Dietary supplement Sarcosine can help with schizophrenia

September 11, 2019  12:59

The dietary supplement Sarcosine can help with schizophrenia as part of a holistic approach that complements antipsychotic medications, Medical Press reported.

Professor David Curtis (UCL Genetics, Evolution & Environment and QMUL Center for Psychiatry) suggests that an easily accessible product can be easily included in treatment plans.

According to him, Sarcosine is a very logical treatment, and a small number of clinical trials conducted at this point seem to show that it may be useful.

This is certainly safe, and some patients report feeling better, he said adding that Sarcosine may be a useful treatment for schizophrenia, but we need to do further research to find out for sure.

Sarcosine is found in foods like egg yolks, turkey, and legumes, and can be bought as a dietary supplement, sometimes advertised as a brain health supplement.

According to Professor, there is now ample evidence that some patients with schizophrenia may have defects in the functioning of glutamate receptors, a common neurotransmitter in the brain, and sarcosine may help glutamate receptors work better.

Researchers are gathering evidence that if these glutamate receptors do not function properly, people may develop psychosis and other symptoms of schizophrenia.

Professor Curtis and colleagues have recently proven that there are genetic variants that damage this receptor that increase the risk of schizophrenia.

The only risk identified seems to be that some people taking sarcosine to treat schizophrenia, who also take antidepressants, may experience hypomania (disinhibition and euphoria), which, according to Professor Curtis, emphasizes the importance of consulting with doctors before taking sarcosine.

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