Orthomolecular Medicine

LINUS PAULING was arguably one of the greatest medical minds of the twentieth century. Though not a medical doctor, he had the great distinction of being awarded, not one, but two Nobel Prizes for his research in medicine.

He created the term Orthomolecular that literally means, 'the same molecule'. Out of that developed the concept of Orthomolecular Medicine, which has become a central theme in my own medical practice. The idea behind this approach is simply to give the body the exact substance (molecule) that it needs to correct imbalances and to return normal function.

This involves the use of substances identical to those already present in the body, or which the body is naturally accustomed to working with. This approach though not highlighted in conventional medical training, I have found, is inherently safe and holistic and when necessary can complement orthodox medical treatments.

Lets look at some examples of Orthomolecular Medicine:

Vitamin C in infections and stress

Vitamin C is essential for health. In man it has to be obtained from the diet or from supplements. During an infectious illness or major stress, the body's need for vitamin C increases dramatically.

If you develop a cold for example, the white blood cells rapidly absorb virtually all the vitamin C in the blood in their attempt to fight against the invading germs. Taking large amounts of vitamin C at the first sign of a cold or flu is an example of orthomolecular medicine ­ giving the body the exact molecule it needs to deal with the problem.

Vitamin E for a healthy heart ­ That is the title of a book written by two Canadian cardiologists some 40 years ago. In it, they described how natural vitamin E, an orthomolecular substance, when used at a daily dosage of 400 to 800 IU, could significantly improve the function of the heart and the circulation, even when heart disease was already present.

History records that the medical profession responded to their discovery by persecuting these doctors and literally destroying their reputation and medical practice.

Warning! Orthomolecular Medicine is very healthy for the patient but can be very dangerous for the doctor.

B vitamins for nervous and
psychiatric
disorders

Considerable evidence exists to suggest that many persons with nervous, or frank psychiatric disorders, are in fact vitamin B-3 deficient. Some medical historians have even suggested that half of the inmates of American psychiatric hospitals in the early twentieth century were not mad, but were simply suffering from Pellagra ­ vitamin B-3 deficiency.

Another Canadian doctor, a psychiatrist, has pioneered the development of Orthomolecular Psychiatry in which large doses of vitamins are used in combination with, or as an alternative to psychiatric drugs to treat mental illness.

Doctors who are interested may wish to access a publication called The Journal of Orthomolecular Psychiatry on the Internet.

Many substances that I have written about before, like CoQ10, alpha Lipoic acid and the antioxidants are all orthomolecular substances. They are wonderful tools. Try them.

You may email Dr. Vendryes at vendryes@hotmail.com or visit his web site at www.

drvendryes.com.

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