P = .004). No differences were found for other vitamins or minerals.
Conclusions
Deficits in vitamin D and folate previously observed in long-term schizophrenia appear to exist from illness onset, and are associated with worse symptomology. Further research must examine the direction and nature of these relationships (ie, mediator, moderator, or marker) with clinical status in FEP. Future trials assessing efficacy of nutrient supplementation in FEP samples should consider targeting and stratifying for baseline deficiency.
Review of study in Medscape
Low Folate, Vitamin D, Implicated in First-Episode Psychosis
- "Seeing it (nutrional deficiencies) in young people, even prior to antipsychotic treatment, is surprising," quote from study author
- "One study found that in newly diagnosed patients with schizophrenia who were receiving vitamin C supplementation, higher levels of vitamin C were associated with greater symptomatic improvement over 8 weeks."
- "Dr Firth emphasized that levels of vitamin C, D, and folate "should be assessed in young people being treated for psychosis, and if deficient, clinicians should recommend dietary improvement or perhaps even supplementation if diet alone cannot resolve the deficits." "