In order to continue to fund important third-party research on broad-spectrum micronutrients for mental health and publish studies in reputable medical journals, Dr. Bonnie Kaplan established two Nutrition and Mental Health Funds, managed by independent community foundations.  In the United States, the fund is managed by The Foundation for Excellence in Mental Health Care; the Canadian fund is managed by The Calgary Foundation.

Here's a brief video introduction from Dr. Kaplan on the United States Nutrition and Mental Health Fund:

In September 2018, the first publication resulting from a donation to the Nutrition and Mental Health Charitable funds was achieved. This ground-breaking research wouldn't have been possible without generous contributions from charitable supporters.

What's more, the FEMHC has now pledged an $800,000 matching grant to help fund more research of the impact of micronutrients on mental illness.  Donations are needed to receive the matching funds which will go to further legitimize micronutrients as a safe, effective alternative treatment for mental health.  As more studies continue to be published, more healthcare professionals are learning about the important role of nutrition in mental health, which means more patients can potentially benefit.

Fund advisor Dr. Bonnie Kaplan, PhD is a member of the new International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research (ISNPR). For many years, she studied developmental disorders in children, especially ADHD and reading disabilities (dyslexia). Also, with her students, she investigated the characteristics of adults with ADHD. Such work led her to further investigations of the role of nutrition. Another interest has been the mood symptoms that accompany ADHD and learning difficulties and the role of micronutrient treatment of mood, aggression, and explosive rage. This progression of topics has resulted in a research program focused on the role of nutrition in brain development and in brain function, especially the use of broad spectrum micronutrient treatment for mental disorders.

Where the problem lies

Scientific reports accumulating for the past 15 years have shown dramatic restoration of good mental health in people consuming broad-spectrum formulas of micronutrients (mostly minerals and vitamins). Initially, these results were surprising, because the prior century of research had shown very modest improvements with nutrient treatments. But there was a key difference: the older research consisted of studies of single nutrients, and the modern research is studying formulas with multiple nutrients. The tremendous advantage of broad-spectrum formulas is that they represent what the brain actually needs: all dietary minerals and vitamins, on a daily basis, and in proper balance.

Unfortunately, single nutrient treatment studies receive most of the available government funding, in part because they appeal to our Western way of thinking that there is a silver bullet for every problem (e.g., penicillin for a specific infection, so why not vitamin D for depression?). But humans need many (perhaps at least 50) micronutrients for optimal brain function. Why would anyone expect a single nutrient to have a significant impact on complex brain function? At best, single nutrients appear to boost the impact of medications, but our goal is to restore normal brain function. This achievement requires a broad spectrum of nutrients.


Help is on the way

Fund donations will support additional research on these multi-nutrient treatments. Although the evidence is strong that dietary habits are associated with psychiatric symptoms, there are two areas in particular needing additional research: 1) the ability of multi-nutrient treatments to reverse psychiatric symptoms, and 2) evaluation of the use of nutritional interventions to prevent psychiatric symptoms. The first goal of this fund will be to enhance our scientific knowledge of the potential uses of broad-spectrum nutrients for both treatment and prevention.

To make a tax-deductible donation, please visit Mental Health Excellence in the U.S. or Calgary Foundation in Canada.

Please note: None of these funds will ever be dispensed to Dr. Kaplan personally or to Hardy Nutritionals®.

To follow the progress of the Nutrition and Mental Health Fund, please 'like' and 'follow' them on Facebook.

About Hardy Nutritionals®

Hardy Nutritionals® multivitamin-mineral products are powered by our proprietary NutraTek™ mineral delivery technology, which combines each mineral with specialized organic molecules—just like nature—to optimize absorption and distribution to body cells. Our flagship supplement, Daily Essential Nutrients, is widely considered to be the most research-backed micronutrient treatment.