The Petition!
“It may come as no surprise - that without mental health - there is no health. It’s something we all need to nurture, foster and embrace.”
A note on the petition to Parliament
A huge THANK YOU to all of you that have signed the petition.
This is where we are at now:
“Your petition has been presented
Dr Tracey McLellan MP has presented your petition, Petition of Helen Duyvestyn: Micronutrient supplements for people with mental health disorders, to the House of Representatives. It was presented on 10/12/2024 and referred to the Petitions Committee.
The Clerk of the House will announce your petition in the House.
Invitation to make a written submission
The Petitions Committee invites you to provide a written submission to help its consideration of your petition. Please send your written submission by 21/01/2025 12:00 am .
Background
You may know about the incredible work Professor Julia Rucklidge (and others) have done on specific high-dose micronutrients.
A few of you have contacted me about the importance of micronutrient products as part of your recovery from mental health conditions.
If you’ve not been made aware - one of the brands of these micronutrients - specifically designed and used in mental health conditions is DEN - Daily Essential Nutrients, by a Canadian company called Hardy’s Nutritionals. DEN has been sold in NZ for the last decade as a dietary supplement, with a recommended dose on the bottle at 4 pills a day since 2019.
Last year September, Medsafe instructed the New Zealand supplier to stop selling the product in New Zealand.
This is not due to any safety issues, simply due to three ingredients being slightly over the maximum daily doses.
1) lithium (more than 10 parts per million)
2) zinc (1mg over DSR limits)
3) B12 (250mcg over DSR limits)
Why are these vitamins so important?
There have been vast amounts of research on micronutrients (otherwise called multivitamins, multi’s - yes, I’m speaking about something as simple as multivitamins!) for mental health. In these studies, people will take up to 12 capsules a day.
These vitamins at high doses and were specifically designed for people with bipolar disorder initially, but are effective in other mental health conditions.
Conditions that have seen positive results include postnatal depression, premenstrual syndrome (or the more serious premenstrual dysphoric disorders), bipolar disorders, ADHD and PTSD.
In short:
They have been proven to be safe and effective in various conditions, including during pregnancy
They have few or no side effects
Those who used these during pregnancy were less likely to have a premature birth, especially when compared to ordinary antidepressant medications
Participants were found to have improvements in sleep, mood regulation, coping, anxiety, and resilience
Results have shown improvement in recovery from traumatic events (Eg Christchurch Earthquake in New Zealand)
People have been able to reduce or stop other medications used for bipolar disorder, depression and anxiety, ADHD and other ongoing chronic mental health conditions.
Personal Experiences
Jane*, a 61-year-old with bipolar disorder, shares her experience:
“I have currently been stable for 14 weeks on micronutrients, which is the longest period I’ve ever had.”
Kim, another individual, explains:
“My doctor prescribed five antidepressants over several months. None worked. If it wasn’t for nutritional support, I would still be lying on the bed in a trance.”
The Petition
The aim of the petition is to reinstate the sale of these to members of the public who benefit from these supplements.
More information will be forthcoming while I work on this submission - but I would love your help in the meantime!
✍ Write to your MP if you are a user of DENs and want to support the petition
📤 Send me an email (or PM me) with your experience of using DEN and permission for me to use a brief statement to include as a testimonial in the petition
📰 If you have contacts with media who might be interested in publishing a story on this - please let them know about the petition
🦧 If you are a big kahuna with mana, a voice and interest in mental health - share this, start a conversation and help a girl out who's trying to make big changes for the well-being of others.
Thank you!
Helen x
*Name changed
“They say there is no such thing as a magic bullet, well there was for me!”
Kim - user of DENs (Daily Essential Nutrients)
Why is signing this petition so important?
Because these supplements have been shown to be effective - Medsafe have requested all sales direct to the public be stopped.
This is not due to any concerns regarding its safety but due to its effectiveness.
In a strange twist - when supplements work - they get classed as being ‘therapeutic’ and therefore a medicine.
Unfortunately, by restricting access to these vitamins - they are placing people at risk of mental health decline.
It’s a frightening position for people to be placed in.
Even if you are not likely to use these products - please spare a moment for the people who do!