Orthomolecular Medicine: The Therapeutic Use of Dietary Supplements

Definition:

Orthomolecular medicine is the restoration and maintenance of health through elements usually present in the body.

Nobel Prize winner Linus Pauling, one of the most prestigious molecular chemists globally, established this definition due to exposure to toxic substances (e.g., metals).

The nutritional factors involved and the treatment of chronic, acute, and severe diseases associated with mortality, as well as all the health problems that cause discomfort and disability, are binding elements of orthomolecular medicine.

Malnutrition

It is essential to take the proper doses for full benefits. Because they prevent diseases, for this reason, small amounts of vital nutrients in the treatment of diseases (scurvy, beriberi, pellagra, and rickets, for example) are rarely seen in developed countries.

The marginal nutrition associated with health problems is much more likely to be the epicenter of the crisis. For the most significant benefit of dietary supplements, it is essential to heed the RDA level (recommended daily intake).

Nutrients used in Orthomolecular Medicine

Nutrients valuable as supplements include coenzyme Q10, alpha-lipoic acid, AGL (gamma-linolenic acid), and some non-essential amino acids, such as L-arginine L-carnitine, and L-glutamine, and others.

 

Additional supplements, including flavonoids and other antioxidants, are found in foods but are not associated with specific deficiency diseases, although they provide particular health benefits at the appropriate doses.

People benefit from dietary supplements due to the physiology of genetics and biochemical variation, exposure to environmental pollutants, damage of free radicals to normal metabolism, exposure to ultraviolet light or ozone, and medical conditions specific.

Benefits of Orthomolecular Medicine

A growing number of scientific studies have confirmed that high doses of nutrients are therapeutic and preventive.

While therapeutic levels of minerals, such as magnesium, zinc, and chromium, are present in food, they are essential for the prevention and treatment of diseases and slow down the aging process.

Supplements for the fight against aging

Vitamin C has a wide range of metabolic functions. Offers protection against oxidative damage by radicals. Vitamin C reduces the formation of wrinkles and sagging skin that occurs with aging.

Vitamin C also helps maintain immune function, including humoral immunity and phagocytosis.