Orthomolecular medicine

Orthomolecular medicine (Greek ορθός, orthos, right, molecular, from the Latin for " block" ) is a largely influenced by Linus Pauling alternative medicine method. The focus is on high-dose use of vitamins and minerals for the prevention and treatment of disease. A proof of the effectiveness of this method does not yet exist.

From the perspective of orthomolecular medicine, a biochemical imbalance in the body leads to disease. This imbalance can be compensated by addition of dietary supplements. Minerals, trace elements, vitamins, essential fatty acids and amino acids and other " nutrients " are considered acceptable for the body, risk-free and wholesome viewed as exogenous substances such as plant extracts, herbal or synthetic drugs. Normally, the orthomolecular medicine recommends a much higher daily intakes of vitamins and minerals than justify scientific and nutritional medical knowledge.

Conception

As a pioneer applies Linus Pauling, winner of the chemistry and the Nobel Peace Prize, the first time in 1968 using the term in an essay about orthomolecular psychiatry. Orthomolecular medicine is Pauling " maintaining good health and treatment of disease by varying the concentrations of substances in the human body that are normally present in the body and necessary for health. "

Starting point of orthomolecular teaching is the controversial thesis that it is now hardly possible to sufficiently provide about balanced diet with so-called vital nutrients because the foods due to unnatural breeding, transport, storage and preparation, only a fraction of the originally existing substances contained. This leads to chronic deficiency in the majority of the population. Therefore, according to orthomolecular mindset a supply of these vital substances through dietary supplements is necessary.

Most nutrients are in orthomolecular medicine considerably higher doses than recommended by the World Health Organization. According to the supporters of orthomolecular nutrition, there are, among other successes in the treatment of numerous cancers and atopic dermatitis. A scientific and medical evidence that such increased quantities have a real benefit, however, was not provided.

"Mega Vitamin Therapy"

Under Mega Vitamin therapy is the application of vitamins in doses many times (often 100 - to 1000 -fold) higher than the physiological needs, which forms the basis for the recommended daily dose. The term originally comes also from the orthomolecular psychiatry, where such mega doses of B vitamins used to treat schizophrenia, depression, neurosis, autism and hyperkinesis are propagated. Later, the use of megadoses was extended to non-psychiatric medical conditions, and other vital substances.

Criticism

Many critics see the orthomolecular medicine as pseudo science that promotes mainly the business of dietary supplements and am supported by the manufacturer of Supplementierungsprodukten.

The scientific and medical review focuses in particular on three arguments:

• The alleged lack of care for the population is not the result of recognized scientific studies of nutritional science. Thus, the comprehensive study of the prestigious American Medical Society comes to the conclusion that the adoption of a widespread shortage supply of the population is incorrect with vitamins and minerals, that the assumption that many diseases would be due to poor diet, is false and that the assumption that many diseases could be cured by supplementation, is erroneous.

• The effectiveness of the concept of orthomolecular medicine has not yet been occupied with scientific and medical studies and future proof is considered unlikely. One of the largest studies with over 12,000 patients could not detect any effect of vitamin B12 on the new onset of diseases in the cardiovascular system within 6 years. Also on cancer vitamin B12 had no effect. For the majority of the substances used are not recognized double-blind studies documenting benefits, side effects and dangers and to determine the actual needs of each substance permit.

• The overdose of vital substances used can be harmful to health. Several studies show that long -term high doses of vitamins, as it is practiced in orthomolecular medicine, lead to serious health problems and shorten the average life expectancy.

• Fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin D and vitamin K can accumulate in the body and are therefore potentially harmful. From the body does not require water-soluble vitamins are indeed excreted via the kidneys, but they can also be overdosed, as, among others, the food chemist Udo Pollmer has occupied the basis of scientific studies. Vitamin E does not accumulate in adipose tissue, although at, but increased mortality was observed in three meta-analyzes for doses greater than 400 IU, although other scientists disagreed with the results.

• With high doses of vitamin C (more than one gram per day ) leads to diarrhea and partly to colic. " Vitamin C change a number of hormone levels in the blood, including the estrogen, thyroid hormone, or insulin. It destroys vitamin B12 ( ... ). It increases the absorption of aluminum, can damage the bone and brain, it promotes the formation of kidney stones, osteoporosis (...) ". In addition, vitamin C can transform the mineral iron in a radical and thus encourage cardiomyopathies. Pauling's assertion that high doses of vitamin C protect against colds, could yet be confirmed by any scientific study. In a large-scale survey study by the Cochrane Collaboration found neither to the common cold duration nor on the common cold incidence in a positive effect. The authors see little justification for a high-dose vitamin C administration only at short-term, intense physical effort (eg polar scientists or marathon runners ). According Pollmer the vitamin C concentration does not correlate in blood plasma ( plasma levels ) with the vitamin intake. Studies had shown that there were large individual differences. " Plasma level of 75 micromoles per liter, some people have been at a minimum supply of 5 milligrams per day, while others are needed for 400 milligrams of ascorbic acid. "

• Vitamin B6 in high doses can lead to sensory neuropathies to paralysis in hands and feet. Over -dose niacin can cause allergy-like reactions with redness, itching and hives. For the longer- term overdose jaundice and liver damage can result. Overdoses of vitamin B1 can lead to headaches and insomnia, in extreme cases, pulmonary edema, bradycardia, and gastrointestinal bleeding.

Terms of Use

In Germany, only a few vitamin supplements are approved as drugs. The others are sold as dietary supplements, the advertising must not contain any indications of supposed medicinal effect and high, potentially toxic, doses are not permitted. Dietary supplements are not subject to the Medicines Act, but the food, Commodities and Feed Code.

Many patients therefore buy products from foreign mail-order companies that are accessible over the Internet. The statutory health insurance does not cover the costs.