Orthomolecular Medicine for Everyone: Megavitamin Therapeutics for Families and Physicians

Orthomolecular Medicine for EveryoneMegavitamin Therapeutics for Families and Physiciansby Abram Hoffer, PhD, MD, FRCP(C) and Andrew Saul, PhD, 2008, Basic Health Publications Inc., CA, 375 pages [...]Megavitamin therapeutics? Whazzat? Do vital amines have health-restoring capabilities? In this book, two highly-qualified authors, Abram Hoffer, PhD, MD and Andrew Saul, PhD explain how orthomolecular medicine can help people feel better and live longer. In Part One, Dr. Hoffer (biochemist, physician and psychiatrist-retired) and Dr. Saul (health educator) teach us that: (1) vitamins and minerals are important to human health; (2) nutritional deficiencies can cause health problems; (3) many patients can restore their health by taking supplements; and (4) healing with nutrients only happens if each patient receives optimal doses (much higher than anti-starvation levels). After introducing the concepts of nutritional deficiencies and dependencies and biochemical individuality, the authors outline the healing capabilities of vitamins, starting with B-3, an essential nutrient which has three names: nicotinic acid, niacin and niacinamide. Then Hoffer and Saul explain how orthomolecular doctors treat chronic illnesses and maintain health by prescribing regimens of vitamins A, B, C, D and E with trace minerals and other nutrients.Part Two details safe, effective and restorative orthomolecular treatments for nine health problems: (1) gastrointestinal disorders, (2) cardiovascular disease, (3) arthritis, (4) cancer, (5) the aging brain, (6) psychiatric and behavioral disorders, (7) epilepsy and Huntington's disease, (8) allergies, infections, toxic reactions, trauma, lupus and multiple sclerosis and (9) skin problems.Will a poor diet drain our vitality? If we get sick, can nutrients restore our health? Consider mental illness; most psychiatrists quickly label patients, prescribe combinations of meds (antidepressants, antipsychotics and anticonvulsants, etc.) and talk to their psychoses. Non-responsive patients get electric shocks. Early in his career, Dr. Hoffer saw very few recoveries after patients got labels, meds, talks or shocks. He wondered whether psychotic patients might have metabolic disorders rather than neuroleptic deficiencies. Most doctors don't pay any mind if patients eat junk food or self-medicate with alcohol, oblivious to the reality that brain cells need decent food. Certain nutrients are essential. Psychiatrists don't often consider nutrition but Abram Hoffer went to the old school which taught doctors to assess root causes and contributing factors before making a differential diagnosis. As Hoffer evaluated biochemical and nutritional factors underlying psychosis, he discovered that foods and nutrients can affect mental health. Over his long and distinguished career, Dr. Hoffer fine-tuned patients' diets and prescribed regimens of vitamins, trace minerals, amino acids, antioxidants, energy and enzyme cofactors. These treatments helped many of his patients to stop hallucinating, rejoin their communities, work, pay taxes and live well. Impossible, you say?Initially, Dr. Hoffer networked with a small team of scientists and health professionals who cooperated to research and develop restorative treatments for schizophrenia. Linus Pauling, PhD, read Niacin Therapy, in which Hoffer reported his first patients who recovered taking niacin for acute schizophrenia. Pauling named it "orthomolecular psychiatry" (Science, 1968). Dr. Hoffer explains the restorative dimension of care: "The practice of orthomolecular medicine recognizes that diseases are due to a metabolic fault that is correctable in most patients by good nutrition, including the use of vitamins and mineral supplements."Megavitamin therapeutics proved safe and effective. Many of Hoffer's acute schizophrenia patients recovered taking optimum doses of a methyl acceptor (B-3, niacin or niacinamide) with an antioxidant (C, ascorbic acid). For more than 50 years, while researching and developing regimens of nutrients to heal psychosis and other mental disorders, Hoffer reported clinical progress and success by improving diets and giving medicinal doses of vitamins B-3, B-6, C, zinc and manganese. Thousands of patients recovered.Most psychiatrists ignored Hoffer's double-blind