Schizophrenia: foods to avoid

The problem with treating paranoid schizophrenia is that the available medications don't work all that well. Side effects abound, from rotten teeth to rotten livers, and many sufferers still hear voices telling them not to take their meds, making treatment a challenge. Part of the issue usually is that they're eating the wrong things.

Wheat exacerbates the voices. In the book Wheat Belly, Dr. William Davis notes a study where schizos in an institution were given a gluten-free diet. The improvements were remarkable-one woman who had been institutionalized for 50 years was even essentially cured! People with mental illness generally should avoid wheat. When I gobbled three bowls of stuffing last Thanksgiving, I was stuck listening to some pretty bizarre stuff for a couple weeks.

Stevia, a sugar substitute sold as "Truvia" in the US, also causes me problems, including diarrhea and increased voices. I was looking for a sugar replacement, and tried stevia, and got VERY sick.

I personally use the Paleo Diet, google it. I tried to convince another schizo online to try it, and she said, oh no, I'm a vegan. Well, ok, but if your coffee mug won't shut up, you need to reconsider.