In the September 2005 issue of The Journal of Urology, Dr. Dean Ornish of cardiac diet fame, published the study testing the effectiveness of an intensive dietary and lifestyle program. The program consisted of a vegan diet (vegetarian, non-dairy diet), supplemented with antioxidants, moderate aerobic exercise, and stress management techniques. Ornish studied 93 men who had chosen not to undergo conventional invasive treatment for their prostate cancer. Half these men were randomly allocated to the Ornish program, while the remainder served as a non-treated comparison group. After 12 months, the PSA of the treated group of men decreased an average of 0.25 ng/ml or 4%, and the PSA of the non-treated group of men increased an average of 0.38 ng/ml or 6%. They were also less likely to require additional treatment, and their blood showed signs of being able to inhibit prostate cancer cells in lab tests.
In the June 2008 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences published Ornish’s more recent work in prostate cancer, which showed that improved nutrition, exercise and stress management changed the expression of >500 genes in men with early prostate cancer. Oncogenes associated with cancer were turned off and protective genes were turned on. In September 2008, a study in Lancet Oncology showed that similar interventions increased telemorase, the enzyme that lengthens telomeres, the ends of our chromosomes that govern the rate at which we age. So, these simple interventions are not only cancer protective, but also may likely increase life span.
These findings are profound and serve as a basis for why an integrative approach is the future of medicine. And yet, is one diet the best fit for all; is one exercise program the best fit for all. Convergence medicine doesn’t believe so. We need to attain a level of sophistication that allows us to better understand each individual on a deeper level. How do we do this? By looking for potential benefits from genomics, nutrigenomics, pharmaceuticals and clinical risk assessments, and also emphasizing a very robust integration of Eastern and European medical traditions that allows customization and individualization based on each person’s archetype or energetic patterning.