A diet low in carbohydrates would limit the risk of schizophrenia in subjects at risk, according to the results of a study published in the medical journal Schizophrenia Research. Conclusions obtained in mice.
Food would be able to modify the functioning of the brain. This is why it has always been recommended to epileptic to follow a special diet, the ketogenic diet low in carbohydrates (sugars) and rich in lipids (fats) to avoid seizures and convulsions. This diet also seems recommended for people at risk of schizophrenia.
Researchers from Australia’s James Cook University conducted a behavioral study in mice to understand the impact of diet in mice. They observed that a ketogenic diet high in fat and low in carbohydrates (bread, cereals, legumes) reduced schizophrenic behavior in mice.
“The ketogenic diet provides the brain with an alternative source of energy via fatty acids. And since the diet is low in carbohydrates, almost all of the energy comes from the assimilation of Fatty acids not glucose. This makes it possible to bypass the classic glucose metabolic pathways, rendered inoperative by the disease”, explains Dr Zoltan Sarnyai.
Associated weight loss
“Another advantage: the diet works against weight gain, cardiovascular problems and type 2 diabetes. These are common side effects of treatments used for schizophrenia,” continues Dr. Sarnyai.
The conclusions of this study confirm a recent study published in the medical journal Nature communications which revealed that enriching your diet with omega 3essential fatty acids, would significantly reduce the risk of developing schizophrenia in young people at risk.
Schizophrenia in numbers
Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder that usually appears in adolescence or early adulthood. It is manifested by a loss of contact and reference with reality, by hallucinations, withdrawal or even by communication disorders. More than 400,000 people suffer from it in France.
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