Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a terrible organic disease once thought to be "functional". The word "functional" is used for diseases in which the doctors do not yet know the organic basis.
| Giants of Science: Virchow
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| Rudolph Virchow was a brilliant German doctor in the 19th century. Virchow advocated cellular pathology, which meant that diseases should be studied by looking at the cells under a microscope. Prior to this medicine was humoral, meaning that diseases were attributed to bad "humors", meaning blood, bile, etc.
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Polyphenols as Treatments
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Polyphenols
Polyphenols have been touted for the prevention of cancer. However, this author (Olson) proposes to use them for mental disease. The rationale is that they inhibit a key enzyme called COMT. This enzyme is used in the creation of DMPEA, a toxic substance that causes schizophrenia.
Polyphenols are found in plant foods and plant beverages. Therefore a vegan diet is recommended. This diet has beneficial side effects including the reduction of cholesterol.
This author proposes a special diet which will be called the "Boston diet". This diet is high in fiber. It has beneficial side effects, including weight loss for those who are overweight. Another beneficial side effect is that the diet is good for irritable bowel syndrome due to the high fiber content and the avoidance of caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol.
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Alzheimer & Nissl & Kraepelin
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Alzheimer & Nissl were brilliant German psychiatrists at the turn of the century. They used Virchow's approach to study "dementia praecox", which is now called schizophrenia. Alzheimer also discovered a fatal form of psychosis which was later named after him. He demonstrated it to be an organic disease of the brain.
He also showed that dementia praecox was an organic disease of the brain, and this work was confirmed by his friend Nissl. Fat deposits and pigments were seen in the brain.
Nissl became famous when the "Nissl bodies" were named after him. These bodies were abnormal in dementia praecox.
Unfortunately neither Alzheimer nor Nissl nor their boss, Kraepelin, were able to come up with a successful treatment. Alzheimer demonstrated changes in the brain in both "dementia praecox" (now called schizophrenia) and Alzheimer's disease, but in neither case was a treament devised based on these findings. This author (Olson) feels that the fat deposits found in both diseases suggest a low fat diet, but there is also the question of the origin of the fat. Protein, if in excess, can be converted to fat.
Ultimately the science of biochemistry may be able to yield more precise clues to the mystery story. Biochemistry will be discussed in other pages of this website.
Kraepelin, who became famous for writing textbooks on psychiatry, felt that "dementia praecox" was caused by a toxic factor in the blood. This toxic factor caused a degenerative disease. Kraepelin felt that there was a "hereditary taint", meaning that there was a strong genetic component.
This hereditary view was later endorsed by Linus Pauling. Both Kraeplin and Pauling rejected Freud's views. Kraepelin felt that Freud was building castles in the air.
Kraeplein was a psychiatrist, wheras Pauling was a chemist. Pauling may have been the most brilliant chemist that ever lived, winning two Nobel prizes.
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