Orthomolecular Medicine

[Guest guest]

Some of the views mentioned here aren't correct when it comes to some of the

dangers.

 

Also it advises to see a " converntional " doctor about drug/vitamin interactions.

Orthomolecular doctors are MD'S who probably understand any vitamin/drug

interactions better than almost any regular MD.

 

The author tried but failed because he really didn't have an indepth

understanding of the subject matter.

 

Read up on Orthomolecular medicine, it is very good stuff.

 

Frank

 

http://health./health/alternative_medicine/alternative_therapies/Orthom\

olecular_Medicine/

 

Orthomolecular Medicine Consider This Therapy ForFor the better part of the 20th

Century, we've been taking vitamin and mineral supplements to eliminate

deficiencies. Orthomolecular medicine takes this idea one step further, holding

that larger than usual doses of certain nutrients can actually prevent or cure

disease. Although there's still considerable debate over specific dosages and

their therapeutic effects, the basic principle is now firmly established and

widely accepted. Two of America's greatest scourges--heart disease and high

blood pressure--can both be held at bay by high-dose nutrients, and advocates

insist that many other chronic conditions, including diabetes and schizophrenia,

can be helped as well.

 

How the Treatments Are DoneWith certain vitamins, it's possible to boost your

intake to therapeutic levels simply by altering your diet. For instance, you can

easily get 400 micrograms of heart-healthy folic acid by increasing your

consumption of green leafy vegetables and fresh fruits.

However, the only way to get medicinal doses of many other nutrients is to take

supplements. This is true of vitamin E. For most people, it's also true of

vitamin B6, even though it's plentiful in whole-grain cereals and breads, beans,

and nuts. Likewise, therapeutic levels of calcium are hard to achieve without

taking a supplement.

 

 

What Treatment Hopes to AccomplishHEART DISEASE

Mainstream medical experts have long held that reducing the amount of animal fat

in the diet can reduce your risk of heart disease. Now they are beginning to

recognize that large doses of vitamin E have a similar protective effect. While

the Recommended Dietary Allowance for the vitamin is only 30 international units

(IU) daily, several large surveys have linked higher doses of vitamin E--at

least 200 IU--with lower rates of cardiovascular disease. Even better, the

Cambridge Heart Antioxidant Study (CHAOS for short) discovered that 400 to 800

IU of vitamin E slashed the number of non-fatal heart attacks among heart

disease patients by 50 percent in the first year of treatment.

Another nutrient with strong links to heart health is folic acid, a member of

the vitamin B family. Scientists first began to suspect its impact when they

noticed high levels of homocysteine in children suffering from a severe form of

hardening of the arteries that's usually found only in older adults.

Homocysteine is suspected of damaging blood vessel walls, and further

investigation revealed that the kids lacked adequate amounts of an enzyme needed

to clear it from the blood. As it turns out, this enzyme requires folic acid to

do its job.

Additional research found that many adults also have higher than normal levels

of homocysteine in the blood, and that they too are at greater risk of heart

disease. The investigators found that a daily dose of between 0.5 and 5

milligrams of folic acid could bring homocysteine levels under control. But

would this alone protect them from heart disease?

The question remained unanswered until Dr. Eric Rimm and his associates at

Harvard University conducted a study of over 80,000 nurses. Rimm discovered

that, as the women increased their intake of folic acid and vitamin B6 (another

vitamin involved in homocysteine metabolism), their risk of heart attack

declined. The risk was lowest in women who were getting more than 400 micrograms

of folic acid and more than 3 milligrams of vitamin B6 in their daily diet (more

than twice the Recommended Dietary Allowances). The evidence was so compelling

that, in an April, 1998 editorial, the prestigious New England Journal of

Medicine concluded that all Americans should take 400 micrograms of folic acid a

day.

The bottom line: To maximize your chances of escaping heart disease, many

experts now recommend that you not only follow a low-fat diet, but also

supplement it with 400 IU of vitamin E, 3 milligrams of vitamin B6, and 400

micrograms of folic acid per day.

