Schizophrenia is a chronic mental disorder that affects an individual’s ability to think, behave, feel, and express. Generally, people go for psychiatric medicines and psychotherapies instead of adopting some basic lifestyle and dietary changes. However, modifying your everyday diet can help control the symptoms and stabilize the condition. So, here are numerous highly effective dietary tips for schizophrenia patients, that can be definitely tried.

• Consume omega-3 fatty acids
  Schizophrenic patients need to include fatty acids in their diet. Omega-3 acids can ease the symptoms and prevent them from progressing. Salmon, mackerel, and tuna are the fish varieties that provide an excellent amount of omega-3. Along with this, fish oil supplements can also be consumed after consulting your doctor.
• Reduce sugar intake
  Among various dietary tips for schizophrenia patients, this is highly effective. The medications prescribed for the treatment can raise blood sugar levels in the body. Hence, it is advisable to limit the intake of sugar to prevent the worsening of the symptoms.
• Increase vitamin consumption
  Multivitamins should be included in the schizophrenic diet, as their deficiency can trigger the symptoms. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain the required levels of B vitamins, zinc, and folic in the body in order to manage the symptoms.
• Include a gluten-free diet
  The long list of dietary tips for schizophrenia patients also suggests eliminating gluten. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley and rye, which if not digested properly, it can contribute to the degeneration of the brain. Instead, it is better to consume alternatives like rice, buckwheat, and millet.
• Limit caffeine intake
  In schizophrenic patients, caffeine is known to increase anxiety and other negative emotions that can be extremely dangerous for them. So, it is better to avoid coffee, carbonated drinks, or any other beverage that contains caffeine. Moreover, caffeine can also create an imbalance in the blood sugar levels.
• Eliminate alcohol
  Excessive alcohol consumption is harmful to everyone, especially for those dealing with schizophrenia. As it increases the severity of the symptoms, it is better to remain hydrated with water and herbal tea, which may also release a soothing effect.
• Consume an antioxidant-rich diet
  The dietary tips for schizophrenia patients also include increasing the intake of antioxidants. Antioxidants present in the food items such as apples, beans, pecans, and various green-leafy vegetables can help reduce the symptoms. Consuming them regularly can make it easier to manage the disease and control the emotions.
• Dried fruits
  Dried fruits have a high concentration of sugar, which can affect the function of BDNF, a key hormone present in the brain. So, it is better to depend on the whole fruits for their nutritional value and avoid eating dried or processed forms of fruits.

For schizophrenic patients, it is important to adopt healthy eating habits to manage this disease. Therefore, the above-mentioned dietary tips can be followed, as they can improve the physical as well as the mental condition of the patients.