Folate, Vitamin D Found Lower in People Who Have Experienced First-Episode Psychosis

Patients who have experienced first-episode psychosis (FEP) appear to have significantly lower levels of folate and vitamin D in their blood compared with individuals with no psychiatric diagnosis, according to areport inSchizophrenia Bulletin.Understanding nutritional deficits that exist from illness onset could lead to nutrient-based interventions to improve diet and possibly reduce symptoms in people with FEP, the authors wrote.Previous studies have suggested that individuals with schizophrenia have low levels of B vitamins (B12 and folate), antioxidant vitamins (C and E), and vitamin D. However, which nutritional deficiencies are present at the first episode of psychosis was previously unknown.Joseph Firth, Ph.D., of the University of Western Sydney and colleagues analyzed data from 28 studies that compared the blood levels of vitamins and minerals of people with and without FEP. These studies, which included 2,612 individuals (1,221 people with FEP and 1,391 controls), assessed differences in blood levels of six vitamins (A, B12, C, D, E, and folate) and 10 minerals (calcium, chromium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, selenium, sodium, and zinc).The meta-analysis revealed significant reductions in folate and vitamin D among people with FEP compared with nonpsychiatric controls, with the strongest evidence found for vitamin D deficits. Lower folate and vitamin D levels were also found to be associated with more severe symptomology in individuals with FEP.Alt...
Source: Psychiatr News - Category: Psychiatry Tags: first-episode psychosis folate Joseph Firth nutrition Schizophrenia Bulletin vitamin C vitamin D Source Type: research