Regulation of vitamin and mineral supplements: lessons from the Truehope saga

A series of court and regulatory hearings has characterised the distribution and promotion in Canada of Empower Plus, a vitamin and mineral supplement promoted by its distributors as efficacious for a remarkable array of psychiatric conditions, including bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. The column chronicles the saga and the multiple ethical and scientific concerns that arise from it. It argues that, given the risks posed to the vulnerable by supplements constituted by micronutrients that may uninformedly be seen as a viable alternative to orthodox pharmacotherapies, none of which are panaceas, supplements should be subjected to rigorous medico-scientific assessment and regulation. It laments the too rare institution of consumer protection actions brought in an effort to protect the public in such scenarios.