Vitamin Supplementation Prevents Anorexia

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Orthomolecular Medicine News Service, February 9, 2008

Vitamin Supplementation Prevents Anorexia

(OMNS February 9, 2008) Anorexia is primarily due to vitamin deficiency.

Approximately one in twenty teenage girls in America is struggling with an

eating disorder. Parents can help eliminate the risk of anorexia by providing

their children with vitamin supplements.

Anorexia is an acknowledged clinical marker of beriberi, the disease

specifically caused by a deficiency of vitamin B1 (thiamine). [1] Anorexia is

also

commonly observed as an early symptom of pellagra (niacin deficiency) [2] and

is a known complication of scurvy, vitamin C deficiency. [3] Prevention is

especially important, because beriberi/anorexia often does not respond well

even to treatment with high doses of thiamine for months, and sometimes does

not

respond at all. [1] But as a rule, high potency vitamin supplements are an

effective cure for the loss of muscle mass caused by beriberi and the skin

lesions caused by pellagra.

The vitamin B1 in almost every multivitamin and B-complex vitamin pill is

either thiamine mononitrate or thiamine hydrochloride. The body’s ability to

absorb these two forms of thiamine is limited [4] by the maximum amount that

can be handled by the body’s two specialized thiamine transport proteins.

[5].

This means many doses per day of oral thiamine are necessary for effective

treatment. Another class of thiamine molecules, called allithiamines, are much

better absorbed. [6] Since allithiamines are not included in standard

multivitamin preparations, we recommend their reformulation to include this

specific

form of B1.

The conventional medical approach to eating disorders such as anorexia

typically includes psychological/behavioral treatment, medication, and

food-groups

dietetics. It is surprisingly rare for physicians to link eating disorders

with vitamin deficiency, and few doctors recommend vitamin supplements for

prevention.

Dieting without supplementation causes vitamin deficiency, and vitamin

deficiency can lead to anorexia. Dieting is the number one cause of

vitamin/mineral deficiency in America. Deficiency is entirely preventable with

nutrition

supplements. A fraction of the population is more prone to becoming thiamine

deficient while dieting due to genetic conditions associated with proteins that

bind thiamine [7,8]. The risk of thiamine deficiency is also increased by

eating processed foods. A high intake of simple carbohydrates requires

increased thiamine intake. Vitamin and mineral supplements contain no calories,

and

do not cause weight loss nor weight gain. They do help promote normal

appetite.

Harold Foster, PhD writes:

" In both open and closed trials in sub-Saharan Africa, mixtures of nutrients

were given to HIV-positive patients, some of whom were in the late stages of

AIDS. Even just twice the US RDA of ascorbic acid and four times the US RDA

for thiamine resulted in improvements of appetite . . . after only a few days

of supplementation. "

Erik Paterson, MD, writes:

" Many years ago, an emaciated, teenage girl was made to come to see me by

her worried parents because of her revulsion against food. She admitted that

she hardly ate anything, but explained that she felt that she was fat: a

typical case of anorexia nervosa. I tried to persuade her to eat right. She

adamantly refused. So I made a deal with her. I pointed out that by not eating

she

was making herself malnourished with respect to vitamins. The deal was that I

would not pester her to eat if she would take vitamin pills, specifically

vitamin C and B-complex vitamins. She agreed. Two weeks later she and her

parents returned to tell me that she had developed a strong appetite. After

another month, her emaciation was clearly disappearing. She never became

anorexic

again. " [9]

A well-formulated daily multivitamin supplement, at least 1,000 mg per day

of vitamin C, plus additional B-vitamins will greatly reduce the incidence of

anorexia and other eating disorders. If you are helping to care for a family

member with anorexia, and your physician didn’t recommend vitamin

supplements, get a second opinion.

References:

[1] D. Lonsdale. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2006 March; 3(1):

49-59.

[2] S. R. Roberts. " Pellagra: Its Symptoms and Treatment, " The American

Journal of Nursing, Vol. 20, No. 11 (Aug., 1920), p 885-890.

[3] L. Goebel. _http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic2086.htm _

(http://www.orthomolecular.org/12all/lt/t_go.php?i=74 & e=MjY2MDA= & l=http://www.em\

edicine.com/med

/topic2086.htm) Last bullet in section on physical symptoms.

[4] D. Bender. " The Nutritional Biochemistry of the Vitamins, " Cambridge

University Press, 2003, page 151.

[5] V.S. Subramanian et al. " Vitamin B1 (thiamine) uptake by human retinal

pigment epithelial (ARPE-19) cells: mechanism and regulation. " Journal of

Physiology (Oxford, United Kingdom, 2006), Volume Date 2007, 582(1), 73-85.

[6] T.P.S. Nibber, " Reply to Dr. Lonsdale, " Townsend Letter for Doctors and

Patients, August-Sept. 2004.

_http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0ISW/is_253-254/ai_n6176277/pg_2 _

(http://www.orthomolecular.org/12all/lt/t_go.php?i=74 & e=MjY2MDA= & l=http://findar\

ticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0ISW/is_253-254/ai_n6176

277/pg_2)

[7] B.H. Robinson, N. MacKay, K. Chun, and M. Ling, " Disorders of pyruvate

carboxylase and the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. " Journal of Inherited

Metabolic Disorders, 19, 452-62.

[8] D. Bender, " The Nutritional Biochemistry of the Vitamins " , Cambridge

University Press, 2003. Sections on Thiamine Responsive Pyruvate Dehydrogenase

Deficiency (p 156) and on Maple Syrup disease (p 158).

Nutritional Medicine is Orthomolecular Medicine

Orthomolecular medicine uses safe, effective nutritional therapy to fight

illness. For more information: _http://www.orthomolecular.org_

(http://www.orthomolecular.org/12all/lt/t_go.php?i=74 & e=MjY2MDA= & l=http://www.or\

thomolecular.org

)

The peer-reviewed Orthomolecular Medicine News Service is a non-profit and

non-commercial informational resource.

Editorial Review Board:

Carolyn Dean, M.D., N.D.

Damien Downing, M.D.

Harold D. Foster, Ph.D.

Steve Hickey, Ph.D.

Abram Hoffer, M.D., Ph.D.

Bo H. Jonsson, MD, PhD

Thomas Levy, M.D., J.D.

Erik Paterson, M.D.

Andrew W. Saul, Ph.D., Editor and contact person. Email:

_omns_ (omns)

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