Use of a Gluten-Free Diet in Schizophrenia: A Systematic Review.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to determine whether adherence to a gluten-free diet (GFD) improves outcomes for patients with schizophrenia.
Results Summary
Six of the nine included studies showed beneficial effects, such as improved functioning and reduced symptom severity with a GFD, while three found no benefits. All studies reported that a GFD was well tolerated and feasible for patients with schizophrenia.
Population
Patients with schizophrenia.
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Varied by study (not specified in abstract)
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
gluten-free diet (GFD) | increase | functioning | patients with schizophrenia | - | demonstrated beneficial effects including improved functioning | #1 |
gluten-free diet (GFD) | decrease | symptom severity | patients with schizophrenia | - | demonstrated beneficial effects including decreased symptom severity | #2 |
gluten-free diet (GFD) | no change | - | patients with schizophrenia | - | found no benefits | #3 |
gluten-free diet (GFD) | increase | tolerability | patients with schizophrenia | - | is well tolerated | #4 |
gluten-free diet (GFD) | increase | adherence | patients with schizophrenia | - | can be adhered to | #5 |
We performed a systematic review of the literature to determine whether adherence to a gluten-free diet (GFD) leads to improved outcomes for patients with schizophrenia. We searched the AMED (Allied and Complementary Medicine; 1985-June 2016), MEDLINE (1946-June 2016), and Embase (1980-2016 week 24) databases using the terms "wheat" or "glutenin" or "gliadin" or "gluten" AND "schizophrenia." A total of 9 studies met the inclusion criteria for this review: 1 randomized controlled trial, 7 crossover studies, and 1 open-label pilot study. Six of the included studies demonstrated beneficial effects including improved functioning and decreased symptom severity after the course of a GFD, whereas 3 studies found no benefits. All of the included studies found that a GFD is well tolerated and can be adhered to by patients with schizophrenia. The findings of this systematic review should be interpreted with caution due to limitations inherent to nonrandomized trials, as well as the heterogeneity in the study design and the length of the GFD applied in each study. Publication bias is another potential limitation. Further research is required to examine the biomarkers of gluten sensitivity and inflammation to effectively target those patients with schizophrenia who will benefit most from this dietary intervention.