R.A.S HEMAT, MB;BCh, FRCSI, DUL.

Orthomolecular Oncology significantly reduces in-patient stay and complications of conventional systemic treatment. Adjuvant nutritional therapy in cancer guard against the problems associated with poor appetite, treat and reverse malnutrition, improve overall chances of remission and cure, and not least, quality of life by: 1- reducing the toxic side-effects of chemotherapy and radiation, 2- increasing their selectivity and destroy potential, 3- reducing and prevent secondary tumours, 4- acting as an immune stimulant, and 5- improving patient appetite.

Orthomolecular medicine involves the treatment of disease with natural substances, endemic to the body, vitamins, minerals, herbs and other biological response modifiers. Toxicity is largely avoided, and the body can respond in a more positive way, because they are not drugs.

Orthomolecular psychiatry is the achievement and preservation of good mental health by the provision of the optimum molecular environment for the mind, especially the optimum concentrations of substances normally present in the human body, such as the vitamins.

Abnormal immune responses may lead to tissue injury, inflammation and disease, e.g., food allergy.

Some of the events and stresses that can accelerate the aging of the immune system:

1- Poor nutritional status and poor sleep habits.
2- Lack of exercise and/or excess body fat or even overtraining.
3- Smoking, certain drugs and excess alcohol consumption.
4- Chronic disease and infections.
5- Stress and/or depression.
6- Allergies, hay fever and asthma.
7- Autoimmune conditions.
8- Chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

Food and environmental allergies affect virtually every part of the body, and presented as gastrointestinal symptoms, joint pain, chronic infections, depression, anxiety and fatigue. The effector mechanisms involved in the immune response against infectious agents are mainly macrophages, natural killer cells, granulocytes, T cells and B cells.

Integrative approach to Multiple Sclerosis (MS) must include the possible aetiologic factors and therapeutic strategies. The allopathic approach includes corticosteroid therapy and other experimental medicines. A Holistic approach including lifestyle modifications combined with nutritional therapies is a more comprehensive and patient-specific way of slowing the progression of the disease, and can be further enhanced with the use of thymus, liver and mesenchyme liquid extracts.

Normal cortisol secretion in response to stress accomplishes the following: a- stabilizes lysosomal enzymes; b- depresses the vasodilator action of histamine; and c- reduces capillary permeability.

In high concentrations (prescription strength), cortisol causes: 1- impairment of the migration of phagocytes resulting in atrophy of all lymphoid tissue and, consequently, 2- a reduction in the number of lymphocytes and antibodies in circulation.

It is essential to evaluate allergy patients for the presence of adrenal fatigue because many allergy patients present with an increased incidence of low cortisol levels.

NSAID therapy (including aspirin) of osteoarthritis possesses many disadvantages and limitations, such as temporarily improvement of the pain, peptic ulceration, bleeding from both the upper and lower portions of the digestive tract, damage to the liver, and risk of renal impairment, especially in the elderly.

HRT can cause endometrial cancer, raise blood lipid levels, and increase the risks of coronary and cerebrovascular thrombosis. Alendronate and other bisphosphonates have significant side effects including: 1- errosion/ulceration of upper GIT (oropharyngeal, oesophageal, gastric, duodenal, anastomotic), 2- critical dosing requirements (e.g., stand up for 30 minutes), 3- hypocalcaemia must be corrected by vitamin D and calcium, 4- calcium interferes with absorption of bisphosphonates, 5- intolerance, bisphosphonates can cause muscle, bone and joint pain, 6- higher doses of bisphosphonates can inhibit bone mineralization, and 7- vitamin D may threaten renal function.

Dairy products can cause a high cholesterol level, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Dairy products may also precipitate milk-protein allergy and can create a high caloric and high saturated fat load. A balanced diet for bone health should limit caffeine, alcohol, simple sugar, saturated fat, excessive animal protein, excessive phosphorus, and high salt intake.

Neurotoxicity encompasses injury from chemicals to the brain and to peripheral nerves. These chemicals include alcohol, lead, insecticides, solvents, lead, mercury, cadmium, car exhaust, formaldehyde, chlorine, phenol, rotten egg gas, ammonia, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and thousands of others. There is the possibility that some human beings have a sort of cerebral scurvy, without any of the other manifestations, or a sort of cerebral pellagra, or cerebral pernicious anaemia. Mental symptoms of avitaminosis sometimes are observed long before any physical symptoms appear.

This is the age of pluralistic medicine, in which effective remedies should be selected regardless of their origins. Combining conventional and complementary aproaches will give a proper support with a profound sense of accomplishment.

The art of formulation of complex treatment should not be a consequence of the need of the professionals to promote their techniques/intervention as unique and proprietary for their own practices.

October, 2002

Articles by R.A.S Hemat

The information in this article has been excerpted from the following book:

PRINCIPLES OF ORTHOMOLECULARISM, by R.A.S. HEMAT.

Note: Permission is granted to copy and redistribute this document electronically as long as it is unmodified. This article may not be sold in any medium, including electronic, CD-ROM, or database, or published in print, without the explicit, written permission of Dr. R. A. S. Hemat.

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Dr. R.A.S HEMAT declares no conflicts of interest or financial interests in any product or service mentioned in this article, including grants, employment, stock holdings, gifts, or honoraria.