placebo-controlled gold-standard research. Without studying his ideas, experiments, data or findings, `modern' psychiatrists dismissed Hoffer's reports of a 75% recovery rate for acute schizophrenia. They did not interview his recovered patients. Believing that thousands of patients and their trusting families could benefit from complementary vitamins and minerals, Abram Hoffer somehow found the time to write more than 30 books and 600 medical journal articles and editorials. For decades, he wrote about the biochemistry of schizophrenia, described the healing capabilities of vitamins and other nutrients, recommended healthy diets and introduced orthomolecular medicine to patients, families, caregivers and health professionals. Hoffer's books include The Chemical Basis of Clinical Psychiatry (1960), Niacin Therapy in Psychiatry (1962), How to Live with Schizophrenia (1966), The Hallucinogens (1967), Smart Nutrients (1980) Orthomolecular Medicine for Physicians (1989), and Adventures in Psychiatry (2005). This 2008 book, clear enough for every reader, is a classic example of Hoffer's thorough research, detailed references, careful observations and thoughtful writing.While prescribing vitamins for patients, Hoffer took the same daily doses of niacin and ascorbic acid himself (vitamins B-3 and C). How many psychiatrists self-test their treatments? He experienced the niacin flush with two brief side effects: 1. warmth and 2. redness. He had no side attacks or toxic effects while taking vitamins, only side benefits. Abram Hoffer's decades-long personal experiment shows that the right doses of the right nutrients can help a doctor feel better and live longer. Will you live as long as Dr. Hoffer if you take vitamins B-3 and C? Maybe you will; note that Dr. Hoffer wrote this book in his 91st year.Anyone can read about the decades of research, study the references and consider the regimens which Dr. Abram Hoffer and his colleagues developed, tested, healed thousands of patients with, took themselves and wrote clinical success stories about, since the 1950s. Abram Hoffer and Andrew Saul wrote this informative, insightful, helpful and hopeful book to educate the public how we can restore our health, get proper medical care, adjust our diets and take supplements. Hoffer and Saul encourage us to eat foods that we can metabolize, and take nutritional supplements (vitamins, minerals and amino acids, antioxidants, energy and enzyme co-factors and essential fatty acids). If we suffer from metabolic problems, deficiencies or dependencies, we can ask our health professionals to complement standard treatments with nutritional regimens. If our doctors don't know about restorative care, we can ask for second opinions.As you read this fascinating book, you will learn how to restore health and live well by eating nutritious foods and asking health professionals to recommend nutritional supplements. Ortho-molecular medicine has helped thousands of patients, for decades. Optimum doses of essential nutrients tested safe and effective. You can help yourself recover, feel better and live longer; then tell your friends and families!review by Robert Sealey, BScauthor of Finding Care for Depression, Mental Episodes & Brain Disorders [...][Historical note - Decades before Hoffer's time, malnourished and psychotic patients recovered from episodes of pellagra by taking niacin and tryptophan and improving their diets. Ref. Dr. J. Goldberger. Divided doses of vitamin B-3, as niacinamide, were also used to heal arthritis. Ref. Dr. W. Kaufman. In the 1950s, Dr. Hoffer applied his PhD in biochemistry to research schizophrenia, neurotransmitters and metabolic pathways. One evening he had a Eureka moment spotting a common chemical basis, an indole, in hallucinogenic compounds. He wondered if the human brain produces indoles and if so, might those metabolites cause hallucinations or perceptual distortions during episodes of schizophrenia. Dr. Hoffer found indoles by tracking the metabolic pathways of catecholamines, especially when the oxidation of adrenalin shifts irreversibly to adrenochrome (an indole). 1 or 2% of people, schizophrenics, hallucinate that way. Hoffer tested various doses of niacin and ascorbic acid (vit. B-3 and C) and had more Eureka moments as megavitamin therapeutics restored normal brain function in patients with acute schizophrenia.]

