Dr. Bonnie Kaplan, an experimental psychologist and neuroscientist at the University of Calgary, is a pioneer in the field of nutritional psychiatry. With a research focus on how vitamins and minerals affect brain health and mental health, she founded the Behavioral Research Unit, where she led groundbreaking studies for over 22 years. Her work began in the 1970s with studies on malnutrition and mental development, and expanded into examining broad-spectrum micronutrient therapies for mood disorders, bipolar disorder, and ADHD. Though initially skeptical, she was convinced by striking early results and collaborated with leading psychiatrists, including Harvard’s Dr. Charles Popper, who confirmed positive outcomes.

In this interview, Dr. Kaplan describes her journey from skepticism to advocacy, and the international trials that validated her research. She recalls Health Canada’s sudden shutdown of a $500,000 government-funded trial in Calgary, citing “safety” concerns about basic vitamins and minerals, despite strict protocols. Kaplan highlights how patients credited micronutrients with saving their lives, while bureaucratic obstruction reflected pharmaceutical influence. Today, with over 50 peer-reviewed studies supporting the approach, she urges Canada to remain open-minded: micronutrients are not “just vitamins” but essential to brain function, and can complement, not replace, traditional psychiatric treatments.