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There appear to be several avenues for lowering excess the remethylation (or detoxification) of homocysteine requires adrenochrome levels.* These include high doses of niacin or folic acid, vitamin B12, zinc and trimethylglycine, it is likely that niacinamide and the use of other natural methyl acceptors such as schizophrenics with this genetic aberration will require high doses thiamine (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2) and ubiquinone of these nutrients. (coenzyme Q10). Niacin is usually the treatment of choice. Adrenochrome excess and the other biochemical abnormalities Another adrenochrome antagonist, triiodothyronine, appears to that occur in schizophrenia can eventually cause serious damage be very effective in treating schizophrenia. As shown by to the thyroid gland®’ as well as to the brain itself. Long-term Danziger, every one of the 80 schizophrenics who had been ill chronic patients are therefore much more difficult to treat success- for six months or less, who took between 120 and 1,200 mil- fully. This task might not be impossible, but it will almost surely ligrams of desiccated thyroid daily for at least 100 days, recov- require higher doses of orthomolecular nutrients, taken for longer ered, suffering relapses only if they later discontinued their med- periods, before improvement is apparent. As mentioned before, one of the major problems in chronic schizo- phrenia is the development of brain atrophy. Buckman and co-workers* provided evidence that blood levels of the selenoenzyme glutathione peroxi- ication. These doses may seem high, but it should be remembered that schizophrenics are known to be very resistant to thyroid medica- tions. This is probably because all chronic schizophrenics appear to be ...all chronic schizophrenics suffering from badly damaged thy- . dase have a strong negative correla- roid glands. appear to be suffering tion with computer tomography scan Treatment might also involve from badly damaged measures of such brain damage. attempts to directly raise body lev- . Simply put, the less blood glutathione els of another adrenochrome antago- thyroid glands. peroxidase, the greater the brain dam- nist, serotonin. If serotonin is not provided as a supplement, its metab- olism could be encouraged by the consumption of foods that are high in tryptophan, such as beans, cod, age in chronic schizophrenics. Obviously, one treatment strategy worth trying is supplementation with the four nutrients—selenium, cys- teine, glutamine and tryptophan—that pork, soybeans and cheese (provided that the patient is not aller- the body requires to produce glutathione peroxidase.” Injected gic to them). In addition, every effort should be made to repair glutathione may be of value. There is also growing evidence that the antioxidant defence system, increasing glutathione peroxidase, eicosapentaenoic acid can repair ventricle damage in chronic catalase and superoxide dismutase activity. schizophrenics, leading to an improvement in their mental Since there appear to be several genetic aberrations involved in health.” schizophrenia, subgroups of patients also will suffer from distinct It is clear that damage is not restricted to the brain in chronic biochemical imbalances that need correction. The sixth step of schizophrenics. All of these patients also appear to suffer from the treatment protocol should address these. To illustrate, schizo- extensive thyroid abnormalities.” I do not know how to repair a phrenics with the MTFR C677TT variant of the gene encoding for damaged thyroid gland. If this is impossible, significant methylenetetrahydrofolate will suffer from an excess of homocys- behavioural improvements can only be expected when using a teine and a deficiency of methionine, even if treatment reduces protocol that includes continuous desiccated thyroid gland adrenochrome levels. Beyond the provision of methionine, since supplementation. 17. Horrobin, op. cit. EducationCenter/fight.html approach to balancing body chemistry, 18. Hoffer and Foster, op. cit. 28. ibid. Healing Arts Press, Rochester, VT 19. Osmond and Smythies, cited in Hoffer, 29. Dishinger, op. cit. 36. Kail, K. and Lawrence, B. (with A. (1999), Orthomolecular Treatment for 30. Cott, A. (1971), "Controlled fasting Goldberg, B.) (2000), Allergy free: An Schizophrenia: Megavitamin supplements treatment of schizophrenia", Schizophrenia _ alternative medicine definitive guide, and nutritional strategies for healing and 3:2-10 Alternative Medicine.com, Tiburon, CA recovery, Keats Publishing, Los Angeles, 31. ibid. 37. ibid. CA 32. Templer, D. and Veleber, D.M. (1980), 38. ibid. 20. ibid. "Schizophrenia prevalence: Wheat, milk 39. American Academy of Allergy, Asthma 21. Hutcheon, cited in Hoffer, ibid. and temperature", Journal of and Immunology (1999), "Fast facts: 22. Osmond trial cited in Dishinger, R.C. Orthomolecular Psychiatry 9(4):284-286 Statistics on asthma and allergic diseases", (1998), Bad Behavior and Illness are 33. Vissodes, D.N., Venulet, A. and Jenner, _ http://www.aaaai.org Caused by Biochemical Imbalances, Medici _ F.A. (1986), "A double-blind gluten- 40. Valeri, C.R., Altschule, M.D. and Music Press, Owensboro, KT free/gluten-load controlled trial in a secure Pivace, L.E. (1972), "The hemolytic action 23. Torrey, E.F. and Miller, J. (2002), The ward population", British Journal of of adrenochrome and epinephrine metabo- Invisible Plague: The rise of mental illness _ Psychiatry 148:447-452 lite", Journal of Medicine 3(1):20-40 from 1750 to the present, Rutgers 34. Dohan, F.C. (1980), "Hypothesis: 41. Baumgartner, A., Wokalek, H. and University Press, New Brunswick, NJ Genes and neuroactive peptides from food Schépf, E. (1989), "Bee and wasp venom 24. Cannon, cited in Myers, op. cit. as cause of schizophrenia", in E. Costa and allergy", Fortschr. Med. 107(21):460-463 25. ibid. M. Trabucchi (eds.), Neural Peptides and 42. Nasjleti, C.E., Caffesse, R.G. and 26. ibid. Neural Communication, Raven Press, New Kowalski, C.J. (1984), "Dextran-induced 27. Mind/Body Education Center, "The York, pp. 535-538 inflammation and its effect on keratinized Fight or Flight Response", 35. Pfeiffer, C.C. (1987), Nutrition and gingival epithelium in monkeys", Journal of http://www.mindbodymed.com/ Mental Illness: An orthomolecular Periodontology 55(9):531-535 ...all chronic schizophrenics appear to be suffering from badly damaged thyroid glands. APRIL — MAY 2004 NEXUS # 31 www.nexusmagazine.com