The International Society for Orthomolecular Medicine Society celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Orthomolecular Medicine Today Conference on May 28-19, 2021 in Toronto, Canada with a dynamic fact-filled conference highlighting presentations from twelve experts in the field. Orthomolecular means treatment with diet and nutrition.

Aileen Burfold-Mason, PhD

The World Unprepared: COVID-19 Nutrition and Immunity

Dr. Burfold-Mason gave a profound presentation regarding the basics of COVID-19 as a viral invader, the science behind the body’s response, the importance of nutrition and how these nutrients play a direct role in the body’s ability to respond appropriately for full recovery. This is information that everyone should digest and integrate into their daily approach to nutrition and feeding the body through diet and supplements. Dr. Burfold-Mason has recently written The War on Viruses which should be considered a must read.

What is the difference between bacteria and virus? Bacteria have RNA and DNA, can make their own energy and can reproduce. The cell walls are common within the bacteria but aren’t found in humans cells so antibiotics can be used without harming the patient. The downside, as we have seen with antibiotics, is with over use antibiotic resistance has resulted. Virus on the other hand are small and simple. They have either RNA or DNA but not both. They are not living and must invade a living cell. Upon finding a host cell, the virus can reproduce copies of itself. It is encased in a protein coat or can use an envelope. With COVID the virus has an RNA envelope that is obtained by taking a piece of the host cell wall. Due to this, the body doesn’t recognize the virus as being foreign. Viruses are also destroyed by stomach acid so people on PPI medications are at higher risk. The virus binds to ACE2 receptors. Children have fewer ACE2 receptors which could explain their greater resistance to infection. However, ACE2 receptors are more abundant in people with Diabetes Type II, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, etc. The reason this matters is that ACE2 in the blood and tissues modulates activity of angiotensin II which regulates blood pressure and inflammation. When the ACE2 receptor sites are used by the virus, there are fewer sites for the angiotensin to regulate, thus producing symptoms of COVID-19. It is important to consider the various aspects of the immune system as it works to protect the body. We are all born with innate immunity which is the immediate response and is fixed at birth. The adaptive immunity is activated by the innate when needed to attack and destroy pathogens that previous encounters have created immune memory. With the adaptive immunity, T and B cells alert a response by killing directly or releasing antibodies. This is the target of most vaccines, to find a fragment that activates memory cells for attack. However, memory cells do not last forever in all cases and it is still unknown how long the memory cells for COVID will persist. The incubation period varies from five to eleven days. Once a patient has symptoms, the viral load is peaking and the body is mounting an aggressive inflammatory response. If the inflammatory response is not dampened, too many cytokines cause a sepsis response with the immune system out of control. The appropriate response is to mount the attack and then switch it off. In order to accomplish this, nutrients of vitamins A, D, B, C, minerals and trace elements are necessary. In cases of diabetes and obesity, chronic inflammation reduces these nutrients putting even more pressure on the immune response. Vitamin K is central to managing pro and anticlotting factors. In a healthy person, vitamin K is produced by the microbiome in the gut, but in the case of dysbiosis vitamin K can be deficient. Therefore, it is prudent to always supplement vitamin K when supplementing vitamin D. Supplements alone do not create balance in the body. It is vital to have a balanced nutrient dense diet,as well.

Richard Cheng, MD, PhD

Vitamin C and COVID-19: Orthomolecular Medicine for Improving Patient Outcomes

Vitamin C had gained popularity in China prior to COVID-19 due to the work of Dr. Thomas Levy. It is gaining even more attention now as an antiviral and antibacterial agent. IV vitamin C is used widely in China at a dosage of 10-20 grams per day. Even with oral use, caregivers of COVID-19 patients did not get sick. Shanghai uses high dose vitamin C as standard of care in their hospital system and has had great success controlling COVID-19. Statistically, only 1% of the COVID cases were severe with children under 20 at very low risk (.003%). Oxidative stress and the cytokine storm is the mechanism with COVID and many other viruses and vitamin C has been found to control this storm. Vitamin C, E, glutathione, NAD and other nutrients all work together as antioxidants. It is his belief that Long Hauler syndrome can be prevented by high antioxidant ingestion.

