Putting It All Together: The New Orthomolecular Nutrition

by Abram Hoffer

Book Overview

The orthomolecular concept is a simple one, using optimal nutrition to combat, heal and prevent physical and mental illness. Orthomolecular nutrition is based on diets and food supplements of essential vitamins and minerals specifically selected to solve individual problems and needs. Its overall aim is promoting optimal health and longevity for everyone. In this expanded, updated and revised edition, the author discusses orthomolecular medicine and...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0879836334
• ISBN13: 9780879836337
• Release Date: October 1998
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Companies
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Great book, but it's not a double blind research project

This is a great book. I would recommend that people read Linus Pauling's book "How to live longer and feel better" first. The Pauling book will give you more statistical information and support his arguments with clinical trials and double blind studies. This will give you a good foundation for reading this book which relies more on the author's own personal clinical experience. It's not scientifically oriented, but that does not mean that information is not of value. As a matter of fact, the information in this book helped my marriage. After reading the book, which talks quite a bit about food allergies and their symptoms (not just hives), I started to notice that my wife and I had arguments after she ate white processed flour. It could be a sandwich, a hamburger, some toast, but invariably, within an hour or two, she would start an argument about some minor insignificant thing (some of you might be able to relate to that). Since we have been watching our diet and cutting out "bad" food, our marriage has improved. But "cheat" days that were usually on weekends were days when we would argue. This book helped me figure out the "why" behind my wife's sudden irrationality and irritability. No promises that it will save your marriage, but it does help open your eyes to different things to look at that could be the root cause of behavioral issues. With regards to megavitamin dosing...anything taken in excess can be toxic, even water. But the levels of needed to reach toxicity are very very large and it is fairly difficult to reach. For example, B3 can cause liver TESTS to show abnormal. But stopping the B3 for 5 days will show the liver as normal again. Restarting will generally not reproduce poor test results again...and this with the niacinamide form of the vitamin, not the other forms. In addition, they just call it "mega" vitamin dosing because the amounts suggested are larger than the RDA, which is a suggested amount to avoid illness. The RDA is not an amount that promotes health. It's like saying that it's recommended that you drink 2 glasses of water a day. You'll probably live on 2 glasses a day, but 8 glasses a day is much better for your body and your health. Just keep everything in perspective and get the book...

Classic on vitamin megadosing

This book is based on the science and art of healing with nutrition therapy. Yes, while it can be argued that if you eat properly you don't need supplements; very few people have a perfect diet. He believes that what we put in our mouth is what creates our health or lack of, including mental health. His average anti-stress vitamin formula B1 - between 100 and 300 mg. Niacin B3 - between 3,000 mg.-6,000 people with high cholesterol should take the nicotinic acid form. Pantothenic acid - 100 mg. to 300 mg. Vitamin C - 3,000 mg. to 6,000 mg. Vitamin E - 200 I.U. to 800 I.U. Vitamin A & D - together in 3 to 9 cod liver oil capsules Calcium & magnesium - together in 3 to 6 dolomite tablets Zinc - 30 mg. to 60 mg. He goes through the following vitamins A, B, C and D. For instance, Vitamin C - 8 grams a day is required to prevent colds. Every person suffers from a deficiency, sort of a subclinical scurvy, because the human body does not manufacture it. With scurvy, the blood vessels become weak, and fluid leaks from them into the skin and tissues. The body manufactures cholesterol to plug the leaks and it is deposited onto the walls of the vessels which initiates arteriosclerosis. This is one of the main factors contributing to cardiovascular disease including strokes and coronary disease. He also talks a lot about zinc and manganese. For instance, in studies with rats and mice zinc insufficiency produced severe skin lesions similar to psoriasis; delayed wound healing; interrupted reproduction; and diminished learning capacity. Human skin holds about 20% of all the body's zinc. Zinc causes skin to be elastic, and without it there will be stretch marks all over the body. Hair and nails won't grow either, and nails will be brittle with white spots. The hair may loose pigment, and skin lesions may appear. Doctors often give zinc after burns, trauma and surgery as it increases the rate of healing. This is a classic book on supplementing with megadoses of vitamin and minerals. It is backed up with good research and case studies. I recommend that anyone who is in the natural health field read it.

Comprehensive review of vitamins and minerals

It is frustrating that the medical profession, in its ignorance, arrogance, and smugness, looks down on "megavitamin" therapy. Vitamins were placed here by the creator(s), to keep us healthy. The drugs "pushed" by MDs were created by Frankenstein in a lab, and frankly, Frankenstein barely understood one tenth of what he was doing, which explains all those side effects.To give you a taste of this useful book, Vitamin B3 (niacin or niacinamide) is far more important and necessary than we thought it was. The author goes into detail explaining the things that B3 can do for us.The section on pyroluriacs is new to me, and fascinating. If you don't know what a pyroluriac is, you may want to find out here. It is a condition verifiable by scientific testing, and the symptoms are correctable using various nutrients.This book gives a very good explanation of so many vitamins and minerals. Read it, and you will be sure to get some ideas for yourself.

hoffer,s laws of natural nutrition

a complete nutrition book on nutrition, vitamins, minerals, as well as where in the foods you can find them,and also the amounts in each food.a very much recommanded book for the public and for the students of nutrition and naturopathy.

putting it all together:the new orthomolecular nutrition

i have never seen a book on general nutrition that is so interesting and fulfiling.this book also deals with the principles of orthomolecular nutrition, as well as some diseases that including in the case histories.this book will also gives you the reader a guidence to the families of natural foods, as well as for the contents of thenutrients (vitamins, minerals).highly recommanded book,for the general public, and for anybody who wish to acomplish good nutrition, and knoledge in the principles of orthomolecular nutrition.