Nutritional Supplement Offering New Hope to The Mentally Ill

Encouraging Results Support Theory That Mental Disorders Are Linked to Nutrient Deficiencies 

TORONTO, May 25 /PRNewswire/ - 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 Anthony Stephan and David 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, David Hardy, whose expertise would prove to be key in providing my family and I and now thousands of others with real hope," said Anthony 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 David 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: 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. 

SOURCE Synergy Group of Canada Ltd. CO: Synergy Group of Canada Ltd.; True Hope International ST: Ontario IN: HEA SU: 05/25/2001 09:20 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com

SYNERGY SUPPLEMENT 

The Synergy Supplement of 36 assorted vitamins, amino acids, minerals and plant nutrients, based on a formula to calm aggressive hogs, is being used to treat bipolar and other disorders. Gayle writes: 

I have been on the Synergy supplement since Oct 2000. Within two weeks of starting the program of 32 supplements (capsules) a day, I was off of the lithium I had taken for years, off the Risperdal, and I was stable. I was free of depression, rages, hallucinations and mania. The research group said that my response was much quicker than the norm they had been seeing. The stability lasted for approximately one month when suddenly I began to experience manic type behavior. This phase was not severe but was noticeable. I had been in menopause for six years and wore a replacement hormone patch which kept me free from the sweats and hormone swings that I experienced at the onset of the menopause. Suddenly, after being free from menopausal symptoms for six years, I was experiencing menopause symptoms again. It scared me because it was difficult to determine if what I was experiencing was hormonal or bipolar. Well I hung in there and it all leveled out after approximately two months and I have been level and stable since. I am free of all bipolar symptoms and free of all other medications that I would normally take for bipolar. It has been wonderful to say the least. My husband is ecstatic and life is good. 

The Synergy Group says that we are overmedicated when we react to the supplements and the drugs. The reaction feels much like a relapse. If the person does not wean off the psychotropic drugs, a relapse will occur and could become extremely severe. Those who have been on the program and were too afraid to get off the drugs they were on for years had to quit the supplements because the two can not be combined and they went into relapse and some were hospitalized. 

There are no side effects that I have to deal with while taking these supplements with the exception of constipation. I am calcium and iron intolerant and the supplements have both of these included in the combination 

The downside of all of this is that the cost may be prohibitive for some. To start the program of 32 supplements (capsules) a day, it costs approximately $130 a month. They want you to take eight capsules four times a day until you have been stable for at least a few months. Then you are instructed to attempt to lower the dosage slowly until you experience bipolar symptoms again, then increase it by one and that should be your maintenance level. I am down to 13 per day at the present time. They recommend 16 a day for most of the bipolar population.

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Copyright 2005 National Alliance for the Mentally Ill Santa Cruz County, All Rights Reserved.

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