Orthomolecular Medicine | Micronutrient Medicine – Sounds Complicated, but it Isn’t.
Orthomolecular medicine, or rather micronutrient medicine, involves the diagnosis and therapy using the fundamental vital substances in our body. It concerns vitamins, minerals, and trace elements. As such, it forms the basis of our health, the foundation of our self-healing capabilities, and consequently, our diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.
In our modern diet, we often experience an imbalance. On one hand, there is a caloric surplus, and on the other, a deficit of vitamins, minerals, and trace elements. Our food is becoming increasingly depleted of specific micronutrients due to industrial production and changes in agriculture. This inevitably leads, after a certain period, to deficiency symptoms, impaired regulation, and illness.
Our eating and lifestyle habits are characterized by the consumption of processed foods, ‘on-the-go’ eating and drinking, stress, insufficient physical activity, and increasing environmental pollution.
Over the past 100 years, life expectancy has almost doubled. This quickly leads to the assumption that this could be attributed to healthier living and eating habits. However, this is not the case. The higher life expectancy is a consequence of better medical care and, in particular, improved hygienic conditions.
However, the increasing use of medications also has far-reaching effects on our micronutrient balance, as these are often displaced by drugs and can also have harmful effects on the mitochondria. This is associated with a disruption in energy metabolism, which often first becomes noticeable in the cardiac and skeletal muscles, the nervous system, and the sensory organs.
Orthomolecular Medicine | Micronutrient Medicine – the Basic Therapy
Even a suboptimal vitamin and mineral intake typically causes non-specific complaints and disorders that are often difficult to classify and thus frequently treated late; specifically, when serious diseases are the consequence.
Ea key task of micronutrient medicine is the reduction of free radicals in the organism to protect the body from oxidative stress. Oxidative stress means degeneration, (premature) aging, arteriosclerosis, cancer, and cell death. These consequences accelerate when antioxidants, e.g., in the form of micronutrients, are consistently deficient, and conversely, oxidative stress increases due to rising environmental pollution and stress.
Antioxidants primarily include:
- Vitamins (A, C, E, Beta-carotene, Niacin)
- Trace elements (Zinc, Selenium, Copper, Iron)
- Bioflavonoids
- Glutathione
- Alpha-lipoic acid
- Melatonin
Orthomolecular MeDicine in Immunology
With regard to the human immune system, micronutrient medicine plays a significant role. Micronutrients are essential for the formation and differentiation of immune cells, the production of antibodies, the regulation of immune cell function, and the function of phagocytes.
If deficiencies are present, our immune system is significantly impaired. Regardless of which therapies are employed, if the principles of micronutrient medicine are disregarded, there can be no lasting success.
Therefore, the assessment and correction of micronutrients form the basis of every immunotherapy.
Micronutrient Therapy for Severe Clinical Conditions
In
Biological Cancer Medicine
, connections can be demonstrated regarding changes in micronutrient balance and the development, growth, and metastasis of tumors. Imbalances can be both a cause and a consequence of this disease.
A particular correlation between tumor development and deficiency symptoms has been described concerning magnesium and selenium. However, copper, iron, and zinc also play a significant role. These values are also important in monitoring the course of tumor diseases and have prognostic significance.
Competent orthomolecular medicine or micronutrient medicine also contributes significantly to a better tolerability of aggressive therapeutic measures and a lower complication rate.
In our practice concept, orthomolecular therapy or micronutrient therapy is therefore a very central component.
The currently common measurement of micronutrients such as calcium, magnesium, and iron in plasma is not suitable for assessing the actual micronutrient status!
However, before any therapy and supplementation, I always conduct a complete diagnostic assessment to analyze the causes and manifestations of deficiencies.
Based on this and the therapeutic goals agreed upon with you, we can then begin a therapy.
Therapeutic goals can include:
- Prevention of nutrition-dependent, chronic-degenerative, and chronic-inflammatory diseases
- Metabolic optimization with vitamins, minerals, and other bioactive nutrients (= Metabolic Tuning)
- Optimization of pharmacotherapy: supporting efficacy, reducing the rate of side effects, and decreasing the need for medications
- Improvement of individual health status
- Preservation of vitality and capability into old age
Therefore, it is a deep concern of mine, especially for tumor patients, to be able to offer supportive accompanying therapy as early as possible after diagnosis, in order to strengthen and support you on the path to and through often burdensome therapies.
An optimally nutritional state and a favorable micronutrient situation can contribute to improving surgical outcomes, reducing complications, and enhancing the response to drug-based, chemo-, and radiation therapy.