Hoffer is a genius, who’s time has yet to come.

As someone who has studied nutrition, natural medicine, and orthomolecular medicine for about 27 years, I've read a LOT of books like this. I'll read anything you put in front of me, especially if it's written by Abram Hoffer or Andrew Saul. This book is excellent, especially if it's your first book on the subject. Is very clear about the therapeutic doses of nutrients and whether or not any toxicity has been reported for those nutrients, and if so, gives details on that for your perspective.However, there are a couple of things conspicuously missing or glossed over in this book. First, there is absolutely no mention of iodine. Secondly, the section on Vitamin D is surprisingly conservative, compared to four or five other books I've read on the subject. They actually list a therapeutic dose of D3 as 2,000-4,000 IU's. Like, wow....really? That's barely a maintenance dose for most people, and one could argue not even that, for most people.At any rate, you really can't go wrong with these two authors, so don't hesitate to grab this book and add it to your library.

This is a highly enlightment book, well researched, but not necessarily specific on dosage and duration of time to injest the Megavitamin therapies. I believe that the researchers/writers left room for speculation on how much you should take, and for how long according to your particular ailment or distress. Which makes for some safe thinking and or commitments. After all, if they had been more specific orientated according to dosage, the Medical establishment would crucify them if someone gets sicker or dies from their recommendations.Overall, the book is a winner. I gave it 4-stars because of the lack of specifics. Each individual reading this book will be able to meke up their own minds about the dosage and duration of same. This is good. From speculation comes critical thought derived from actual trials and experiments. Which can at some point become a standard to live by.Buy the book, and explore the possibilities of natural healing. I have undertaken some of the suggestions and must say, I believe that the megadosage works. But proceed with caution, since mega dosages can at some point become toxic. When that happens, just decrease the dosage slowly down to nothing. Vitamin E remains in the tissues for months. Some nutrients just get washed out of your system if the body no longer need them. Read and learn. YOU MUST be in contact with your own body and mind. Afterall you are the Master of that body. That body is all that you really own.One more thought. Orthomolecular Medicine is researched and written by MDs and PhDs. Which makes for a good mix. Some Medical Doctors look down on this type of thinking. Mine does. That's ok, I have my own mind to look and judge for myself. Allopathic Medicine very seldomly accepts or agrees to any form of alternate cures. It's all about the money. Allopathic medicine to me is extreme medicine, that should be used for extreme sickness. If you are beginning to get sick, start looking for a cure in the Holistic field of alternative medicine before the sickness gets out of hand. Don't hesitate about this.Read the book, it is exceptionally helpful for expanding the mind of YOU! The Doctor is already inside of you. This book will help you to wake him/her up. Nuff' said.Doctor Love's Space

Only a third of the way through this book but feel I have to write a review anyway. Every doctor should own this book and every household should have it in their medicine cupboard. As a family we have always used optimum dosing vitamins and homeopathy etc., I worked out through experience that vitamin c does work in high doses but it is also really important to take it regularly throughout the day and for a few days after symptoms disappeared. It is good to read that my findings were typical of successfully treating flu etc with Vit C. We have a cat that had a really nasty cough (he even brought up blood) and the vet treated him with a couple of things, including antibiotics. Nothing helped. I decided to put a little bit of Vit C powder on his sachets of food and within 3 days he stopped coughing, completely! It just goes to show that so called experts do not know everything, especially as they are restricted in their reading/learning material (unless of course they use their initiative and think outside the accepted paradigm restrictions). Sorry, I shall get off my soap box now:-)

Brilliant and enlightening, a counter point to the 'Big Pharma' drugs the doctors hand out, with all their bad side affects, which treat the symptom, not the cause, keep you ill and them rich. Written by a doctor (not all doctors are narrow minded when it comes to vitamin use), not some new age hippy, read this and become healthier, highly recommended.

Excellent and very informative book. It tells what is the vitamin/mineral, what is it for, how to use it, includes names of research papers with supporting evidence.

Very informative.....

Every physician should read this book so that they can combine nutritional medicine with pharmaceutical medicine for greater efficacy in the treatment of the sick and also to make the healthy healthier.