Trying a gluten-free diet sounds sensible but may be hard to implement in the real world. The atypical antipsychotics are notoriously connected with carb-craving and weight gain (and, often, over time, diabetes). Asking patients on antipsychotic medications to reduce their intake of bread and pasta may be asking the well-nigh impossible (at least once they're off the locked unit and on their own). Another problem is that dopamine depletion in the frontal lobes (both a feature of schizophrenia itself and an effect of the newer antipsychotics) reduces executive function and motivation. Again, asking someone whose initiative and incentive system is impaired to go on a self-restrictive diet may be asking for pie in the sky (as it were).

I have not personally been able to convince any single family or patient with schizophrenia to go on a gluten-free diet. However, it would be easier to do in an institutional setting. I'm hoping to put the information out there so that more research can be done.

The author's description of schizophrenia is, unfortunately, a description of people who've been on anti-psychotics for years. The brain shrinkage, flat effect, and so on all come from too long with toxic chemicals attacking one's brain and other body systems, and the experiences of those with schizophrenia who have *not* gone too long down the toxin road demonstrate that.

It's too bad that mainstream psychiatry (including this author, apparently) continues to ignore the iatrogenic effects their own treatments cause, instead ascribing those effects to the disease process itself. This not only makes for very poor science (at best), but also makes a mockery of taking such a scientific discipline seriously.

I recommend the author and anyone else interested (who's willing to actually *look* at the real science, that is) Robert Whitacker's book "Anatomy of an Epidemic", where he (among other things) details the differences between schizophrenics (and others) treated by standard treatments which cement brain and body damage into their personalities, and those who are helped with drugs very temporarily (if at all) but receive community and other support (and who later show none of the so-called "signs" of what current psychiatry assigns to "schizophrenia".

Emily, this is brilliant and fascinating news. I'm gluten free because of the joint inflammation it causes and have never felt better (I'm also vegan and the food is absolutely wonderful and not a deprivation at all). That it may be a factor in schizophrenia is promising and exciting.

However, you state at the beginning of the article that schizophrenia causes a "flat effect." This is not true. The drugs cause many of the degenerative changes in schizophrenics, including the "flat effect."

I highly suggest you research the results folks are having in Finland, for example, where they use no or very little drugs for schizophrenia. Or just research Soteria House, which was a drug free and successful program here.

To combine diet modification with these highly successful drug free (or nearly drug free) approaches, seems even more promising than either alone.

It's really awesome that a psychiatrist is researching about these things & writing about them! :)

I wish more doctors and psychiatrists and psychologists would know about these things...

A connection between mental health and mood and celiac is now quite known, it's interesting to know that this can be different than celiac yet still problematic!

I wonder if later when/if people would no longer be under stress the gut would 'heal' and it would be possible to go off the gluten-free diet again? (and eat 'everything'? perhaps within limits) With celiac this may be extremely rare (some experts say 'impossible' but some people suggest it can happen and to retake a test then?)

It's also interesting to hear about drug free (or nearly drug free) approaches - please write about that if you can!
I think William Glasser wrote about non-med approaches too, I only read his book, don't know if any studies about effectiveness of his approach have been done?

Please keep up the great work!! :)

I agree that double blind or even unblinded studies would be difficult. Getting any patients to undertake this is also apparently very difficult. There might be some highly motivated patients or parents/caregivers of patients to undertake a dietary trial if they knew it might help though. Patientslikeme is a web site where those with any diagnosis can go to and see what treatments (standard drug, herbal, dietary etc.) others with the same diagnosis are undertaking and what benefits or side-effects these treatments are causing. Even a national sample of just a few hundred would likely yield some results. I have not seen if this dietary treatment regimen is being attempted on this site. Might be a highly motivated group of 499 though.

I have not spoken to a doctor on this subject who didn't dismiss the idea of trying a gluten free diet as impossibly difficult. "There's no proof it's going to work, and it's just too hard. Don't bother." And no information provided on the mechanisms behind the link between diet and cognitive function.
And so I've resorted to the internet to research the links. Taking gluten out of my diet relieved me of increasingly overwhelming brain-fog, but now I must also avoid salicylates and FODMAPS. And my husband (who has a brother with schizophrenia) tried the Atkins diet, which is ketogenic, and we discovered that without carbs he could happily be with the family, when previously he was like a bear with a sore head, attributing intent to accidents, and occasionally abusive. We've tested this, and his response is consistent. On carbs - aggressive, irritable outbursts, off carbs - happy and able to enjoy being with his wife and child.
It's possible, I suppose, that the link between schizophrenia and gluten will affect people subclinically if they're susceptible? I know it's nothing compared to the tragedy of schizophrenia, but it's an issue that has a huge affect on our quality of life.
I'm very interested to read your article, Doctor. Thank you. Can you recommend any links? I'd love to know more.

It is commonly known that schizophrenia can be "awoken" in some people through LSD use. It is my understanding that LSD is somewhat created with the use of ergot, which is a fungus that grows on rye, which contains gluten. Is it quite possible that this attributes to why schizophrenia is brought about through LSD use?