Orthomolecular medicine is a nutritional medical and health method that suggests chemical imbalances can be treated with a sufficient supply of natural chemicals such as amino acids, vitamins, fiber, enzymes and essential fats. Orthomolecular medicine is a type of practice offered by few practitioners although it is not that well known, it is increasingly being used in alternative and complementary medicines around the world. It has also been used in psychiatric treatments used in conjunction with the practices be them controversial.

Orthomolecular studies are a combination of biochemistry, nutritional health, physics, medicine, naturotherapy mixed with clinical practices. It focuses on natural prevention chemicals that will help sustain a long and healthy life. It states that current lifestyles and diets are not sufficient for us to be healthy in the long run and ultimately will call illness. It is therefore imperative that we look after ourselves while we are healthy to keep from getting ill.

Modern orthomolecular practitioners use a number of cutting edge techniques to evaluate patient's health taking into account diet, lifestyle, certain supplements, current medication, general nutrition and health to assess patients. In the past, orthomolecular physicians would only prescribe one type of supplement to makeup for what was lacking in the system. This approach is not used anymore, as physicians found out it may be a combination of things that is needed to keep healthy. Therefore nowadays, a practitioner will use many different substances such as hormones, vitamins, amino acids, enzymes, minerals and other non-essential nutrients. Fiber supplementation has been also known to be beneficial to patients.

Orthomolecular science dictates that it is a type of treatment that has the perfect connection between conventional medicine and Naturotherapy whereby a balanced judgment can be made thus aiding the patient the most. There are many societies and centers around the world that deal with the study and practice of orthomolecular science, available for the public. Some similarities can be drawn from allopathy in comparison to orthomolecular medicine, as many of the methods and aims are the same.

Sometimes, mainstream medicine has been ignorant of the methods that orthomolecular medicine imposes and does not agree with this method. It can be easy to criticise, but positive results and a growing interest in the approach can say otherwise. There have been tests to prove that some natural chemicals can be used for combating certain diseases or improving mortality rates.

Natural nutritional supplements are not as strongly regulated as regular pharmaceutical drugs are in places such as the United States. It has been said that many mainstream doctors and physicians do not understand the concepts of orthomolecular science and therefore cannot see any beneficial results for patients. Both types of science have not always seen eye-to-eye and there still remains controversy between the two. Conventional medicine suggests that orthomolecular medicine encourages people to overdose in supplements without any kind of supervision thus can be damaging to health. Although these types of overdoses are few and far between, there is a certain risk involved in taking any type of supplement whether it is natural or not.

Orthomolecular physicians and doctors have long expressed their concern about the harmful effects of some of the medication that is used in conventional medicine. It could create delays in what they feel is the correct approach or create severely bad side effects that worsen the patient rather than better them. It is generally possible though, to combine both conventional practices and orthomolecular practices together to create a complete medical system for the patient. Influences such as the media, politics and other such things may create bad press for any type of treatment.