Welcome to another edition of Common Ground Online. Here's what's in this week's edition:
- Historic Court Victory for Truehope EMPowerplus®
- Vitamins and Minerals: Mood Stabilizers
Truehope’s court victory one year ago in the Provincial Court of Alberta, Canada, gives all EMPowerplus users cause to celebrate. We hope you’ll enjoy reading about this historic case.
Background - The Honorable Judge G. M. Meagher’s written decision describes the case this way:
'Since the Defendants [Truehope] made claims that EMPowerplus was useful for the treatment of depression and bi-polar disorder, Health Canada took the position that this brought the supplement within the definition of a “drug” within the meaning of the Food and Drugs Act, even though the product was clearly a vitamin/mineral supplement.’
‘Health Canada advised the Defendants [Truehope] that they could not sell or distribute the supplement in Canada without a Drug Identification Number or “D.I.N.”’
‘Fearing for the health, safety and well-being of their participants in the Truehope support program, the Defendants continued to take orders for the supplement, transmit the orders to their manufacturer in the United States, and distribute the supplement in Canada.’
Court ruling - The Honorable Judge G. M. Meagher found that Truehope is not guilty of selling a drug without a Drug Identification Number (D.I.N.) by reason of necessity and due diligence. His written decision explains:
‘…thousands of individuals who had found relief from mental illness through the supplement [EMPowerplus] without the negative side effects of conventional medications were relying upon them [Truehope] to continue to sell and distribute their product and to maintain the Truehope program.’
‘There was ample evidence presented from both ordinary and expert witnesses that [if individuals were denied access to EMPowerplus] the symptoms associated with depression and bi-polar disorder returned rapidly, within a matter of a few days.’
‘The Defendants [Truehope] were overwhelmingly compelled to disobey the D.I.N. regulation in order to protect the health, safety and well-being of the users of the supplement and the support program.’
Health Canada dropped its appeal of this case on October 10, 2006.
 Dr. Charles Popper, psychopharmacologist and psychiatrist at Harvard University’s McLean Hospital, published a commentary on the Kaplan et al. (2001) paper, in which he reported the results of his clinical experience with EMPowerplus. Of 22 patients (10 adults, 9 adolescents, 3 pre-adolescents) who clinically met criteria for bipolar disorder, 19 (86%) showed a positive response to the supplement. Of 15 patients taking medications, 11 (73%) were able to gradually withdraw from their medications, and were stable taking the supplement alone.
Popper CW. Do vitamins or minerals (apart from lithium) have mood-stabilizing effects? J Clin Psychiatry. 2001 Dec;62(12):933-5.
Have you missed an edition of Common Ground Online? Are you new to the Truehope Program? Visit our email archive page for a directory of all previous Common Ground newsletters. These emails are loaded with useful information that can help you succeed on EMPowerplus and the Truehope Program.
Help us to serve you better. Send your questions or comments about the Truehope Program, EMPowerplus, or our support resources to feedback@truehope.com or call 1-888-878-3467 to speak to a Truehope Support Specialist.
We want to provide you with the most accurate and up-to-date program information so that you can continue to make informed decisions regarding your health. Our hope is that you will find hope, healing, and health through education and continued support.
Yours in health,
The Truehope Staff
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