Study on Nutritional Program and Schizophrenia

In a new study conducted by Alfonso Sevillano-Jimenez and team, it was found that in patients with schizophrenia spectrum illness, the implementation of a nutritional program aimed at boosting dietary prebiotic and probiotic content significantly improves the cardio-metabolic profile. The findings of this study were published in BMC Psychiatry.

The discovery of novel etiological hypotheses, such as the microbiota-gut-brain axis hypothesis, shows the impact of dietary and nutritional habits on mental health, which in turn affects the patient's quality of life in terms of their physical and cardiovascular health. In the context of the SARS-CoV-2 period, the objective of this study was to ascertain the effect of a dietary program targeted at increasing the intake of prebiotic and probiotic food on cardio-metabolic state in people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

50 people with schizophrenia spectrum disorder were the subject of a randomized clinical study (two-arm, balanced-block, double-blind, six-month intervention) during the SARS-CoV-2 quarantine period. Individual conventional dietary counseling was provided to the control group. An individualized nutritional education program with a high prebiotic and probiotic content (dairy and fermented foods, high-fibre fruit, green leafy vegetables, whole grains, etc.) was developed for the intervention group. At the beginning, three, and six months, information on cardiovascular state was gathered. Anthropometric measurements were also examined monthly.

Key Findings

• Following follow-up, 44 patients underwent analysis.
• At the beginning of the intervention and after six months, all anthropometric indicators showed statistically significant changes (p < 0.05).
• A clinically meaningful improvement (lower in cardiovascular risk) was seen in the intervention group at six months as a result of a 27.4% drop in the prevalence of the risk factors associated with the metabolic syndrome across all of its components.

In conclusion, in the context of the global SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the development of a dietary-nutritional intervention with a high symbiotic content in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders has been postulated as an effective and clinically significant therapy for lowering cardiovascular risk factors and improving metabolic outcomes. These dietary suggestions may act as an adjuvant in people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders who have metabolic syndrome, increasing pharmaceutical tolerance and enhancing physical health. By serving as a cornerstone of the multimodal approach and moderating lifestyles through dietary-nutritional education, nursing plays a significant role in obtaining optimal health outcomes.

Reference

Sevillano-Jiménez, A., Romero-Saldaña, M., García-Mellado, J. A., Carrascal-Laso, L., García-Rodríguez, M., Molina-Luque, R., & Molina-Recio, G. (2022). Impact of high prebiotic and probiotic dietary education in the SARS-CoV-2 era: improved cardio-metabolic profile in schizophrenia spectrum disorders. In BMC Psychiatry (Vol. 22, Issue 1). Springer Science and Business Media LLC. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-022-04426-9