A comprehensive review of worldwide studies has revealed that add-on treatment with high-dose B vitamins—including B6, B8, and B12—can significantly reduce symptoms of schizophrenia more effectively than standard treatments alone. The research, funded by The Medical Research Council and the University of Manchester, has been published in the esteemed journal Psychological Medicine.
The study, led by Joseph Firth from the university’s Division of Psychology and Mental Health, analyzed data from various clinical trials examining the effects of vitamin and mineral supplements on schizophrenia symptoms. Firth highlighted the importance of these findings, stating, “Looking at all of the data from clinical trials of vitamin and mineral supplements for schizophrenia to date, we can see that B vitamins effectively improve outcomes for some patients. This could be an important advance, given that new treatments for this condition are so desperately needed.”
Schizophrenia, a condition affecting about one percent of the population, is among the most disabling and costly long-term conditions globally. Standard treatment primarily involves the use of antipsychotic drugs. While these medications can lead to remission of symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions within the first few months of treatment, long-term outcomes are often poor, with a relapse rate of 80 percent within five years.
This study represents the first meta-analysis conducted on the topic of vitamin and mineral supplements for schizophrenia. The researchers reviewed 18 randomized clinical trials involving a total of 832 patients receiving antipsychotic treatment for schizophrenia. They found that high-dose B-vitamin interventions, particularly those that combined several vitamins, consistently showed effectiveness in reducing psychiatric symptoms. In contrast, interventions using lower doses of B vitamins were ineffective.
The evidence also suggests that B-vitamin supplements may be most beneficial when administered early in the treatment process. Patients with shorter illness durations showed the most significant reduction in symptoms when high-dose B vitamins were used.
Firth emphasized the potential benefits of high-dose B vitamins in managing schizophrenia symptoms, noting, “High-dose B-vitamins may be useful for reducing residual symptoms in people with schizophrenia, although there were significant differences among the findings of the studies we looked at.”
He also pointed out that these benefits might be more pronounced in subgroups of patients with relevant genetic or dietary nutritional deficiencies.
Co-author Jerome Sarris, a professor of integrative mental health at Western Sydney University, added, “This builds on existing evidence of other food-derived supplements, such as certain amino acids, being beneficial for people with schizophrenia. These new findings also fit with our latest research examining how multi-nutrient treatments can reduce depression and other disorders.”
The research team calls for further studies to explore how nutrients act on the brain to improve mental health. Additionally, they advocate for measuring the effects of nutrient-based treatments on other outcomes, such as brain functioning and metabolic health.
The findings of this study open new avenues for the treatment of schizophrenia, highlighting the potential role of high-dose B vitamins in improving patient outcomes and reducing the long-term burden of this debilitating condition.