John Gannage, MD

Mast Cell Instability: Why It Matters

Mast cells are involved in every health challenge including chronic illness stemming from mitochondrial dysfunction, immune dysregulation and nutritional deficiencies. The problem comes from dysregulated mast cells. In their normal performance they work with the immune system to address allergens, toxins, and invaders to clear pathogens through various responses. When this system is not functioning properly there are classic symptoms depending on the system involved. Mast cell derived mediators contribute to many disorders and can be allergic but also neurologic and psychiatric in nature. They can also play a role in autism, being mastocytosis. The degree of dysfunction determines the severity of autism. Since mast cells perform an enormous range of biological activities with wide distribution, dysfunction can appear as a wide variety of symptoms. As a result, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) often goes undiagnosed for years. To make matters worse, unstable mast cells retain a metabolic memory of past triggers which stimulate a rapid and severe response to exposure even if the original trigger is no longer there. Management begins with reducing inflammatory factors, avoidance of triggers, and control of mast cell mediator production. This often requires many avenues of therapy. Anti-histamines, vitamin C, NAC, melatonin, silymarin, curcumin, threonine, resveratrol, and EGCG can be beneficial. In addition, gut support, avoidance of medicines that are triggers, elimination of gluten, dairy, yeast and high histamine foods (fermented foods) helps. Probiotics for the microbiome including L. rhamnosus can be supportive. Patients with underlying mast cell dysfunction are at higher risk for more severe COVID-19 responses, especially those who have underlying Lyme disease. The reason that obesity is an added risk factor for COVID-19 is because fat cells have more mast cells, increasing the likelihood of a cytokine storm during infection. The bottom line for mast cell dysfunction remains. It is hard to diagnose, but vital to avoid triggers and take nutritional support.

Thomas Levy, MD

Orthomolecular Moments

Orthomolecular means taking the right amount of the right substance at the right time. Dr. Levy started investigating orthomolecular medicine thanks to Dr. Huggins, a prominent dentist in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Dr. Huggins was able to reverse illnesses by removing amalgams, and treating cavitations and infected root canal teeth within two weeks of therapy. It is vital to eliminate the toxins from the body as well as supplement nutritional deficiencies. One good outcome of the pandemic is the platform to show that vitamin C, IV and orally, is beneficial and vital. Dr. Levy has also written a book: Rapid Virus Recovery: No Need to Live in Fear which explains the use of nebulized hydrogen peroxide. It is a free download at http://www.rvr.medfoxpub.com. Rarely do monotherapies work, but Dr. Levy has found this therapy to be extremely effective.

Akbar Khan, MD

Ozone and Adjunctive Orthomolecular Therapies in Oncology

Dr. Khan has developed the Medicor Cancer Center which offer non-toxic therapies, treating the whole person with integrative medicine. His clinic is now using ozone therapies. Chemo therapy is cytotoxic and statistically has not proven to extend life a great deal. In many cases only a matter of months. However, implementing orthomolecular methods has proven very effective in his clinic. Ozone is O3 and is a strong oxidizing agent. It has a half-life of 30 minutes and is the smell after a thunderstorm. There have been hundreds of European publication that support ozone use even though the FDA doesn’t endorse it. For cancer, it oxygenates hypoxic tumors, killing the tumor cells without creating toxicity to surrounding healthy cells. It creates a short lived oxidative stress model which stimulates the body’s antioxidant expression. It is used pre and post-surgery, for quality of life and in many other applications. There are many avenues of therapy but ozone is never breathed directly into the lungs. The clinic also uses other natural therapies including low dose naltrexone.

Neil Riordan, PhD

Optimal Nutrition and Mesenchymal Cellular Products as the Keys to Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Diseases

Dr. Riordan began is research working with his father, Hugh Riordan, by testing 60 natural products for health. Vitamin C was at the top and further research with IV vitamin C showed tumor therapy with no impact on healthy cells. This is known as the Riordan Protocol. Neil went on to develop his own areas of interest, specifically working with mesenchymal stem cell products. He has the Riordan Medical Institute in South Lake, Texas and the Stem Cell Institute in Panama City, Panama. There are two types of stem cells in the body, hematopoietic (HSC) found in the bone marrow and blood and mesenchymal (MSC) found in the bone marrow as well as in all tissues in the body. The body has organ specific stem cells throughout. All of these stem cells are in constant communication with each other. A donor can give allogeneic stem cells to a recipient without rejection. These MSCs provide for all homeostatic function. For the best performance the body must be free of toxins, especially lead and mercury, and have balanced nutrition. It is the excretions from the MSCs that produce effect. They are multifactorial and respond to their environment, specifically the tissues. Blood vessels have pericytes that become MSC cells, with the capacity to control inflammation, modulate the immune system, and donate mitochondria as an energy giver. The MSCs arrive at the site of injury and basically become a drugstore. Research shows that MSCs from younger animals make old cells younger. Dr. Riordan has been involved with many research projects, often addressing autoimmune issues with very positive outcomes. The MSCs help bring the body back to a healthy state by reducing inflammation, modulating the immune system and stimulating repair.

