Integrative Medicine and Orthomolecular Medicine

"Alternative therapies have come forward to fill the vacuum left by modern Medicine, which failed to provide effective treatments for the major epidemic diseases and in protest against Medicine's over-reliance on pharmacology, for the drug treatments seem to have fostered the epidemic of drug-dependence which is the major epidemic of our time. The public majority were ready for a new medicine based on nontoxic, non-invasive, 'natural' medicines to go with the re-discovered 'natural foods'." Dr. Kunin (1)

"Nutrition comes first in medical diagnosis and treatment." Kunin (1)

"Finally, let me repeat, that our rallying point and badge-word must be 'Orthomolecular', a landmark concept that conveys the genius of Dr. Pauling, who saw the need to resurrect nutrition and put it first, not last, in our science of health and disease." Kunin (1)

Introduction

Refs. 1-3 give information about orthomolecular medicine. Dr. Andrew Saul is an editor of the Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine. Saul lives in Canada. He writes books (4) and edits books Orthomolecular medicine is similar to integrative medicine. Both disciplines favor the use of vitamins. However, there are some differences. Those who favor orthomolecular medicine are followers of Linus Pauling.

Integrative Medicine

This term appears to have been invented by Dr. Andrew Weil. Weil favors both orthodox medicine and alternative medicine. However, there are some forms of alternative medicine that are very eccentric, such as the use of crystals. My view is that the use of chrystals is a fraud. Weil, however, does not favor crystals. He favors both nutrition and herbal medicine. Although many orthomolecular scientists, including Saul, are open to herbal medicine, Pauling never had any interest in herbal medicine as far as I know.

Both Pauling and Weil favored natural substances. Neither attacked drugs. However, Saul takes potshots at the drug companies. Weil's views are presented in ref. 8 as well as in his many books. Weil tends to write on the layman's level. Pauling has written work on the academic level as well as on the layman's level. His early papers and books were on the academic level.

Pauling

Ref. 9 is a book by Pauling on the layman's level. Pauling was extremely controversial. He was almost always proven to be correct.

Blood Lipids

According to Ref. 10, all blood lipids are normalized by niacin including cholesterol, which is lowered.

Is Tryptophan Going Crazy in Mental Illness?

Ref. 11 appears to say, "Yes!" to this question. Kynurenine is a metabolite of tryptophan. Kynurenic acid has been found to be high in the cerebrospinal fluid of both patients with bipolar disorder and patients with schizophrenia (12). This suggests that the two diseases are related. Refs. 13 & 14 confirm this point of view.

But what does this have to do with orthomolecular psychiatry? The answer is that tryptophan is found in the diet. Patients with mental illness may have a brain allergy to tryptophan. A low tryptophan diet is suggested by myself.

Conclusions

Tryptophan is found in high amounts in the following foods (15):

Bananas, beans, brewer's yeast, brown rice bran, caseinate, cottage cheese, dairy products, dates, eggs, fish, lactalbumin, legumes, meat, milk, nuts, peanuts, protein (hydrolysis), seafood, seeds, soy, turkey, whey, whole grains.

These foods should be avoided if you are allergic to tryptophan. It might be a good idea to take niacin supplements because niacin is made from tryptophan, and it is very valuable. Also avoid sugar and avoid fat. Both sugar and fat increase the transport of tryptophan into the brain by complex mechanisms. In the case of sugar, insulin is involved.

On the other hand, if you have pellagra, which involves a deficiency of tryptophan, you should eat those foods containing tryptophan. A doctor should diagnose the pellagra. A rash on exposed skin is one of the symptoms.

References

1. http://www.orthomed.org/home/kunin.html.

2. Common Questions on Schizophrenia at Their Answers by Abram Hoffer, MD, Ph.D., Keats Pub., Inc., New Canaan, C- 0 06840,1987.

3.Orthomolecular Nutrition by Abram Hoffer,M.D., PhD, and Morton Walker, D.P.M Keats Pub., Inc., New Canaan, CT, 06840, 1978.

4. Hoffer A, Saul AW, Hickey S. Hospitals and Health: Your Orthomolecular Guide to a Shorter, Safer Hospital Stay. Laguna Beach , CA : Basic Health Publications. February 2011.

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

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

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

8. www.drweil.com.

9. How to Live Longer and Feel Better by Linus Pauling. Corvallis, OR : Oregon State University Press, 2006. 300 pages, plus index, notes and extensive bibliography.

10. Carlson LA: Nicotinic Acid: the Broad-spectrum Lipid Drug. A 50th Anniversary Review. J Internal Medicine 2005;258:940-114.

11. Elevated levels of kynurenic acid in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with bipolar disorder. Olsson SK, Samuelsson M, Saetre P, Lindström L, Jönsson EG, Nordin C, Engberg G, Erhardt S, Landén M. J Psychiatry Neurosci. 2010 May;35(3):195-9.

12. Erhardt S, Blennow K, Nordin C, et al. Kynurenic acid levels are elevated in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with schizophrenia. Neurosci Lett. 2001;313:96-8.

13. Nilsson LK, Linderholm KR, Engberg G, et al. Elevated levels of kynurenic acid in the cerebrospinal fluid of male patients with schizophrenia. Schizophr Res. 2005;80:315-22. [PubMed]
14. Schwarcz R, Rassoulpour A, Wu HQ, et al. Increased cortical kynurenate content in schizophrenia. Biol Psychiatry. 2001;50:521-30. [PubMed]

15. www.orthomolecular.org.