[tcj_phx]

The friend I've written about here before has been occasionally labeled as 'schizophrenic' by the psychiatrists forced on her. The psychiatrists try to treat her psychosis with antipsychotics. In 2018 she figured out for herself that she has the genetic condition of being a poor methylator. The practical implication of this is that she can't turn the provitamin folic acid (used to fortify food) into the usable form of Vitamin B9.

In the real world her psychosis is caused by substance abuse problems. She makes herself psychotic trying to self-treat her Vitamin B9 deficiency with alcohol and other substances.

My friend told me how adding L-Methylfolate to her routine was like flipping a switch from 'depressed' to 'not-depressed'. But the psychiatrists don't care... https://twitter.com/JamesKnochel/status/1595562184867971072

The notes on the lab test for folate/folic acid says folate deficiency is associated with chronic alcoholism: https://twitter.com/JamesKnochel/status/1595562191050375168 (I note the lab test seems to not be able to tell the difference between the provitamin folic acid and the useful vitamin.)

In 2022 Psychiatrist Chris Palmer published his book Brain Energy, which shares his discovery of the 70+ years of research establishing that "mental disorders" (schizophrenia, et al) are caused by metabolic problems.

https://brainenergy.com/ / https://books.google.com/books?id=FoxlEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT233&dq=B... (link to section about Science's actually findings about substance abuse)

Whether or not "schizophrenia" is actually genetic, the correct treatments for the psychosis of schizophrenia are pro-metabolic therapies, not tranquilizers.

[mjburgess]

Unfortunately the last 20% of your comment is nonsense. Yes, I have no doubt that there are rare cases of serious nutritional deficiencies that can trigger mental health episodes. No, schizophrenia is not nutritional -- researchers arent, on mass, just not looking at 95% of blood results out of some strange desire to issue lithium.

[_yb2s]

Technically I think the "brain energy" hypothesis is probably correct from a mechanistic perspective... in fact virtually all diseases can be seen from a lens of metabolic energy not flowing into the correct systems that would be able to restore normal function- even communicable diseases are technically treatable by getting enough energy into the right immune response.

That said, it's more of a theoretical framework that could lead to developing treatments in the long term future... we don't have treatments now that can carefully manipulate and restore metabolic function to the right areas for treating most illnesses. If it were as simple as you (and others) are implying, one could basically treat all mental illness successfully with thyroid hormones. That probably does work for some people, but if it were broadly effective, it would be more obvious.

The idea that things are genetic, metabolic in nature, and/or treatable with nutrients and diet are not in any way mutually exclusive. All conditions involve an interaction between genetics and environment. Presumably, many genetic diseases could be mitigated or prevented in theory with a properly engineered/controlled environment, if we had enough understanding of how to do so.

[rybosworld]

Diet plays a role in almost everything.

But you're saying that schizophrenia, or it's associated symptoms, can be "cured" with folate supplementation?

I don't think you really believe that, at least not wholly. And if you do, well I'll give you some unsolicited advice: don't rant about this at your family's next thanksgiving.

[bradleyishungry]

this is a dangerous comment, schizophrenia is not something that just gets better with diet

[peterfirefly]

> She makes herself psychotic trying to self-treat her Vitamin B9 deficiency with alcohol and other substances.

Normal people don't become psychotic because they drink.