Rich Murray: globeandmail.com: McIlroy: Synergy: vitamins heal bipolar 7.4.1 rmforall

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Rich Murray: globeandmail.com: McIlroy: Synergy:

vitamins heal bipolar 6.30.1 rmforall

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http://www.truehope.com help@...

1-888-TRUEHOPE () U.S. & Canada

International (outside of North America) at:

Synergy Group of Canada Ltd.

Stephan and Hardy

http://www.globeandmail.com

The Globe and Mail, Saturday, June 30, 2001

In search of a natural balance:

Is there a link between nutrition and manic depression?

Two Alberta men think so. One treated his

children with high doses of vitamins and minerals and

watched them flourish. Now some scientists are

taking notice. And it all started with some crazy pigs.

By Anne McIlroy

When he was 3, he would colour with black crayons only

and was obsessed with death. Over the next few

months, the boy became ultrasensitive to light and noise,

began curling up in a ball and refused to respond

to his parents. He wouldn't eat and lost at least 15

per cent of his body weight.

" He stopped talking, he wouldn't look at us. It was frightening, "

says his mother, who asked that the family

not be identified.

His parents, a professional couple from the Ottawa

area with two other healthy children, thought that he

might be showing signs of depression. But like their

doctor, they couldn't believe the disease could strike

someone so young.

" We have bipolar disorder [manic depression] in my

family, my grandmother has it, so we thought there

might be some link, " the 30-year-old mother says.

Her grandmother's symptoms had dramatically improved

after trying a mineral supplement developed by

two Alberta men as an alternative treatment for

manic depression and other kinds of mental illness. It is

based on a formula proven to stop erratic behaviour

in pigs, and contains a wide variety of vitamins and

minerals in a form that is easy for the body to absorb.

" I said to myself, whatever happens, it won't hurt, "

the mother remembers. She started making her son

milkshakes with the supplement blended in.

That was a year ago, and today, her four-year-old

son has gained 17 pounds, grown six inches, and is an

intelligent, giggly little boy.

New-age quackery? The mother says she was cynical

until she saw how much her son improved.

Researchers are also taking a close look at whether

there is a link between nutrition and mental health.

More than half a dozen clinical trials are under way

or in the works in Canada and the United States.

The supplement the boy took was created by

Hardy and Tony Stephan, who decided to market the

supplement after they helped him personally.

Stephan's wife committed suicide in 1994 after

battling bipolar disorder for years, and two of his 10

children were also diagnosed with the illness.

He feared they would also take their own lives and

expressed his desperation to Hardy, a friend

whose expertise was in making feed for livestock.

Hardy had an idea.

" With over 20 years as a biologist in the agri-food business,

I knew that behaviour problems in pigs such as

ear-and-tail-biting syndrome were treated through

the use of nutritional supplements, " Hardy says.

" On a comparative basis, pigs make excellent subjects:

They are raised in captivity and their

gastrointestinal system is very similar to ours.

On the basis that their 'manic' behaviour could be controlled

through the use of nutritional supplements, we

concluded that it was entirely feasible that human behaviour

could also be treated using nutritional supplements. "

Hardy put together a homegrown formula for Stephan's children.

When they showed remarkable progress,

the two men formed Synergy Group of Canada Ltd., to sell the formula.

The supplement is in large capsules, and patients

have to take 32 a day. Each has 36 ingredients, including

calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, copper, potassium and

vitamins A, C, D, E and several B vitamins. The

concentrations of the minerals and other nutrients

are generally higher than in most other vitamin

supplements, but below levels in which they would become toxic.

It is a nutritional supplement, which means it is not

subject to the same strict regulations as a drug. Patients

are urged to take it in consultation with their doctor,

and Stephan and Hardy won't sell it to people on some

forms of medication.

So far, they have sold it to about 2,300 patients.

It costs about $140 (U.S.) for a month's supply. The

company has not yet made a profit, and Stephan

insists that was never his aim.

In 1996, they persuaded University of Calgary

research psychologist Bonnie Kaplan, who studies and

treats mood and behavioural disorders at Alberta's

Children's Hospital, to begin experiments on their formula.

