Dietitian-Led Nutritional Counseling and Changes in Irritability and Eating Behavior in a Woman in Her 40s With Schizophrenia: A Case Report
2026 Volume 2 Issue 1 Pages 384-389
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2026 Volume 2 Issue 1 Pages 384-389
Background: Nutritional imbalance in psychiatric disorders may contribute to symptoms such as ir ritability, underscoring the importance of multidisciplinary approaches in nutritional psychiatry.
Case: A woman in her 40s with schizophrenia and comorbid obesity (body mass index 31.2), dys lipidemia, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease showed excessive carbohydrate intake and mar ked irritability during interpersonal stress. Baseline triglycerides were 277 mg/dL, ferritin 25 ng/m L, and serum iron 45 µg/dL. A registered dietitian provided seven sessions of counseling focusing on reducing high-carbohydrate snacks and sugar-sweetened beverages, increasing protein and iron intake, incorporating green and fiber-rich vegetables, and promoting walking. During the interventio n, serum iron rose to 86 µg/dL, ferritin to 37 ng/mL, and triglycerides decreased to 173 mg/dL. I rritability improved, body weight decreased, and the patient resumed running.
Conclusion: This case suggests that dietitian-led nutritional counseling within a multidisciplinary fr amework may be associated with improvements in eating behavior, metabolic indices, and irritabili ty.
