Dr. Abram Hoffer, Allopathic vs. Orthomolecular Medicine

To help you better appreciate Dr. Hoffer's work, it's important to understand the difference between two separate approaches to medicine.

Allopathic Medicine is the medical training provided in all medical schools of the United States. Upon completion of the required training of Allopathic Medicine, a physician can use the letters "MD" after his name. MD means "Doctor of Medicine".

Most of the patented medicines used by allopathic MD's are poisons that interupt the normal biological function of the body to cause a desired result. Small amounts of toxic compounds are given to patients, usually in prescription pill form, in an attempt to stop the body's capacity to produce a symptom.

On the other hand, Orthomolecular Medicine works to restore the balance of the biological functions of the body by providing it with substances natural to the body such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids, trace elements and fatty acids.

Even though the natural substances used in Orthomolecular Medicine prevent and cure diseases, because they are natural substances they can not be patented and are therefore low priced. Any natural substance that cures and prevents disease is in direct competition with the expensive patented pills of the Pharmaceutical industry and the medical practices of all those with MD after their name.

Therefore, natural substances proven to prevent and cure disease are a huge threat to the income of both the pharmaceutical industry and traditional American MD's.

To keep people ignorant of the powerful healing nature of natural vitamins and other natural substances, the AMA and the pharmaceutical companies conduct a campaign to discredit MD's who begin to use natural substances for curing patients instead of prescribing expensive patented pharmaceutical drugs that only cover up symptoms.

Dr. Barret of QuackWatch is engaged in this campaign to discredit inexpensive but more effective and safer means of cure and good health and the doctors who promote them. Dr. Barrett throws all those who promote Orthomolecular medicine under the bridge with quacks who belong there. But, he never exposes any of the scams of the Pharmaceutical companies and the many useless or dangerous products they market using the highly regarded title of "MD".

Incidentally, before a substance can be called a vitamin, it must cure and prevent a disease. For example, Vitamin C prevents and cures Scurvy, Vitamin D prevents and cures rickets and the B vitamins cure and prevent pernicious anemia, beriberi and pellagra.

Now that you understand why there are so many attacks upon the credibility of the man who first coined the term Orthomolecular Medicine, Linus Pauling, one of the two greatest scientists of the twentieth century, you are better prepared to understand the attacks upon the credibility of Dr. Hoffer who is considered by many to be the founder of Orthomolecular Medicine.

Dr. Abram Hoffer used Orthomolecular Medicine to treat psychiatric patients.

Following is an introduction to Dr. Hoffer's autobiography provided by Orthomolecular Medicine.org http://www.orthomed.org/index.html

"Abram Hoffer's Biography

Synopsis

This book is a feast for the mind and the spirit: the autobiography of one of the great doctors of the 20th century, Dr. Abram Hoffer.

For those of us who have learned, through painful personal experience that drugs, surgery, and most of high-tech medicine offer only very temporary benefits, but rarely if ever a cure, this book tells the wonderful story of the rebirth of nutritional medicine. Based on the science of biochemistry, now known as orthomolecular medicine.

Here we follow the journey of its founder: from his Saskatchewan farm childhood, subsequent training in bio-chemistry and agricultural science, his early insights into the central importance to human and animal health of soil and plant food quality, to his specialization in psychiatry, professorship at the University of Saskatchewan, and his daily work with patients. We learn of his disillusionment with traditional methods of treating the mentally ill and we share his excitement of discovery as we follow his dramatic case histories, which unfold like detective-stories, as he uncovers the connection between deficiencies in specific vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids and mental illness. Price is $35.00. "

You can purchase the book at the store of Orthomolecular Medicine http://www.orthomed.org/store/store.html

Better Health Through Education

Gary Springer,

Founder of Perfect Health Institute

Author of They’re Making You Fat and Sick, It’s Big Business and Big Money