" I could see they weren't hucksters;

they were the real deal, " Kaplan says.

She conducted two initial studies -- one involving nine

children, the second with 11 adults -- with positive

results. All nine children, who suffered from bouts of

explosive rage and irritability as a result of

developmental or other disorders, showed significant

improvement after eight weeks.

The results were even more dramatic with the adults,

who had bipolar disorder. They showed a

50-per-cent improvement based on standard psychiatric

evaluations over six to 18 months.

The initial results on the adults were made public

last year, and Kaplan presented her data on the nine

children at conference this spring.

Her results sparked interest in the supplements across

North America, raising the hopes of patients and

intriguing questions about the role of nutrition -- and the

quality of the food we now eat -- might play in mental illness.

Now, the Alberta Science and Research Authority has

provided $500,000 in funding for a trial of about

100 adults with bipolar disorder. For the first six months,

half will get the supplement and half will get a

placebo. For the second six months of the experiment,

all the patients will get the supplement.

Another trial is planned to study 21 teenagers who are

newly diagnosed with mood disorders and who

haven't taken any medication. Half will get conventional

treatment, including, for example, drugs used to

fight depression. The other half will get the nutritional

supplement. The idea is to see how the supplement

compares with conventional treatment.

A third study is being designed to see if it can help

kids with explosive rage, a common symptom in

children with autism or other serious developmental

problems. The idea is not that the supplement would

cure the disorder, but would allow the child to

function better at home or at school.

Kaplan's early work was hindered by the fact that

the supplement was being put together from several

commercial sources that sometimes changed their

ingredients. Once Hardy and Stephan began producing

their own product, she began to see promising results.

The work is still in its early stages, but the fact that

nutritional supplements seem so effective in helping

some people with mental illness or developmental

and behavioural problems raises interesting questions

about the food we eat.

Kaplan's theory is that mental illness results from a

combination of genetic and environmental factors.

Many researchers believe there is a genetic component

for some mental illnesses, and the evidence is

particularly strong for manic depression, although

no gene has been found.

" People who inherit predisposing genes for mental

disorders are inheriting genes that code for proteins that

are very important in the metabolic pathways of the

brain, which are dependent upon dietary nutrients, like

trace minerals, " Kaplan says.

For example, zinc has been shown to be essential for

at least 100 chemical reactions in the brain.

" So maybe what is being inherited is a genetic

abnormality of brain metabolism. Maybe that abnormality

means these people need more nutrients than you and I.

" So when you combine that with a food supply which

seems to be going in the opposite direction, and it

might account for why some people believe there is

an increased prevalence, or incidence, of mood disorders. "

Is food less nutritious than it used to be?

Very little work has been done in this area, but one

of the few studies, conducted in Britain, looked at

whether the mineral content in fruits and vegetables

had changed since data was first collected in Britain in 1936.

Anne-Marie Mayer, now a doctoral student at

Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., found that there were

significant reductions in calcium, magnesium, copper

and sodium in vegetables. The greatest change was

in copper levels, which were one-fifth of what they once were.

There was less magnesium, iron copper

and potassium in fruits.

It is not clear what caused these reductions, but she

noted in her paper that in the past 60 years, the

food-supply system has changed considerably,

and fruits and vegetables are now selected for handling

qualities and cosmetic appeal.

" Breeding to enhance nutritional quality is rare, " Mayer says.

Agricultural practices have also changed, and farmers

have become far more dependent on fertilizers,

pesticides and other chemicals.

" These practices affect the structure, chemistry and

ecology of the soil in ways that could affect the

availability of minerals to plants and hence the mineral

content of crops, " she wrote in a paper presented in

1997 at an international conference

at Tufts University in the United States.

Mayer called for more research to see whether modern

agriculture could be reducing the mineral content

of fruit and vegetables. " We need to find out whether

the declines are real and how they impact people's

overall dietary intake. "

There is research that indicates that mood disorders

and behavioural problems in children are on the

increase, but both Mayer and Kaplan say there is

not enough evidence to draw a link between those

statistics and declining nutritional levels in food.

