Is Vit. D and probiotics beneficial for people with schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia is among the most common severe mental disorders and one of the top 25 leading causes of disability around the world. Medications that block the dopamine system are effective in delusions and hallucinations associated with the disorder. However, they are less effective in the improvement of cognitive and motivational disorders. Taking antipsychotic drugs, which have anticholinergic and anti-histaminergic effects, increases the prevalence of gastrointestinal diseases. Previous studies have suggested the synergistic effects of combined vitamin D and probiotics on mental health. It has been hypothesized that probiotics can increase vitamin D levels. In addition, probiotics improve the expression of vitamin D receptors.

For the study, 70 adults with schizophrenia were randomized to take a placebo or probiotic supplements plus 400 IU vitamin D daily for 12 weeks. The severity of the disease and cognitive function were evaluated by tests called the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the 30-point Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), respectively.

The results showed that probiotic/vitamin D supplementation significantly increased MoCA scores compared to the placebo-receiving group. Also, the number of patients with MoCA score ≥ 26 significantly increased in the probiotic group. On the other hand, intervention with probiotic-containing supplements decreased PANSS scores.

The findings revealed that co-administration of probiotics and vitamin D showed beneficial effects on the improvement of cognitive function in schizophrenic patients.

“Probiotics may be a novel way to treat mental disorders by regulating gut microbiota,” said corresponding author Gita Sadighi, MD, of the University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences.

Reference: Aida Mohammadi, Gita Sadighi, Ali Nazeri Astaneh, Maryam Tajabadi-Ebrahimi, Tahereh Dejam; Co-administration of probiotic and vitamin D significantly improves cognitive function in schizophrenic patients: A double-blinded randomized controlled trial; Journal: Neuropsychopharmacology Reports; https://doi.org/10.1002/npr2.12431