JOURNAL: How long does it take?

      A protocol describes the timing and quantity of consumption of the supplements taken to increase nutrients available to support a variety of functions in your body.  One of the longstanding criticisms of the orthomolecular approach is how long it takes to show improvement using the right protocol.  This is an important issue as most people would like relief from the ailments, mood disorders and discomforts immediately or sooner if possible.

How long does it take for the protocol to have an impact?
       Some questions rely heavily on your individual situation.  I will start with the most general answer and then let you consider the impact as you read the pertinent questions posed below.  Generally nutritional compensation programs will take two to six months to rectify.  You may begin to see improvement sooner but the process takes time because the nutrients must enter available soft tissue, at a natural rate and remain there in order to have a stable long term impact.

What is your blood type and physical condition?
       Those with O type blood have been found to respond more quickly to nutrient therapy.  Those with an A blood type may take twice as long to show the same progress.  Physical health including lung capacity and cardiovascular systems bot speed up the progress of your nutrient therapy.   The more nutrients and oxygen your cardiovascular system can send to your organs and tissues the more quickly the impact of the protocol.

Is your diet also being tuned to the needs of your physiology?
      Your diet provides the nutrients available from the food you eat each day.  The more the diet is tuned to the needs of your physiology the faster your progress.  If your body naturally ejects needed nutrients then more of these nutrients must be consumed to compensate.  An example would be those with pyroluria who will always need to eat more food with zinc and B6 compared to those who do not have this metabolic dysfunction.  That need increases with more stress.

What is the dysfunction is being rectified?
       Some dysfunctions or mineral imbalances take longer to change.  Those with overmethylation, for example, can have fairly hard to change histamine levels.  Those with a deficiency of B-6 may respond more rapidly.  Metals and minerals are not very mobile and respond best to sustained treatment over time and are not responsive to even high concentrations of needed metals as the body can only absorb a certain amount each day.

How extreme was your dysfunction when you started the protocol?
       If the values of nutrients were significantly different than the functional levels expected then your symptom reduction will take longer to rectify.  This is true oven if you show quick changes in your behavior and physical symptoms due to your extreme initial values.

How long have you endured a dysfunctional metabolism?
       The longer you have been in the dysfunctional state the more difficult it is to change.  Your body adjusts to the errant levels of nutrients with a variety of techniques.  Your brain is plastic and can change over time an adapt to the less than optimal ratios of neurotransmitters.  It may take time and effort to readjust how you think and respond after your metabolism is correct.

How fast can the body absorb the needed nutrients?
       Metals are stored in tissues and organs so the absorbing of healthy metals and disposing of the metal that may be a problem changes more slowly than other metabolic dysfunctions. Those with pyroluria are changing the water soluble B-6 and that will show quicker responsiveness. Copper is more resistant to a change in its status as it is often locked into a variety of cells.  It takes more time to insert, replace and eject copper and other metals can be just as difficult to change.

How much discomfort are you willing to endure?
       When serum copper drops suddenly the copper in organs and soft tissue will dump copper into the blood stream.  The result is more anxiety or more depression or more anger or more discomfort.  When these uncomfortable emotions emerge then compliance with protocol may be disrupted. Competent nutritional experts typically suggests taking a half dose of the protocol for 2 weeks in order to more genaly change the metabolic function so that the patient is in a better position to remain steadfast in the commitment to heal.  Reducing the intensity of discomfort is accepting delay but ensuring the pat to healing.

How committed are you to healing rather than eradicating the symptoms?
       Healing the metabolic cause of a dysfunction with nutrients requires discipline and patience.  Those who are medicated will show an almost immediate improvement in symptoms.  The suppression of symptoms has little or no impact on the dysfunction in metabolism but rather changes the ratio of neurotransmitters or the sensitivity of the receptors to compensate for the dysfunction.  The medication will often have side effects that are permanent BUT the medication will suppress unwanted symptoms.

Response to those who those who are impatient:
     Nutrient therapy seeks to meet the need of your physiology and will take 6 months to a year for metabolic health to be maximized.. You may see notable improvement much sooner though (in 2-3 weeks) and that helps motivate most. Eventually the protocol is no longer needed or supplements can be done at a rate that meets the need of your personal physiology.  The side effects of this approach is always better health.