While it’s impossible to cure schizophrenia, many treatment paths hope to relieve symptoms as much as possible. With that, many wonder how to treat schizophrenia with herbs.

Research indicates that herbal remedies may help. However, they’re less effective than traditional treatment methods. With that in mind, some use herbs and other all-natural supplements as a therapeutic addition to their treatment.

How is Schizophrenia Traditionally Treated?

Once schizophrenia is diagnosed, a medical professional will begin to seek out treatment methods. Unlike other mental health conditions, schizophrenia requires lifelong treatment with medication and psychosocial therapy. ¹

Your healthcare provider will decide which medication is best for you based on your symptoms and daily life. While it may take some initial experimentation, most people benefit from:

Antipsychotic Medication

Since psychotic symptoms are the most common among schizophrenia patients, the goal of antipsychotics is to reduce their intensity and frequency.

Most people will receive a daily oral dose of an antipsychotic that works best for them. While there are a variety of medications, the most common is clozapine. ² However, this medicine may present dangerous side effects and require patients to take routine blood tests. ³

Some of these side effects include:

• Drowsiness
• Dry mouth
• Restlessness
• Weight gain

Side effects usually subside once the body becomes accustomed to the medication. However, in some instances, other side effects may appear.

If you’re currently on medication, you must consult your doctor before taking any holistic treatments. Beyond negative drug interactions, suddenly ceasing antipsychotic use can be dangerous.

Psychosocial Treatments

To further address cognitive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia, your doctor may refer you to: ⁴

• Behavioral skills training
• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
• Cognitive remediation interventions
• Supported employment

The goal of psychosocial therapies is to provide you with an understanding of your condition while helping you to develop ways to cope. In turn, this will make it easier to pursue other life goals, such as finding work and developing a relationship.

Furthermore, research shows that most people benefit from a combination of antipsychotic medication and psychosocial therapies.

How to Treat Schizophrenia with Herbs

Since traditional medication brings about dangerous side effects, it’s only natural many wonder how to treat schizophrenia with herbs. However, research concerning herbal remedies and schizophrenia remains slim. With that said, these other treatment options aren’t as effective as traditional medication.

Still, they may be able to help alongside current pharmaceutical practices. If you plan to take any of the herbal medications discussed here, it’s important to consult your doctor beforehand. They will have a clear idea of your circumstances and whether or not herbs will be helpful.

Ashwagandha

As of this time, some research pinpoints that ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) may help with certain negative symptoms of schizophrenia, including:

• Difficulty showing emotions
• Social withdrawal
• Speech problems

In a randomized study with 66 schizophrenia patients, ashwagandha was found to reduce negative symptoms along with other general symptoms of the condition over 12 weeks. Not to mention, many patients reported feeling less stress after ashwagandha treatment. ⁵

Most participants in the study were in their mid-to-late 40s and had struggled with schizophrenia for more than 20 years. All participants were taking antipsychotic medication and experienced a recent worsening in symptoms.

Ginseng

Ginseng is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory that’s popular for its blood sugar/immune system regulation and improving symptoms of erectile dysfunction. ⁶ However, one particular form of ginseng (Panax ginseng) has shown some promise in reducing schizophrenia symptoms.

One study looked into patients struggling with negative symptoms despite taking antipsychotic medication. 42 patients were given Panax ginseng or a placebo for eight weeks. From there, the placebo started taking ginseng and the initial ginseng group switched to the placebo for another eight weeks.

The study revealed that those taking ginseng showed a significant reduction in negative symptoms, especially when taken in a higher dose. Not to mention, negative symptoms remained low even when patients switched over to the placebo.

Ginkgo Biloba

Known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, ginkgo biloba may also help reduce symptoms of schizophrenia.

In a 2005 study, it was found that ginkgo biloba may be able to enhance the effects of antipsychotic medication in patients with schizophrenia. More specifically, ginkgo was found to reduce positive symptoms of schizophrenia over 8 weeks. ⁷

However, there were no changes in negative symptoms.

Vitamin Supplementation

Beyond herbs, many studies pinpoint that people with schizophrenia have lower vitamin levels than the general population. More specifically:

• B Vitamins – Many with schizophrenia struggle with low blood levels of folic acid (vitamin B9). In a 2014 study, it was discovered that vitamins B12 and B6 helped curb this deficiency. ⁸

• Vitamin D – A 2018 study found that babies deficient in vitamin D were 44% more likely to develop schizophrenia. ⁹ Not to mention, a 2014 review found people who lacked vitamin D were twice as likely to show signs of schizophrenia. ¹⁰ However, these studies are inconclusive as people with schizophrenia tend to spend more time indoors.

