Functional & Integrative Medicine for Schizophrenia & Psychosis

The first module shows the genetic and epigenetic influence on presentation of symptoms of schizophrenia/psychosis, revealing the illness to be an accumulation of innate and acquired biochemical deficiencies. We introduce a new integrative care model for schizophrenia that targets both the brain and body, environmental toxins, and other therapies.

Module 2 offers a history of orthomolecular medicine and its pioneers, seguing into an examination of the use of niacin, vitamin C, and NAC in the treatment of schizophrenia.

This module is devoted to showing the association between several micronutrients—B vitamins (folate, B6 and B12), vitamin D, and zinc—and the presentation of symptoms of psychosis.

Module 4 takes a deep dive into food hypersensitivities (allergies, intolerances, reactions) that exacerbate psychosis, as well as environmental, biochemical, and genetic factors that contribute to oxidative stress.  We will review biomarkers of inflammatory status and their associations with psychiatric disorders. The pathophysiology and therapeutic repercussions of celiac disease will be elucidated, bringing to the forefront of discussion the long-established link between diet and mental health. The module will conclude with a review of the gut-brain axis, the role of gut microbiota in neurologic health, and the implications of gut dysbiosis as they pertain to integrative treatment strategies for schizophrenia.

This module examines the prominent theories informing functional medicine approaches to psychosis. Providing an overview of the macronutrient deficiencies (such as dietary lipids and amino acids) that can present as psychosis, we conclude with an objective assessment of the efficacy of non-drug treatment options for this disease.