Schizophrenia is a severe, lifelong brain disorder wherein the patient loses the ability to think, feel or behave in a normal way. People with schizophrenia often suffer from terrifying symptoms such as hallucination -- hearing voices or seeing things that are in no way present. To date, there is no 100 percent cure. N-acetyl cysteine supplements along with nutritional approach may help reduce some of the symptoms related to schizophrenia. Consult a psychiatrist before taking N-acetyl cysteine supplements for any mental illness.
About N-Acetyl Cysteine
N-acetyl-cysteine helps form glutathione, a powerful antioxidant produced by almost every cell in your body. Glutathione helps protect cells from damage caused by free radicals, damaging compounds in the body that can even cause cell death. In a study published in 2006 in "Disease Markers" researchers found that people with schizophrenia have low levels of glutathione in their brain.
Research
A research study published in September, 2008 in "Biological Psychiatry" have found that supplementation with N-acetylcysteine may improve symptoms related to schizophrenia. The experiment involved 140 volunteers suffering from chronic schizophrenia. In a double-blind fashion, all the volunteers were assigned to receive N-acetyl cysteine at a dosage of 1 g twice a day or placebo for the period of 24 weeks. According to researchers, at 24 week the degree of improvement in schizophrenia symptoms were greater in volunteers treated with N-acetyl cysteine as compared to placebo.
Risks
All medicines may cause side effects, so does N-acetyl cysteine. According to drugs.com, oral use of N-acetyl cysteine may cause some side effects on the central nervous system which include dizziness, drowsiness and lightheadedness. Seek medical advice when these side effects persist or become bothersome after using N-acetyl cysteine supplements.
Nutritional Approach
People with schizophrenia taking N-acetyl cysteine supplement for an extended period of time should also consider taking a standard multivitamin along with it, according to Brain Bio Centre. Multivitamins reduce the side effect of N-acetyl cysteine medication. Apart from nutritional supplements, stable home environment and good psychological support also improve the mental health problems.
References
- "Disease Markers"; Altered Glutathione Redox State in Schizophrenia; K. Yao et al.; 2006
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center: N-Acetylcysteine
- "Biological Psychiatry"; N-Acetyl Cysteine as a Glutathione Precursor for Schizophrenia---A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial; M. Berk et al.; Sep 2008
- Drugs.com: Acetylcysteine Side Effects
- Brain Bio Centre: Food for the Brain: Schizophrenia
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