Furthermore, people with schizophrenia may benefit from fish oil supplements. These provide the body with omega-3 fatty acids which have been found to reduce inflammation in the brain.

In one study, 81 young people who were considered high risk of schizophrenia were given a fish oil supplement or a placebo. Those who received the fish oil were less likely to develop schizophrenia symptoms. ¹¹

Final Word

Admittedly, herbal remedies aren’t the best option for schizophrenia patients. However, they may provide extra relief that traditional antipsychotics can’t address.

If you’re thinking about taking some of the herbs featured here, it’s important to first consult your doctor about potential negative drug interactions and whether or not they’ll benefit you.

References

¹ Hany M, Rehman B, Rizvi A, Chapman J. Schizophrenia. 2024 Feb 23. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan–. PMID: 30969686.

² Si TM, Zhang YS, Shu L, Li KQ, Liu XH, Mei QY, Wang GH, Bai PS, Ji LP, Cheng XS, Ma C, Shi JG, Zhang HY, Ma H, Yu X. Use of clozapine for the treatment of schizophrenia: findings of the 2006 research on the china psychotropic prescription studies. Clin Psychopharmacol Neurosci. 2012 Aug;10(2):99-104. doi: 10.9758/cpn.2012.10.2.99. Epub 2012 Aug 31. PMID: 23430459; PMCID: PMC3569144.

³ Kar N, Barreto S, Chandavarkar R. Clozapine Monitoring in Clinical Practice: Beyond the Mandatory Requirement. Clin Psychopharmacol Neurosci. 2016 Nov 30;14(4):323-329. doi: 10.9758/cpn.2016.14.4.323. PMID: 27776383; PMCID: PMC5083942.

⁴ Mueser KT, Deavers F, Penn DL, Cassisi JE. Psychosocial treatments for schizophrenia. Annu Rev Clin Psychol. 2013;9:465-97. doi: 10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-050212-185620. Epub 2013 Jan 16. PMID: 23330939.

⁵ Chengappa KNR, Brar JS, Gannon JM, Schlicht PJ. Adjunctive Use of a Standardized Extract of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) to Treat Symptom Exacerbation in Schizophrenia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study. J Clin Psychiatry. 2018 Jul 10;79(5):17m11826. doi: 10.4088/JCP.17m11826. PMID: 29995356.

⁶ Wee JJ, Mee Park K, Chung AS. Biological Activities of Ginseng and Its Application to Human Health. In: Benzie IFF, Wachtel-Galor S, editors. Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects. 2nd edition. Boca Raton (FL): CRC Press/Taylor & Francis; 2011. Chapter 8. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92776/

⁷ Atmaca M, Tezcan E, Kuloglu M, Ustundag B, Kirtas O. The effect of extract of ginkgo biloba addition to olanzapine on therapeutic effect and antioxidant enzyme levels in patients with schizophrenia. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2005 Dec;59(6):652-6. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1819.2005.01432.x. PMID: 16401239.

⁸ Brown HE, Roffman JL. Vitamin supplementation in the treatment of schizophrenia. CNS Drugs. 2014 Jul;28(7):611-22. doi: 10.1007/s40263-014-0172-4. PMID: 24846474; PMCID: PMC4083629.

⁹ Eyles DW, Trzaskowski M, Vinkhuyzen AAE, Mattheisen M, Meier S, Gooch H, Anggono V, Cui X, Tan MC, Burne THJ, Jang SE, Kvaskoff D, Hougaard DM, Nørgaard-Pedersen B, Cohen A, Agerbo E, Pedersen CB, Børglum AD, Mors O, Sah P, Wray NR, Mortensen PB, McGrath JJ. The association between neonatal vitamin D status and risk of schizophrenia. Sci Rep. 2018 Dec 6;8(1):17692. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-35418-z. PMID: 30523285; PMCID: PMC6283870.

¹⁰ Yüksel RN, Altunsoy N, Tikir B, Cingi Külük M, Unal K, Goka S, Aydemir C, Goka E. Correlation between total vitamin D levels and psychotic psychopathology in patients with schizophrenia: therapeutic implications for add-on vitamin D augmentation. Ther Adv Psychopharmacol. 2014 Dec;4(6):268-75. doi: 10.1177/2045125314553612. PMID: 25489478; PMCID: PMC4257987.

¹¹ Amminger, G., Schäfer, M., Schlögelhofer, M. et al. Longer-term outcome in the prevention of psychotic disorders by the Vienna omega-3 study. Nat Commun 6, 7934 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms8934