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Orthomolecular Megavitamin Therapy
My friend suffers from hearing voices in his head and although he has been undergoing treatment with both the doctor and the psychiatrist for 18 months now, there has been no improvement. I have read about orthomolecular megavitamin therapy and diets and wondered if this might help him?
The idea of megavitamin therapy is enjoying something of a renaissance and would, according to the nutritionist, Antony Haynes, definitely help your friend. The idea is one that I wholeheartedly approve of because, instead of taking potluck with your supplementation, you get tested first and then take the right, often large, doses of the exact vitamins and minerals you are deficient in.
You don’t mention schizophrenia, but the fact that the traditional treatment for this illness was fasting suggests more than a passing link between mental health and nutrition.
Haynes says, in your friend’s case, he suspects a deficiency in magnesium, manganese, and zinc, an excess of copper, and a blood-sugar imbalance. (The latter has been implicated in 50% of the cases of mental illness studied.) Plus a diet too rich in animal fats - which, it is argued, can inhibit blood flow to the brain.
The first step though, is to get an exact picture of what is going on and the easiest way to do this is by sending off a hair sample for vitamin and mineral analysis. The results can be made available within 10 days of sending off the sample and the test, which costs £40 and which you order through a nutritionist, will also show hormonal balance and your friend’s metabolic type.
*Antony Haynes is the founder of The Nutrition Clinic, which has moved to new premises at 17, Nottingham Street, London W1M 3RD. A 1.5hr consultation costs £90. Call 0171-935 5700.