Even if there were, it wouldn't mean we are all

losing are minds because of what we eat.

Kaplan says scientists have shown in animal studies

that there are huge individual differences in dietary

requirements. In rat studies, some animals are fine

when they are fed a nutritionally poor diet, while it

causes others to exhibit extremely abnormal behaviour.

" So some people may be very sensitive -- the canaries in

the coal mine -- and others can eat nothing but

junk food, and maybe they [just] get fat. "

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------\

-------------

Copyright 2001 | Globe Interactive, a division of Bell Globemedia

Publishing Inc.

*******************************************************************

J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 1998 Aug;20(4):518-28

Deficits in long-term memory are not characteristic of ADHD. Attention

Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. kaplan@...

Kaplan BJ, Dewey D, Crawford SG, Fisher GC.

Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Alberta Children's

Hospital, Canada.

http://www.pcsd.k12.ny.us/phs/asr/ldickens.html

ASR: Dietary Replacement in Preschool-Aged Hyperactive Boys

Bonnie J. Kaplan, PhD, Jane McNichol, RD, and A.Conte, PhD

Presented by: Dickens

Literature | Hypothesis | Methods | Design | Experiment | Discussion |

Conclusion

Review of Literature:

Bock SA: Prospective appraisal of complaints of

adverse reactions to food in children during the first

3 years of life. Pediatrics 1987;79:683 -688

Conners CK, et al: Food Additives and hyperkinesis:

A controlled double-blind experiment.

Pediatrics 1976;58:154-166

Harley JP, Ray RS, Tomasi L, et al:

Hyperkinesis and food additives: Testing the Feingold hypothesis.

Pediatrics 1978;61:818-828

Kaplan BJ, et al: Sleep Disturbance in Preschool-aged

hyperactive and nonhyperactive children.

Pediatrics 1987,80:839-844

Kinsbourne M: Hyperactivity management:

The impact of special diets, in Levine M, Satz P (eds): Middle

Childhood : Development Dysfunction.

Baltimore University Park Press, 1984, pp 487-499

Kaplan BJ,et al: Physical signs and symptoms in

preschool-aged hyperactive and normal children.

J Dev Behav Pediatr 1987,8:305-310

Swanson JM,Kinsbourne M: Food Dyes impair

performance of hyperactive children on a laboratory

learning test. Science 1980;207:1485-1487

Woteki CE: Dietary survey data: Sources and limits

to interpretation. Nutr Rev 1986;44:204-213

Yogman MW, Zeisel SH: Diet and sleep patterns in newborn infants.

N Engl J Med 1983;309:1147-1149

Hypothesis: Hyperactive boys with sleeping problems or

physical signs or symptoms, can be affected by dietary

elimination and dietary replacement.

Methods and Materials: 24 Hyperactive

preschooled-aged boys, aged 3.5 to 6 years

Conners Behavior Rating Scale

Canada Health and Welfare QuestionnaireÖFood Attitude Questionnaire.

Diagnostic and Statistical of Mental Disorders

10 week study

Elimination of artificial colors, artificial flavors, caffeine,

preservatives, naturally occurring salicylate

Diet low in simple sugars and some dairy free

Alberta Childrenís Hospital Diet

Designs and Procedures: 1.3 weeks baseline diet

2.3 weeks equivalent diet

3.4 weeks alberta children's hospital (ach) diet

4.12 children:baseline-equivalent-ach

5.12 children: baseline-ach-equivalent

6. food was prepared on their own

7. baseline-determine normal eating patterns to

be matched to placebo control

Experiment: 1. Pre packaged food sent once a week

specifying meal fed 6 times day

2. Eq.diet.. Brands were matched with family recipes.

Placebos were given if vitamins were used in baseline.

3. Ach dietÖsimple sugars decreased, received multivitamin supplement

4. Purpose: to match childís protein intake but

decrease the sugar content.

Concealing Treatment Conditions: Food distractors

Nonfood distractors

Parental expectations

Evaluation of Parental Bias: Daily measures

Behavioral improvement

Discussion: 42% of the children exhibited 50% improvement

in behavior as a result of the ACH diet.

