ORTHOMOLECULAR MEDICINE

What is it? Orthomolecular medicine(OM) is the "practice of preventing and treating disease by providing the body with optimal amounts of substances which are natural to the body". One of the main principles is that physical characteritics are inherited and affect the biochemical function of the body. This is associated with diseases such cancer, depression and atherosclerosis (furring up of the arteries), and it is often found that changes in nutrition for example can help improve body function. In orthomolecular psychiatric therapy the therapist tries to provide the patient with the optimum provision of chemicals for the mind and body to work effectively. An example is children suffering from the genetic disorder, Phenylketonuria, which causes depressed levels of chemicals which help in the production of Tyrosine

History: double Nobel Prize winner, Linus Pauling, was the founder of orthomolecular medicine in the late 1960s. 

Treatment: this involves correcting vitamin, mineral and nutritional imbalances prescribing high doses of supplements where needed and advice about diet where there may be excess intake of the same. Other treatments which may be used are: amino acids, fatty acids, fibre, enzymes, antibodies, antigens, chelation therapy, dialysis, hydrotherapy, light and electrotherapy, biofeedback, acupuncture, psychotherapy and others.  

Conditions: beriberi,nightblindness,osteomalacia, pellagra, rickets, pernicious anaemia, scurvy, various eye conditions, osteoporosis, iron deficiency anaemia, and many psychiatric conditions.