Food, Thought, and Behavior

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Food, Thought, and Behavior

 

http://www.doctoryourself.com/hoffer_imbalance.html

 

Introduction to Ronald C. Dishinger’s book

Bad Behavior and Illness are caused by Biochemical Imbalances ( this book is

free. see end of message)

 

Abram Hoffer, MD, PhD, FRCP

Studies of human behavior are divided into many compartments, each one occupying

the attention of scientists such as psychologists, sociologists, behaviorists,

criminologists, psychoanalysts and so on. Psychiatry, one of the sub sets, is

emerging from a chronic flirtation with psychoanalysis from which it is slowly

freeing itself, but in doing so it has embraced an almost total adherence to

tranquilizer and other drug medication, as if the psychology and other aspects

of behavior mattered little. It seems impossible for psychiatry to find a middle

ground where all these important aspects of behavior are recognized and dealt

with. The long flirtation with psychoanalysis prevented a proper examination of

the role of biochemistry and physiology for many decades.

More recently clinical ecologists are studying the connection between human

health and the environment, especially the impact of chemicals, natural or

synthetic, upon the body and the psyche. The impact of nutrition on behavior,

for centuries the subject of medical study and the only successful medical

treatment, was forgotten beginning in 1950 when physicians turned this subject

over to nutritionists, who could not study human behavior and did not ever see

the impact of abnormal nutrition in producing abnormal behavior. After a deep

sleep, medicine is slowly re-awakening its interest in nutrition, a movement

that was started with the discovery that mega doses of vitamins had a marked

effect in alleviating disease.

The connection between food and thought and behavior has been known since

antiquity, but generally modern medicine ignored the role played by food

allergies and by defective nutrition. One of the first physicians to show a

relationship was Walter Alvarez, the great gastroenterologist at the Mayo

Clinic,who published a paper about 60 years ago. He reported that if he ate fowl

on Sunday he was mentally confused the following Monday. That report nearly got

him fired from the Mayo Clinic. The effect of alcohol, a pseudo food, is well

known, and the effect of sugar stoutly denied by the industries who sell sugar

in various forms is still vigorously denied.

The use of vitamins in small doses began about 70 years ago and was accelerated

before the last war, after which its use declined. Using mega doses of certain

vitamins including vitamin E, vitamin B-3 and vitamin C, started in the 1940's.

These studies were ignored, but when my colleagues and I found that niacin

lowered cholesterol levels in 1955 there was a sudden surge of interest. This

finding is credited with the beginning of the new paradigm, the vitamin as

treatment paradigm. We also completed the first six double blind controlled

experiments in psychiatry starting in 1952 until 1960, where we showed that

adding vitamin B-3 to the treatment for schizophrenics doubles their two year

recovery rate. Since then many other studies confirmed these conclusions. Every

physician following the original protocols has reported similar recovery rates.

This led to the concepts enunciated by Linus Pauling which he called

Orthomolecular Medicine.

Orthomolecular medicine emphasizes the use of nutrition and nutrients in optimum

doses for the treatment of all diseases. It is used in combination with drugs

when needed, much as one would use a crutch while the leg is being healed and

would discard it when the healing is completed. Schizophrenics who recover

require continued treatment with nutrients, much as do diabetics with insulin

and diet.

Very few writers cover all of these areas of human behavior. They are written

for their own disciplines and usually ignore the fundamental importance of

nutrition and nutrients. This book by Mr. Dishinger is unique in that he reports

recoveries that he has seen using all the techniques of modern medicine,

including nutrition and nutrients and also support and counseling. Thus in

contrast to early psychiatry of the 1950's which totally ignored nutrition in

treating patients, and in contrast to modern psychiatry which totally avoids

nutrition and the psychosocial aspect of the disease. His recoveries are

achieved by paying proper attention to all of the important aspects of human

behavior. It is his thesis that most if not all of bad human behavior can be

explained on the basis of all these factors, and that recovery will not occur

until they have all been given proper attention.

The book is written with a good deal of detail. I think this is important since

it provides the reader with the information needed to follow these treatment

procedures and to discuss them with their physicians or other therapists.

The best way to convince physicians of the merits of any treatment is to show

them how patients, preferably their own, recovered. The next best is to provide

the information in books and in the other public media. The difficulty is in

getting their attention to read the books and listen to the other information.

The best way to achieve this is to have patients become knowledgeable and to

pass this information to their doctors. If they persist in doing so some of

their doctors will eventually become interested.

I recommend this book as one of the vehicles for stimulating interest in the

orthomolecular treatment of the schizophrenias: the most effective method known

so far. It is much more effective than using tranquilizers alone because with

these drugs it is impossible to become normal even though they are helpful.

A. Hoffer MD PhD FRCP

June 22, 1998

(Ronald C. Dishinger’s Bad Behavior and Illness are Caused by Biochemical

Imbalances is available, free of charge either on cassettes or as a printed

book, from the author. Telephone (502) 684 9233. You can also read the entire

book at his website,

http://www.biochemimbal-behavior.com

Published by Medici Music Press, Inc., 5017 Veach Road, Owensboro, KY 42303

Reprinted with permission of the author.

 

 

 

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