Bonnie Kaplan, PhD

Orthomolecular Nutrition is the Foundation of Mental Resilience

Dr. Kaplan has written The Better Brain in an effort to educate the public. She recommends eating the Mediterranean diet and to supplement with broad spectrum vitamins and minerals to assure brain health. This offers protection from anxiety, stress and other brain issues including ADD, ADHD and depression. Studies have shown that vitamin B supplementation is extremely important.

Jonathan Prousky, ND, MSc

The Stressed Brain and Its Regulation: A Clinician’s Perspective

We must appreciate the complexity of life for people suffering from stress and depression. In an effort to support the allostasis mechanism in the body we can offer foundational nutrients with the addition of botanicals. This supports the hippocampus and its influence of the amygdala and the pre-frontal cortex.

James Greenblatt, MD

Integrating the Orthomolecular Treatment of Alcoholism Within Clinical Psychiatry

Two very important nutrients are niacin and Lithium. Adequate niacin levels maintain sobriety without depression. Successful studies used 3 grams of niacin, dosing 1 gram three times a day. Patients worked up to this dosage due to the niacin flush. In addition, the other B vitamins including Folate, B6 and B12 pay an important role as well. Lithium, which we get from our water intake decreases depression, dementia, impacts the neurotransmitter function, is regenerative, protective and stimulates BDNF in the brain. Practitioners use low dose lithium (150 mg). Dr. Greenblatt has found that alcoholics have a higher need for lithium and the B vitamins. He recommends a foundation of magnesium, omega 3, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B complex and Vitamin D.

Todd Penberthy, PhD

NAD History: Niacin Before and Forever After

Dr. Penberthy covered the importance of nicotinic acid, B3, for not only the Krebs cycle but for countless other actions in the body. Use the immediate release form of B3 for the best outcome. He recommends taking the minimal amount that causes a flush, two to three times a day.

William Shaw, PhD

The Effect of Mycotoxins in Neuropsychiatric Conditions

Many foods harbor mycotoxins and molds. These foods include peanuts, corn, cottonseed products, wheat, rye, alcohol, sugar, sugar beets for example. Bleach 1:10 with water can be used to eliminate the mold. Great Plains Lab has a urine test for systemic toxicity. Even though a person may breathe mold, it ultimately leaves the lungs and enters the GI tract. If mold is found to be an issue, first the source must be removed. Then antifungal drugs and supplements including oral and IV glutathione, NAC, cholestyramine, probiotics (L. pentosus, L beveris), clay, and charcoal can be beneficial. Diflucan has not been as effective as Voriconazole and Itraconazole. Interestingly, they have found good results with doing mold detox when addressing autism. Plant botanicals that treat candida would also probably address mold and mycotoxins.

Andrew Saul, PhD

Controversies in Nutrition: A Timeline of Orthomolecular Medicine

Dr. Saul shared the names of several pioneers in Orthomolecular Medicine.

Claus Washington Jungeblut, MD. He studied the use of Vitamin C for polio, diphtheria, and tetanus in the 1930’s to 1950’s.

William J. McCormick, MD (1880-1968) researched Vitamin C as an antiviral and antibiotic in use for cardiovascular disease. He advocated injected Vitamin C in large doses.

William Griffin Wilson (1895-1971) founded Alcoholics Anonymous. He reversed his alcoholism with the use of B3 niacin. See his booklet at http://www.doctoryourself.com/BOOK1BILL_W.pdf

Evan Shute, MD and Wilfrid Shute, MD researched vitamin E from 1936-1950. They found application for wound healing, kidney issues, endometriosis, gangrene, lupus, varicose veins, and cardiovascular disease.

Ruth Flinn Harrell, PhD (1900-1991) researched a super feeding approach with high dose vitamin applications mostly with Thiamine for children with autism, leaning disabilities, and Down syndrome.

William Kaufman, MD, PhD, (1910-2000) researched using niacinamide in divided doses for arthritis.

The Orthomolecular Medicine News Service offers a plethora of additional information at orthomolecular.org.

Orthomolecular Hall of Fame

The ISOM installed several Orthomolecular pioneers into their Hall of Fame at the end of the conference. Derrick Lonsdale, Richard Passwater, and Neil Riordan. The community at large is grateful for the work of all those involved in Orthomolecular Medicine, and especially to these very accomplished practitioners.

For more information about the International Society for Orthomolecular Medicine go to https://isom.ca/