The Link between Nutrition and Schizophrenia

The development of schizophrenia includes genetic factors and environmental factors such as stress, diet, physical inactivity and drugs. It is known that the function and mechanisms of the brain are affected by the composition of the diet. Therefore, nutritional factor may influence the symptoms and the progression of the illnesses, although it is not a major etiology. Moreover, there is high incidence of poor nutrition among schizophrenia patients.
Particularly, patients with impaired cognition are strongly vulnerable to the risk of having nutritional deficiency. Due to the difficulty in performing and interpreting nutrition research, uptake of such interventions is low. Thus, nutritional status and the associated factors among schizophrenia patients should be given attention in health sector.

This Research Topic aims to promote an agenda of nutritional psychiatry by promoting interdisciplinary research, which aim to provide better understanding and service in the field of mental health. Firstly, the nutrition status, including dietary intake and nutrition-related health indicators among schizophrenia patients will be assessed. In addition, drug-nutrient interaction such as drug-induced-nutrient-depletions and the role of nutrients in prevention of antipsychotic-induced metabolic disturbances will be discuss.

Since schizophrenia is influenced by the interaction between genetic and environmental factors, understanding of genomic and epigenomic relevance to the disorders can be applied in the prevention, amelioration and treatment. Lastly, research on nutrition interventions to alleviate symptoms of schizophrenia and the efficacy and cost-efficacy is discussed. The nutrition interventions may involve food and nutritional supplements.

We welcome research on:

• Dietary pattern of patients with schizophrenia
• Nutritional deficiencies in schizophrenia patients
• Genetic and epigenetic perspective of nutritional deficiencies
• Diet and its effect on schizophrenia
• Diet and medication interactions
• Association of nutritional biomarkers with clinical outcomes
• Nutritional intervention in treatment of schizophrenia