 

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE There is accumulating evidence that an increase in your

mineral intake can be an effective remedy for mild hypertension. Clinical

studies have found that, for people with a deficiency, extra calcium can lower

high systolic blood pressure readings by as much as 13 points, and reduce

diastolic readings to some extent as well. (Systolic blood pressure is the force

against the artery walls during each beat of the heart. Diastolic readings give

the pressure while the heart is at rest.) Calcium supplements have proven

especially effective for people who are salt-sensitive--that is, those whose

blood pressure goes up when they eat too much salt.

Similarly, a recent study entitled Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension

(DASH) linked deficiencies in calcium, magnesium, and potassium with higher

blood pressure readings, and found that merely boosting intake to recommended

levels is sufficient to lower systolic and diastolic readings by 11.4 and 5.5

points respectively in people with high blood pressure. This modest increase in

mineral intake produces the same results as a standard high blood pressure

medication. Recommended Daily Allowances of the minerals are 1,000 milligrams of

calcium, 400 milligrams of magnesium, and 3,500 milligrams of potassium.

When taking calcium supplements, it's important to boost your intake of vitamin

D as well, since without enough of this vitamin, the calcium you take won't be

absorbed into the bloodstream. For example, when older women take calcium

supplements to forestall the brittle-bone disease osteoporosis, they are usually

advised to take as much as 800 IUs of vitamin D daily--twice the standard

recommendation.

 

SCHIZOPHRENIA This calamitous and still unexplained mental disorder sparked the

first experiments with high-dose nutrient therapy. Indeed, when Linus Pauling,

PhD coined the word " orthomolecular, " he was referring to the schizophrenia

treatments pioneered by Abram Hoffer, MD. Believing that large doses of niacin,

vitamin C, and other nutrients might relieve the disease, Hoffer conducted

controlled trials in which neither the patients nor the doctors knew who was

getting real vitamins and who was taking fakes. Although patients with

established cases of the disease were unaffected, those in its early stages

showed dramatic improvement.

Although subsequent trials by other researchers failed to confirm Hoffer's

results, his proponents charge that the later trials either were poorly planned

or failed to include early-stage patients. At this point, the majority of

mainstream physicians still regard the treatments as unproven, even though many

patients swear by them.

 

DIABETES Years ago, when doctors first learned how to feed seriously ill

patients intravenously, the early IV formulas did not include trace amounts of

chromium, an essential nutrient. Many of these patients mysteriously developed a

diabetes-like disorder which, as it turned out, was a direct result of a

chromium deficiency. Since then, researchers have found that daily intake of 200

micrograms of chromium picolinate can provide significant relief from diabetes,

reducing the patient's need for insulin and oral diabetes drugs. A Chinese study

found that between 200 and 1,000 micrograms a day improved blood sugar levels,

serum cholesterol, and total metabolic control of the disease.

Although conclusive proof is still lacking, chromium picolinate may have other

benefits as well. It has been prescribed for obesity, insomnia, depression,

acne, and fatigue, and some advocates say it can even promote longevity.

 

HIGH CHOLESTEROL A form of the B-complex vitamin niacin has long been an

accepted remedy for high cholesterol levels. Dubbed nicotinic acid, and

prescribed under the brand names Nicolar and Nicobid, it's taken in doses of 250

to 500 milligrams per day.

 

 

Who Should Avoid This Therapy?Almost everyone can increase their vitamin/mineral

intake to therapeutic levels without fear of harmful consequences. However, if

you are taking the blood thinning drug warfarin (Coumadin), you should avoid

vitamin E supplements unless your doctor approves. Some reports suggest that the

vitamin may cause bleeding under such circumstances. Another precaution: Vitamin

E may interact with iron, so it's probably best not to take them at the same

time of day.

 

What Side Effects May Occur?Vitamin E. Even large doses of vitamin E are

relatively safe, and most adults can handle up to 1,000 IU with little or no

harmful effects. There have been a few scattered reports of fatigue and weakness

among persons taking 800 IU a day, but the symptoms cleared up as soon as the

supplements were stopped.

Folic Acid. While 400 micrograms of folic acid is considered safe for most

people, larger doses can pose a problem for the elderly, who frequently suffer

from a deficiency of vitamin B12. Folic acid can hide the signs of this

deficiency which, left unchecked, can progress to irreversible nerve damage. To

eliminate the danger, simply take B12 supplements along with the folic acid.