16% exhibited a 12% improvement with no placebo effect.

42% were unresponsive to dietary intervention.

Food substances can improve the behavior of

45% to 60% of these children.

Hypothesis that poorly nourished children might be the ones

most likely to be susceptible to nutrition-behavior effects were

not supported.

? of the children exhibited behavioral improvement

Negative behaviors most likely due to physical discomfort

Positive effects of ACH diet were obtained in a home setting

No parent was aware of the timing or nature of the dietary manipulation.

Conclusion: This study suggests that pediatricians and

practitioners might consider dietary modifications in younger

children. This research provides clues that further work

should proceed on dietary intervention. It also demonstrates

a larger potential impact of diet than previously reported.

http://www.truehope.com/uofcabstract.htm

Presented at the Canadian Psychiatric Association annual meeting

October 4, 2000, , British Columbia

Successful treatment of bipolar disorder

with a nutritional supplement: Ten cases

Bonnie J. Kaplan1, PhD, J. Steve A. Simpson1, PhD, MD,

C. Ferre2,MD, P. Gorman1, MD, McMullen1, MD

1 Calgary, Alberta, Canada; 2 Salt Lake City, Utah

Abstract

Recent research on various nutrients has suggested that some mental

illness might be ameliorated by supplementation. Much work has focused

on essential fatty acids (1), although various minerals are also being

studied (especially zinc). We are evaluating a broad-based nutritional

supplement that contains primarily trace minerals, plus vitamins and

amino acids. Recent work has suggested that crops grown with western

farming methods contain fewer of these essential nutrients than they

did in years past (2). Although we have been examining the effects of

the

supplement on a variety of psychiatric symptoms in both children and

adults, it appears to be particularly promising for bipolar disorder in

adults.

We will present an open case series of 10 male patients aged 20-46 years

who thus far have taken the supplement for 1.5 - 6 months. Four were

diagnosed with Bipolar I, four with Bipolar II, one with Bipolar Mixed,

and one with Bipolar-NOS. In most cases, the supplement has entirely

replaced psychoactive medications and the patients have remained well.

Side effects (e.g., nausea) have been rare, minor, and transitory. In

all

cases, the patients have been evaluated periodically with the

Hamilton-Depression Scale, the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, and the

Young Mania Rating Scale. The change in mean scores for each scale

from study entry to the time of the last visit are as follows: Ham-D

(20.4 to 8.2), BPRS (37.3 to 9.9), YMRS (16.8 to 6.1),

and OQ (75.2 to 48.2). A randomized, placebo-controlled trial of the

supplement for Bipolar I has been funded and began in July 2000.

References:

1. Stoll AL, Severus E, Freeman MP, Rueter S, Zboyan HA, Diamond E,

Cress KK, Marangell LB: Omega 3 fatty acids in bipolar disorder: A

preliminary double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Archives of General Psychiatry 1999; 56:407-412.

2. Mayer AB: Historical changes in the mineral content

of fruits and vegetables.

British Food Journal 1997; 99:207-211

http://www.truehope.com/Abstract%20May%204%20-2000.htm

Presented at the Society of Biological Psychiatry,

Annual meeting, New Orleans, Louisiana, May 4, 2001

Effective mood stabilization with a broad-based

nutritional supplement: 20 adults and children

Bonnie J. Kaplan1, PhD, J. Steve A. Simpson1, PhD, MD,

C. Ferre2, MD, P. Gorman1, MD, McMullen1, MD,

G. Crawford, MSc1

1 Calgary, Alberta, Canada;

2 Salt Lake City, Utah

Abstract

a) Background: Some research on nutrition-mood interactions has

employed single ingredients (B vitamins, DHA). We are evaluating

a broad nutritional supplement (primarily trace minerals).

Method: The supplement contains dietary nutrients, primarily

minerals.

Eleven adults (aged 19-46) with Bipolar Disorder (I, II, and NOS) were

followed for an average of 44 weeks. Nine children with mood/anxiety

disorders (aged 8-15 years) were followed for an average of 14 weeks.

