Sarcosine and schizophrenia
What 3 graded rows on sarcosine agree on for schizophrenia, and where they differ. Counted side by side, never averaged.
Consensus finder Rows from the Sarcosine page, reviewed Oct 21, 2026 How it decides
What the rows agree on
Each block and row is one graded row from the Sarcosine page, with its PubMed record.
Your question
Sarcosine and schizophrenia
3 rows · 2,944 peopleMostly an improvement: 2 of 3 rows, and most of the people. 1 had mixed results.
- CGrade C× 3
- Rows
- 3
- Trials
- 3
- At least: a review without a trial count
- People
- 2,944
- Pooled reviews may count some twice
What the rows share
From the rowsThe best-graded row, grade C, is a meta-analysis of 2,384 people (2025) and found an improvement.
The rows run from 234 to 2,384 people, published from 2020 to 2025: 3 pooled reviews and 0 single studies.
The rows
2 improved · 1 mixed- CGrade CTotal and negative symptoms in schizophrenia · Improved
Meta-analysis · n 2,384 · 2025 · People with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder in 50 trials of 22 nutraceuticals
Not stated in the abstract · Varied across trials
Sarcosine beat placebo for total symptoms (SMD −0.61, 95% CI −1.02 to −0.21) and negative symptoms (SMD −0.65); the effect was largest in clinically stable patients (SMD −1.26). No supplement improved total symptoms in acute-phase studies.
- CGrade COverall symptoms and cognition in schizophrenia · Improved
Meta-analysis · n 326 · 2020 · Adults with schizophrenia in 7 double-blind RCTs
Mostly 2 g/day · Varied (weeks)
Sarcosine improved overall symptoms more than comparators (SMD 0.51, 95% CI 0.26 to 0.76), with larger effects in patients with stable symptoms.
- CGrade CSymptom severity in schizophrenia · Mixed
Meta-analysis · n 234 · 2021 · Adults with schizophrenia in 6 RCTs
2 g/day · 2 to more than 6 weeks
No significant overall effect at any time point because of marked heterogeneity; in chronic schizophrenia and patients not on clozapine, symptom severity fell modestly after 6 weeks (SMD −0.36 and −0.31).