The Role of Micronutrients as Possible Mood-Stabilizing Agents

Letter to the Editor

Sir: The study by Kaplan et al. and the accompanying commentary by Popper raise intriguing questions regarding the role of micronutrients as possible mood-stabilizing agents. Both the article and the commentary raise appropriate caveats regarding the limitations of existing research and potential concerns about the use of these nonprescription supplements. Importantly, Dr. Popper notes that, in his clinical experience, "introducing micronutrients too quickly can increase the adverse effects of medications, including agitation’ ¦." Two of the ingredients listed in Appendix 1 of the Kaplan et al. article—chromium and inositol—merit additional comments with respect to their use in bipolar patients.