Schizophrenia is a chronic mental illness. It has been found that people with schizophrenia primarily suffer because of their poor dietary habits. Of course, lousy eating habits increase your susceptibility to other health disorders, but they also make you more vulnerable to diabetes and other heart diseases. Thus, research states that making a few dietary changes and avoiding food triggers can go a long way.

So, what are the foods to avoid for schizophrenia? Let us find out.

1. Bread
A few experts believe that wheat sensitivity can be a vital factor in their medical health conditions, such as schizophrenia. A study conducted recently proves that in people with schizophrenia, switching to a gluten-free diet did bring in positive results. Gluten is a kind of protein that is found in grains and wheat. You should consult your doctor and make any dietary changes if required.

2. Refined sugar
Several studies have proven that people with schizophrenia are typically bad eaters. Consequently, the odds of developing diabetes is also high. Thus, opting for a diet with a low glycemic load, a metric of measurement for blood sugar, also relieves you from schizophrenia symptoms. Reducing refined sugar intake will involve cutting out food items such as candies, cakes, desserts, and sweetened beverages from your diet.

3. Carbohydrates
Before you make a switch to a gluten-free diet, you need to speak to your health professional. A diet with low-carb, high-fat, and moderate-protein, known as the ketogenic diet, has shown great success in helping relieve schizophrenia patients from various symptoms. However, some people reported carb-flu in this transition. With them, the situation only got worse before it could get any better. Thus, it is crucial to be very careful and only make a gradual shift after consulting with your doctor.

4. Artificial sweeteners
Consumption of artificial sweeteners is often associated with depression. Moreover, since these sweeteners lack nutritional value, they make you want to consume more sugar instead of less and are addictive. It is best to keep them out of your diet while simultaneously working on controlling your sweet tooth. You can instead curb your sweet cravings by eating some healthy fresh fruits. Though fruits are good for your health, they, too, should be consumed in moderation.

5. Cheese
Want suggestions on foods to avoid for schizophrenia? Well, cut your intake of dairy products. Dairy leads to inflammation, and inflammation has a pervasive impact all through the body. However, it does not apply to everyone. Some people can tolerate dairy well, and for them, dairy is anti-inflammatory. However, approximately 2/3rd of the adults are lactose intolerant. If you are someone with mental or physical health problems, it is a good idea to cut dairy from your diet for a few weeks. If it does bring in positive changes in your symptoms, then you can try eliminating it. If not, you can continue consuming it in moderation.