Assessment at entry and post-treatment used the Hamilton-Depression

Scale (Ham-D), Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), Young Mania

Rating Scale (YMRS), Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL), and Youth

Outcome Questionnaire (YOQ).

c) Results: For the adults, paired t-tests showed treatment benefit on

all measures:

Ham-D (M=19.0 to M=5.4, t(9)=5.59, p<.01); BPRS (M=35.3 to M=7.4,

t(9)=2.57, p<.05); YMRS (M=15.1 to M=6.0, t(9)=4.11, p<.01).

Psychotropic medications decreased significantly from an average of

2.7/patient at entry to 1.0/patient at follow up (t(10)=3.54, p<.01).

For the children, treatment benefit was also significant. There were

lower scores for the CBCL: withdrawn (t(8)=3.79, p<.01);

anxiety problems (t(8)=2.97, p<.05);

social problems (t(8)=2.89, p<.05);

thought problems (t(8)=3.67, p<.01);

attention problems (t(8)=3.85, p<.01);

delinquent behaviour (t(8)=3.71, p<.01); and

aggressive behaviour (t(8)=3.46, p<.01).

The YOQ and the YMRS also showed significant improvement:

t(8)=5.97,p<.001, t(3)=4.54, p<.05, respectively.

d) Conclusion: In some cases, the supplement has entirely replaced

psychoactive medications. Side effects have been rare, minor, and

transitory. This nutritional supplement is an effective treatment for

mood instability. A randomized, placebo-controlled trial in

adult Bipolar I Disorder is underway.

http://www.finactive.com/vn/content/Articles/20010525CNW0041.ASP

Nutritional Supplement offering new hope to the mentally ill

May 25, 2001 - Canada Newswire - Health

Encouraging Results Support Theory That Mental Disorders Are Linked to

Nutrient Deficiencies

TORONTO, May 25 /CNW/ - Encouraging

results from people struggling with mental

disorders from across North America give

new credence to the theory there is a

direct link between nutritional deficiencies and mental illness.

The co-founders of the Synergy Group of Canada Ltd.

-- an Alberta-based non-medical research company

-- have been working with research scientists and

mental health specialists since 1996. Since that time

they have been documenting evidence of the continued

success of their nutritional supplement in combating

central nervous system disorders such as:

Bipolar Disorder, Depression and

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Company founders Stephan and Hardy

knew that the use of

nutritional supplements in livestock feed

(in order to combat behavioral problems in

animals) was common practice. Their

discovery in 1996 that nutritional

supplements could abate the same symptoms

in humans has proven to be a powerful one.

The search for hope for mental illness

sufferers and their families is also rooted in

personal tragedy. " In 1994 my wife

committed suicide after a long struggle with

bipolar disorder. Two of my 10 children

were also bipolar. The treatments and

medications my children were taking

were not providing us with satisfactory

enough results and after watching my

wife lose her battle, I was strongly

motivated to find an effective solution.

As part of my search, I approached a close

friend, Hardy, whose expertise

would prove to be key in providing my family

and I and now thousands of others with

real hope, " said Stephan.

" With over 20 years as a biologist in the

agri-food business, I knew that behavior

problems in pigs such as ear and tail biting

syndrome were treated through the use

of nutritional supplements. On a comparative

basis, pigs make excellent subjects:

they are raised in captivity and their

gastro-intestinal system is very similar to ours.

On the basis that their 'manic' behavior

could be controlled through the use of

nutritional supplements, we concluded

that it was entirely feasible that similar

human behavior could also be treated

using nutritional supplements. I knew that

Tony was looking for answers and we

decided that this was worth pursuing, "

said Hardy.

Based on their theory, the two men

developed a nutritional supplement, which they

gave to Tony's children in 1996.

The results were extremely encouraging: his two

children showed dramatic improvement.

Within weeks their conditions improved to

such an extent that they were able to

eliminate the use of their psychotropic

medications. Subsequently two more of

the Stephan children displayed bipolar

symptoms. All four continue to take

the supplement and are symptom-free.

