ased on the works of Abram Hoffer, M.D., pioneer of nutritional psychiatry, as reported in Nutritional Influences on Mental Illness by Melvyn Werbach, M.D.
Our grateful acknowledgement to Dr. Hoffer for permission to use his work.
The following dietary and nutritional regimen is reported to have over a 90% success rate with patients who are ill for the first time or who are suffering their second or third episode with healthy periods in between. It is reported that after two years over 90% will be well, none will be worse, and none will have tardive dyskinesia (drug-induced involuntary muscular movements). They will have to remain on the regimen many years, perhaps their entire lives.
For chronic patients – those who have failed to improve from previous treatment, including those mentally disturbed for years (although not the chronic patients seen in the back wards of mental hospitals)– about 50% will improve after 10 years. However, not all will be working.
These results are based on:
- Six prospective double-blind studies. 1
- Personal observations of over 4000 patients.
- Studies conducted by colleagues.
- Letters received from patients who were never personally seen but tried the treatment program.
DIET:
- Elimination of all processed or prepared foods containing added refined sugars and probably 90% of other additives, as foods that contain added sugars usually contain other additives.
- Elimination diets to remove all foods to which the patient is allergic or sensitive.
SUPPLEMENTS:
- Vitamin B3 (niacin or niacinamide) 0.5 – 2 grams 3 times daily.
- Vitamin B6 (for many) 250-500 mg daily.
- A general B vitamin formula.
- Vitamin C, 3 or more grams daily.
- Zinc (gluconate or citrate) 50 mg daily.
- Manganese 15-30 mg daily (if there is danger of tardive dyskinesia)
I also use omega three essential fatty acids rich in EPA and less rich in DHA. The best preparation contains three times as much EPA as it does DHA. I use four large capsules twice daily. The product I use is Kirunal (http://www.fincastle.com).
Footnotes:
1. Prospective applied to double blind studies means that the study was planned in detail, that it was laid out in advance and that it was analyzed after the study was completed. This is in contrast to studies where the comparison was made only after the study been completed and the results were known. I don’t particularly like the term but use it since it is recognized by double blind theorists. Under my direction between 1952 and 1960 we completed six of these experiments, the first in psychiatric history. Probably in the whole field of medicine I know of only two studies done by doctors for condition like arthritis before we completed ours. What is ironic is that our critics have continued to misreport our work and claimed that we had not done any controlled studies. Read my recent book “Vitamin B-3 and Schizophrenia.”
– Dr. Abram Hoffer, M.D.