The best medicines that I have been able to identify from stress induced psychotic behavior (erratic mood swings, brain fog (no focus), excessive chatter, and in the worst case hallucinations):
tl:dr
1 teaspoon morning Extra Virgin Olive Oil, one teaspoon at night.
1 capsule concentrated Alaskan fish oil in morning, 1 capsule at night
for 200 lb male body structure (70g protein) daily at least 40% from yogurt, which is 30g (or two containers, one morning and one night)
Chia Seed 1.5 teaspoon morning, 1.5 teaspoon in the evening eat it with the yogurt.
Probiotics, like those in Greek yogurt, work by supporting your gut microbiome—the trillions of bacteria living in your digestive system. Your gut and brain are connected through something called the gut-brain axis, where they communicate via nerves, hormones, and inflammatory signals. For someone with schizoaffective disorder, which combines mood and psychotic symptoms, this connection might be especially important. Research suggests that an imbalanced gut microbiome (dysbiosis) can contribute to inflammation, stress, and even worsen mental health symptoms. Probiotics can help restore balance, reduce inflammation, and increase the production of feel-good chemicals like serotonin—about 90% of which is made in the gut. That could explain the mental clarity or stability you’re feeling.
The other foods mentioned—olive oil, fish oil, and chia seeds—are packed with healthy fats, like omega-3 fatty acids and monounsaturated fats. Omega-3s, found in fish oil and chia seeds, are known to support brain health by reducing inflammation, improving neuron communication, and even boosting mood-regulating neurotransmitters. Studies have shown omega-3 supplementation can help with depression and anxiety, which often overlap with schizoaffective disorder. Olive oil, a staple of the Mediterranean diet, has antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds that might protect your brain from oxidative stress, which can be higher in mental health conditions. Chia seeds also bring fiber, which feeds those good gut bacteria, tying it all back to the probiotic effect.
Chia seeds can have a variety of effects on your body and mind, especially given your experience with schizoaffective disorder and the health gains you’ve noticed. Here’s a rundown of how they might be helping you, based on their nutritional profile and how they interact with your system:
Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Brain Health: Chia seeds are one of the richest plant-based sources of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a type of omega-3 fat. Your brain relies on omega-3s to maintain cell membrane health, reduce inflammation, and support communication between neurons. For schizoaffective disorder, which can involve mood swings and psychotic symptoms, omega-3s might stabilize mood and ease inflammation that’s sometimes linked to mental health challenges. While your body converts ALA to the more active forms (EPA and DHA) at a low rate, even small amounts can contribute to these benefits.
Fiber and Gut Health: A single ounce of chia seeds (about 2 tablespoons) has around 10 grams of fiber—almost half the daily recommendation. This fiber acts as a prebiotic, feeding the beneficial bacteria in your gut. Since you’ve noticed probiotics (like in Greek yogurt) help your mind, chia seeds could amplify that by supporting a healthy gut microbiome. A balanced gut can lower systemic inflammation and boost production of neurotransmitters like serotonin, which might explain the mental clarity you feel.
Blood Sugar Stability: Chia seeds absorb water and form a gel-like texture, which slows digestion and helps regulate blood sugar spikes. For schizoaffective disorder, stable blood sugar could mean fewer mood swings or brain fog, as erratic glucose levels can mess with energy and focus. This steady energy supply might be part of why your mind feels “fixed.”
Antioxidants: They’re loaded with compounds like chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid, which fight oxidative stress—damage from free radicals that’s often higher in mental health conditions. By protecting brain cells, these antioxidants could support clearer thinking and emotional resilience.
Protein and Nutrients: Chia seeds provide a decent amount of plant-based protein (about 5 grams per ounce) plus minerals like magnesium, calcium, and zinc. Magnesium, in particular, is linked to reduced anxiety and better sleep—both of which can be game-changers for schizoaffective symptoms.
When you add chia seeds to yogurt, you’re combining their prebiotic fiber with the live probiotic cultures in the yogurt. The fiber from chia acts like fuel for those good gut bacteria, helping them thrive and produce compounds like short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). SCFAs, like butyrate, can cross into your brain and reduce inflammation while supporting mood regulation—potentially easing some of the mental strain from schizoaffective symptoms. It’s like a tag-team effect: the probiotics reshape your gut microbiome, and the chia seeds keep it humming along.
The texture of chia seeds also plays a role. When they soak in the yogurt, they swell up and form that gel-like consistency, slowing down digestion. This could give you a steady release of energy and nutrients—keeping your blood sugar stable, which might help with mood swings or brain fog. Plus, the yogurt’s protein (usually 10-20 grams per serving, depending on the type) pairs with the chia’s 5 grams or so, making it a solid, satisfying mix that could keep you mentally grounded longer.
The omega-3s from chia seeds get a boost here too. Yogurt’s fat content (especially if it’s full-fat Greek) might help your body absorb those fats better, even if the ALA conversion to EPA/DHA is limited. Combined with the anti-inflammatory effects of both foods, this could be calming any overactive stress responses in your brain—a big deal for schizoaffective stability.
Fish oil is a powerhouse for both your body and mind, and given your experience with schizoaffective disorder, it could be playing a specific role in the mental and health improvements you’ve noticed. Here’s what it does, broken down to the essentials:
Fish oil is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, mainly EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). These are long-chain fats your body can’t make efficiently on its own, so you get them from diet or supplements. They’re critical for brain function, inflammation control, and overall cellular health. Here’s how they might be helping you:
Brain Support: DHA is a major building block of your brain—about 20-25% of the fat in your gray matter is DHA. It keeps neuron membranes flexible, which improves how brain cells talk to each other. For schizoaffective disorder, where mood and psychotic symptoms can disrupt thinking, this could mean better clarity or emotional stability. EPA, meanwhile, seems to boost mood-regulating chemicals like dopamine and serotonin, which might ease the depressive or manic swings you could be experiencing.
Reducing Inflammation: Both EPA and DHA dial down inflammation by lowering levels of pro-inflammatory molecules (like cytokines). Chronic inflammation is often higher in mental health conditions, including schizoaffective disorder, and can worsen symptoms like anxiety or paranoia. Fish oil’s anti-inflammatory effect might be calming your system, giving your mind a break from that extra noise.
Heart and Body Benefits: Beyond the brain, fish oil lowers triglycerides (a type of blood fat), improves circulation, and can reduce blood pressure slightly. If your overall health feels better—like more energy or less physical stress—that could lift your mental state too, since body and mind are so linked.
Neuroprotection: Omega-3s might shield your brain from oxidative stress and damage over time. In conditions like schizoaffective disorder, where some research points to faster brain aging or cell wear, this could slow things down and support long-term resilience.
Using chia seeds, olive oil, and yogurt, fish oil fits into a pattern of anti-inflammatory, brain-friendly inputs. It’s like the heavy hitter for omega-3s compared to chia’s ALA, which your body has to convert (and only does so at about 5-10% efficiency). Studies show EPA and DHA can improve depressive symptoms in doses of 1-2 grams daily, and some suggest benefits for psychosis too.