The treatment of disease by increasing, decreasing, or otherwise controlling the intake of natural substances, especially vitamins. The term "orthomolecular" was coined by Linus Pauling in 1968 and refers to creating the optimal molecular environment for the cells of the body.
(as defined by Nobel Prize winner Linus Pauling) The preservation of health and the treatment of disease by the provision of the optimum molecular constitution of the body.
Employing vitamins, minerals, and amino acids to create optimum nutritional content and balance in the body, orthomolecular medicine targets a wide variety of conditions, including depression, hypertension, schizophrenia, cancer and other mental and physiological disorders.
A form of nutrient therapy that uses combinations of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids normally found in the body to maintain good health and to treat specific conditions, such as asthma, heart disease, depression, and schizophrenia. "Orthomolecular" means an approach based on a correct (ortho) balance of substances present in the body.
Treating the underlying causes of illnesses with vitamins, minerals, and other supplements. The phrase was coined by Nobel Prize-winning scientist Linus Pauling. See Also functional medicine.
The treatment of disease by balancing or restoring the normal chemical constituents of the body, using substances endemic to it (not drugs), such as melatonin, insulin, interferon, or vitamins, minerals, etc.
(orthomolecular nutritional medicine, orthomolecular therapy) : Approach to therapy whose centerpiece is megavitamin therapy. Orthomolecular medicine encompasses hair analysis, orthomolecular nutrition (a form of megavitamin therapy), and orthomolecular psychiatry. Linus Carl Pauling, Ph.D. (1901-1994), coined the word "orthomolecular." The prefix "ortho-" means "straight," and the implicit meaning of "orthomolecular" is "to straighten (correct) concentrations of specific molecules." The primary principle of orthomolecular medicine is that nutrition is the foremost consideration in diagnosis and treatment. Its purported focus is "normalizing" the "balance" of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and "similar" substances in the body.
Optimum nutrition and orthomolecular medicine are nutritional health and medical approacheshttp://www.doctoryourself.com/hoffer_paradigm.html The War Against Vitamin Therapy doctoryourself.com , Andrew Saul, PhD - Accessed, August 2006 which posit that many diseases and abnormalities result from various chemical imbalances or deficiencies and can be prevented, treated, or sometimes cured by achieving optimal levels of naturally occurring chemical substances, such as vitamins, dietary minerals, enzymes, antioxidants, amino acids, lipotropes, essential fatty acids, prohormones, dietary fiber and intestinal short chain fatty acids.The American Heritage Stedman's Medical Dictionary, 2nd Edition, 2004. Many of the substances used are essential nutrients. http://www.orthomed.org/ Definition of Orthomolecular medicine at www.orthomed.org Accessed June 2006 http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/f-w99/orthomolecular.html What is Orthomolecular Medicine?, Linus Pauling Inst.