Orthomolecular therapy is defined by its proponents as the treatment of disease by varying the concentrations of substances normally present in the human body. Its proponents claim that many diseases are caused by molecular imbalances that are correctable by administration of the right nutrient molecules at the right time. (Ortho is Greek for right.) Orthomolecular medicine concentrates on the molecular structure of the body by supplying it with ample amounts of proper nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. It does so within proper balance and in a favourable environment.

Orthomolecular therapy dates back to the early 1950s when a few psychiatrists began adding massive doses of nutrients to their treatment of severe mental problems. The original substance was vitamin B3 (nicotinic acid or nicotinamide), and the therapy was termed "megavitamin therapy." Later the treatment regimen was expanded to include other vitamins, minerals, hormones, and diets, any of which may be combined with conventional drug therapy and electroshock treatments. A few hundred physicians now use this approach to treat a variety of conditions, both mental and physical. During the 1980s, for example, the Princeton Brain Bio Center, in Skillman, New Jersey, touted its "nutritional" treatment for alcoholism, allergies, Arthritis, Autism, Epilepsy, Hypertension, hypoglycemia, Migraine headaches, Depression, learning disabilities, retardation, mental and metabolic disorders, Skin problems, and hyperactivity . Its services included laboratory tests that most physicians would not consider necessary or useful for diagnosing these disorders.

The human body has limited capacity to use vitamins in its metabolic activities. When vitamins are consumed in excess of the body's physiological needs, they function as drugs rather than vitamins. A few situations exist in which high doses of vitamins are known to be beneficial, but they must still be used with caution because of potential toxicity. For example, large doses of niacin can be very useful as part of a comprehensive, medically supervised program for controlling abnormal blood cholesterol levels. "Orthomolecular" practitioners go far beyond this, however, by prescribing large amounts of supplements to all or most of the patients they treat.

For 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. 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. 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.

Heart disease High blood pressure Schizophrenia Diabetes High Cholesterol