" The idea that trace minerals, elements

and amino acids are instrumental to brain

function is not new. For over 100 years

research scientists have been studying

various minerals such as zinc, manganese

and copper. In addition, research into

how western farming methods have

contributed to essential nutrient depletion in

soil contributes to the growing body of

evidence which suggests that what we eat

and how our bodies absorb the essential

elements that fuel our neurotransmitters

is at the basis of mental health, " Mr. Hardy noted.

Armed with this evidence the two men

approached Dr. Bonnie Kaplan at the

University of Calgary. Bonnie J. Kaplan, Ph.D.,

is a research psychologist who

studies mood and behavioral disorders.

She is a Professor in the Department of

Pediatrics, University of Calgary and is

also Director of the Behavioral Research

Unit at the Alberta Children's Hospital.

Dr. Kaplan is currently directing her research

team for various clinical trials.

While scientists have studied various pieces to the

puzzle individually this is the first time

that research has been conducted into a

broad-based nutritional supplement and approach.

The nutritional supplement

contains primarily trace minerals, plus vitamins and amino acids.

" This nutritional supplement is proving to

be an effective treatment for mood

instability. We have seen significant

improvement in the mental health of the

children and in the adults as well. In fact,

continuing research shows the value of

the supplement across all ages,' said Dr. Kaplan.

" The decrease in symptoms is of a

magnitude that is very impressive -- any

medication that ever had this effect

would catch a lot of people's attention. Our

early findings certainly warrant further

exploration of this supplement as a new

treatment for mood disorders, " added Dr. Kaplan.

In addition to the Abstract presented at the

Canadian Psychiatric Association 2000

Annual Meeting, Dr. Kaplan and her team

have more recently presented research

results to the Society for Biological Psychiatry

Annual Meeting (New Orleans, April

2001) and at the Pediatric Academic Societies

Annual Meeting (Baltimore, April 2001).

Copies of the Abstracts are available via Synergy's website:

http://www.truehope.com

Synergy is overseeing an ongoing series

of open case trials with thousands of

participants currently taking the supplement.

The Alberta Science and Research

Authority has also given the University of Calgary

research team a grant for a half

million dollars to conduct a randomized,

placebo-controlled trial of about 100 adults

with bipolar disorder.

" We are extremely encouraged by what

Dr. Kaplan and her team are finding. This

exciting news confirms what we have

been seeing in the thousands of

participants we are working with across

North America. This ongoing research is

also contributing to the existing body of

research that links mental disorders to

nutrient deficiencies. We invite others to

join in the research into the link between

nutrient deficiencies and brain function

such that we can improve the delivery of

care, solutions and hope to the mentally ill, "

added Synergy's co-founders.

***********************************************************

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/585

Rich Murray: Stoll: Omega-3 fatty acids from flaxseed oil

for bipolar disorder May 1999 3.28.1 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/589

Rich Murray: Stoll: Omega 3 Fatty Acids in Bipolar Disorder

abstract & full text May 1999 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/590

Rich Murray: Stoll: Omega-3 fatty acids from flaxseed oil

for bipolar disorder May 1999: book, " The Omega-3 Connection " 2001:

WWW activity: CABF 4.1.1 rmforall

Rich Murray, MA Room For All rmforall@...

1943 Otowi Road, Santa Fe NM USA 87505

M.I.T. (physics and history, BA, 1964), Boston U. Graduate School

(psychology, MA, 1967): As a concerned layman, I want to clarify the

aspartame toxicity debate.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/messages for 658 posts

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/657 45K post

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Rich Murray: : fibromyalgia & aspartame & MSG 6.27.1 rmforall

Excellent 5-page review by H.J. in " Townsend Letter " ,

Jan 2000, " Aspartame (NutraSweet) Addiction "

http://www.dorway.com/tldaddic.html http://www.sunsentpress.com/

H.J. , M.D. HJmd@... sunsentpress@...

Sunshine Sentinel Press 6708 Pamela Lane West Palm Beach, FL 33405

fax

1038 page text " Aspartame Disease: An Ignored Epidemic "

published May 30 2001 $ 85.00 postpaid data from 1200 cases

http://www.aspartameispoison.com/contents.html 34 chapters

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