Folic acid can also pose a problem for people taking an anti-seizure medication

such as Dilantin or phenobarbital. Each of these drugs causes a folic acid

deficiency that needs to be remedied. However, a return to normal folic acid

levels will increase the amount of drug needed to prevent seizures. To side-step

this problem, doctors now prescribe the drugs and folic acid together. If you're

not already taking this combination, you'll need to see your doctor for a dosage

adjustment when you begin taking the supplement.

Niacin. The high doses of niacin used in the treatment of schizophrenia (usually

several grams a day) pose a slight risk of liver damage. It's best to take them

under the supervision of a physician who will have regular liver function tests

performed. If you have diabetes, you also face the possibility of an increase in

blood sugar levels when taking niacin.

Unlike regular niacin, the nicotinic acid form has a variety of potential side

effects, including darkening of the skin or urine, diarrhea, dry skin, eye

disorders, flushing, gout, headache, indigestion, irregular heartbeat, itching,

low blood pressure, low urine output, muscle pain, tingling, ulcers, vomiting,

warts, and yellow skin and eyes.

Chromium. Doses of as much as 1,000 micrograms a day (5 times the maximum

recommended allowance) have failed to produce side effects in major clinical

trials. Nevertheless, there have been a few isolated reports that suggest some

very minor degree of risk. Among the reported reactions were " disturbed

thinking " and mental slowness. One woman taking 600 micrograms a day suffered

chronic kidney failure. Another developed kidney and liver problems after taking

1,200 to 2,400 micrograms a day for 5 months.

Also, if you have diabetes, don't forget that chromium supplements can decrease

the need for insulin or oral medication, and could lead to an unhealthy drop in

blood sugar levels unless your medication dosage is reduced. All the more reason

to check with your doctor when you begin taking chromium.

 

 

How to Choose a TherapistOrthomolecular therapy is offered by a wide variety of

health care practitioners, ranging from physicians and psychiatrists to nurses

and nutritionists. Some belong to organizations like the Society of

Orthomolecular Health Medicine or the International Society for Orthomolecular

Medicine. Others may have no organizational affiliation, but may have studied

under a specialist in the field.

There are several steps you can take to assure yourself that a practitioner is

reputable. First, if you're dealing with a doctor or nurse, you can check with

your state board of licensing to make certain that he or she has a valid license

to practice. (In some states, nutritionists must also be licensed.) You can also

check with the board regarding the practitioner's education and credentials, and

can find out if any complaints have been lodged against him.

You may also want to ask the practitioner for some references. Ideally, you

should aim to talk with patients who've had the same health problem you're

currently facing. Ask them how well the treatments worked, and whether they

suffered any side effects. Remember, though, that a few positive testimonials

won't guarantee that the treatment is always effective. Try to read up on it if

you have any doubts.

 

 

When Should Treatment Stop?There's no reason to discontinue vitamin/mineral

supplements unless side effects set in. If you do begin to develop unexpected

symptoms, alert the practitioner immediately, and check with your regular doctor

as well.

 

See a Conventional Doctor If...It's wise to continue seeing your regular doctor

while undergoing orthomolecular therapy, especially if you are also receiving

conventional treatments. A number of prescription drugs interact with vitamins

and minerals, and the higher the doses, the more likely an interaction will be.

To guard against problems, make sure the orthomolecular practitioner knows about

your prescriptions, and that your doctor knows about the supplements you're

taking.

 

ResourcesORGANIZATIONS Society of Orthomolecular Health Medicine

2698 Pacific Ave.

San Francisco, CA 94115

Phone: 415-922-6462

 

International Society for Orthomolecular Medicine

16 Florence Ave.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada M2N 1E9

 

International and American Associations of Clinical Nutritionists

 

5200 Keller Springs Rd., Suite 102

Dallas, TX 75248

Phone: 972-250-2829

 

FURTHER READING Nutritional Influences on Illness, Second Edition. Melvyn

Werbach, MD. Tarzana, CA: Third Line Press, 1992.

Orthomolecular Nutrition, Revised Edition. Abram Hoffer, MD and Morton Walker.

New Canaan CT: Keats Publishing, Inc., 1978.

 

 

 

 

 

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