There were no overall effects from antioxidant vitamins , inositol or dietary minerals on psychiatric symptoms .
There is preliminary evidence that certain vitamin and mineral supplements may reduce psychiatric symptoms in some people with schizophrenia .
BACKGROUND When used as an adjunctive with antipsychotics , certain vitamins and minerals may be effective for improving symptomatic outcomes of schizophrenia , by restoring nutritional deficits , reducing oxidative stress , or modulating neurological pathways .
Folate supplementation in schizophrenia: A possible role for MTHFR genotype
BACKGROUND Folate deficiency and the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase ( MTHFR ) 677C > T polymorphism have been linked to negative symptoms in schizophrenia both independently and synergistically . This study examined the effect of folate supplementation on negative symptoms overall and in relation to MTHFR 677C > T genotype . METHOD Forty-six stable adult schizophrenia out patients were enrolled and 32 were r and omised , double-blind , in a parallel-group , twelve week add-on trial of folate 2mg/d or matching placebo . The primary outcome measure was change from baseline to week 12 on the modified SANS total score using a mixed-model analysis . In addition , we measured the effect of MTHFR genotype on treatment effects and on changes in serum folate by grouping participants with T/T genotype together with C/T genotype and comparing their interactions to patients with C/C genotype . RESULTS Twenty-eight participants completed the trial .  Folate supplementation did not significantly affect negative symptoms compared to placebo across the entire cohort . However , there was a significant genotype × treatment effect on negative symptoms ( F=7.13 , df=1,39 , p=0.01 ) . In addition , MTHFR status significantly moderated the relationship between change in serum folate and change in negative symptoms : among participants with at least one copy of the T allele negative symptoms were more likely to improve with increased serum folate ( p=0.03 ) . CONCLUSION We did not detect a therapeutic benefit of folate supplementation in a sample of patients with residual negative symptoms . However , a possible association between genotypes associated with reduced MTHFR activity and benefit from folate supplementation should be investigated further
There were no overall effects from antioxidant vitamins , inositol or dietary minerals on psychiatric symptoms .
There is preliminary evidence that certain vitamin and mineral supplements may reduce psychiatric symptoms in some people with schizophrenia .
BACKGROUND When used as an adjunctive with antipsychotics , certain vitamins and minerals may be effective for improving symptomatic outcomes of schizophrenia , by restoring nutritional deficits , reducing oxidative stress , or modulating neurological pathways .