Orthomolecular Therapy

Orthomolecular therapy tries to correct a vitamin, mineral or nutritional imbalance where it occurs. If a disease is being mainly caused by a deficiency of some kind, it stands to reason that the main course of treatment should be to correct such a deficit (as opposed to treatment plans which only address the patient's symptoms). Orthomolecular therapy has its beginnings in the discovery that diseases, like schizophrenia, sometimes respond well to megadoses of niacin, also known as vitamin B3.

Other conditions linked to vitamin deficiencies and respond to vitamin therapy include:
Further examples of conditions linked to mineral deficiencies:

Additionally, Potassium deficiency has been linked to Hypertension, Magnesium deficiency has been linked to Growth impairment, and Zinc deficiency has even been linked to Eating Disorders.

Nutritional deficiencies are not always caused by a lack of nutrients in one's food, but may be caused by consuming too much alcohol, nicotine, animal fats, sugar, chemicals and prescription drugs. Nutritional deficiencies can also be caused if the body (particularly the small intestine) loses it's ability to properly absorb nutrients. Some common causes for malabsorption include: Celiac disease, Surgical removal of much of the small instestine, Pancreatic failure, Cystic fibrosis, Crohn's disease, etc.

The term orthomolecular was first introduced by chemistry professor Linus Pauling (1901-1994), 2-time Nobel laureate (winner of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1954 and for Peace in 1962). Linus Pauling's ground-breaking discoveries in molecular chemistry lay the foundation for what is today known as orthomolecular medicine. Of particular importance is Linus Pauling's research into Vitamin C therapy and his discoveries that megadoses of Vitamin C activate the immune-system and help fight diseases like the Common Cold, Atherosclerosis and Cancer.

Any orthomolecular therapy must begin with proper diagnosis, thorough examination of the previous diet and analysis of the blood and hair to help determine any deficiencies.