Brilliant Advances in Canadian Medical Research

"I was astonished that niacin and ascorbate, with the striking physiological property, when given in very small amounts, of preventing death from pellagra and scurvy, should be so lacking in toxicity that 1,000 times the effective daily intake could be taken by a person without harm. This meant that these substances were quite different from drugs, which are usually given to patients in amounts not much smaller than the lethal dosages." Linus Pauling (1)

Introduction

The quote from Pauling is in reference to the work of Hoffer & Osmond of Canada. Hoffer & Osmond invented megavitamin treatments. All three are now deceased, unfortunately. However, Dr. Andrew Saul is carrying on their work. Saul lives in Canada.

Hoffer & Osmond

Hoffer was born in Canada. Osmond started in the UK but moved to Canada in the Fifties. Osmond & Smythies wrote a paper (2) proposing that schizophrenia was caused by DMPEA, which has a chemical structure similar to mescaline. This substance had been found to cause catatonia in animals. The paper was largely ignored at the time in the UK.

The idea of an endogenous psychotogen was not new. Stockings had proposed it in 1940. However, Stockings proposed that a mescaline-like substance produced in the brain was the culprit.

The brain needs to be fine tuned, as does the body. When you give the body a drug, it is like hitting the body with a hammer. Nutrition can fine tune the body and the brain.

More of their work is presented in Refs. 3, 4, & 5. Both Osmond & Hoffer were prolific writers.

"Dr. Humphry Osmond joined us from England. He was a refugee from the stiff conservative research intellectual attitude of academic psychiatry in England. He and John Smythies had formulated their M hypothesis of schizophrenia which was that it was possible that in the body of these patients there was a chemical with the psychological properties of mescaline and somehow related to adrenaline." Hoffer

Saul

Towards the end of Hoffer's long life, which ended in 2009, he worked with Saul (6). Hoffer was a medical maverick, and so is Saul. Fortunately Saul is still alive. Saul also favors orthomolecular medicine (7). Refs. 8-11 are more of Saul's many publications.

"I have seen hospital patients allowed to go two weeks without a bowel movement." Saul

Hypertension

Saul favors a "near-vegetarian diet" as a treatment as well as supplements. Professor Saul favors less sugar & fat and more fiber. Eat fruits, vegetables, and grains. He favors supplementation with vitamin C and magnesium (12). Refs. 12 & 13 were cited by Saul.

Prostate Enlargement

Saul favors the use of zinc, lycopene, and vitamin C for prostate enlargement. He cited Ref. 14.

Conclusions

Saul is a disciple of the late Linus Pauling. He is a prolific writer, and his writings are very controversial. He is a critic of certain drugs because of their side effects. If there is interest, and there should be, I may write a brief scientific biography of him. It might be called "Giants of Science: Dr. Andrew Saul." Saul is another medical maverick.

References

1. Linus Pauling in His Own Words: Selections from his Writings, Speeches and Interviews, edited by Barbara Marinacci. NY: Simon and Shuster, 1995.

2. Osmond, H & Smythies, J (1952) Schizophrenia: a new approach. Journal of Mental Science. 98(411):309-315, April.

3. Osmond, H (1952) On being mad. Saskatchewan Psychiatric Services Journal. Vol 1, No 2. September.

4. Hoffer A, Osmond H & Smythies J (1954) Schizophrenia: a new approach. II. Results of a year's research. J Ment Science 100(418):29-45.

5. Hoffer A. Psychiatry Yesterday (1950) and Today (2007): From Despair to Hope with Orthomolecular Psychiatry. Trafford, 2009.

6. Hoffer A, Saul AW. The Vitamin Cure for Alcoholism. Basic Health Publications, 2008.

7. Hoffer A, Saul AW. Orthomolecular Medicine for Everyone. Basic Health Publications, 2008.

8. Hoffer A, Saul AW, Hickey S. Hospitals and Health: Your Orthomolecular Guide to a Shorter, Safer Hospital Stay. Laguna Beach , CA : Basic Health Publications. In press.

9. Hickey S, Saul AW [editor] The Vitamin Cure for Migraines. Laguna Beach , CA : Basic Health Publications. June, 2010.

10. Downing D, Saul AW [editor] The Vitamin Cure for Allergies. Laguna Beach , CA : Basic Health Publications. October, 2010.

11. Prousky J, Saul AW [editor] The Vitamin Cure for Chronic Fatigue. Laguna Beach , CA : Basic Health Publications. October, 2010.

12. Eriksson J and Kohvakka A, Magnesium and ascorbic acid supplementation in diabetes mellitus. Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism, July/Aug 1995; 39(4) 217-223

13. Recenti Prog Med. 1998 Apr;89(4):169-76. [Obesity and hypertension: the role of magnesium] Corica F, Allegra A, Buemi M, Ientile R, Corsonello A, Bonanzinga S, Macaione S, Ceruso D.

14. Schwarz S, Obermüller-Jevic UC, Hellmis E, Koch W, Jacobi G, Biesalski HK. Lycopene inhibits disease progression in patients with benign prostate hyperplasia. J Nutr. 2008 Jan;138(1):49-53.