Practitioners Can’t Agree on Nutrition-and Impressions from Exchange2011 by Dr. John Gannage, MD

Exchange2011 in Portland has come to a close, where ACAM and AAEM combined to stage the General Session of education for Integrative Medicine Practitioners like myself. With the medical conference concluded, these are the impressions I was left with, as I sit in the hotel lounge at the Marriott:

1. Nutrition has likely been argued over, say, since at least the Neolithic Revolution 8000BC. It’ll be debated for the next 10,000 years and beyond. Dr. McDougall and Dr. Morstein provided the evidence – he of the starch-based, high carb approach to nutrition, she of the low carb, lose-the-oatmeal-for-breakfast approach. Each was talking about the best “diet” to manage Type 2 Diabetes.  The audience of PRACTITIONERS was left fired up, some dazed and confused – imagine how the public feels.
2. Fluoridation of the public water supply has to be one of the largest public health failures, not successes, of our time.  Just ask Dr. Paul Connett, PhD of the Fluoride Action Network, who gave a rousing presentation detailing the hazards.
3. Sweating out toxins is effective, as I’ve advocated, according to evidence provided by Stephen Genuis, MD of Alberta. His research shows excellent excretion of lead and cadmium especially. By exercise, sauna or hot yoga, do SWEAT the small stuff – to detoxify.
4. Dr. Paul Cannell, of the Vitamin D Council, provided strong epidemiological evidence that Vitamin D deficiency leads to a multitude of health problems. The clinical data, detailing the best way to intervene – delivery route, oral dose (if any), optimal blood levels, tissue levels – was lacking, and thus many questions remain for me about the efficacy and safety of high dose oral D supplementation. In 2005, my newsletter about Vitamin D pertained to sun exposure. I still maintain the fallback position is “what did nature intend?”, and that the issue is sunlight deficiency for many populations. Shouldn’t it be corrected that way?
5. Drs. Wright and Sherman provided the take-home recommendation about supplementation of the week for me: naicinamide for diabetes.  Berberine for diabetes was a close second, and from the Chelation workshop Dr. Mark Houston provided ample evidence making the case for ribose, EFA’s, carnitine, and COQ10 for heart patients.
6. Dr. Jeff Bland, PhD of IFM once again provides the inspiration and motivation, with a compelling philosophical, scientific, reductionist and holistic two hour presentation to kick things off early Friday morning. Dr. Bland had a profound influence on my career and education in the mid-1990’s, and continues to captivate while being on the leading edge of research and thinking.

So I’ll leave Portland tomorrow, with kudos to the organizers from ACAM and AAEM for a wonderful conference. A special thanks also to the folks at The Courtyard Marriott at Lloyd Center for their hospitality and gracious hosting.

And the final word is this: eat a balanced, chemical-free diet; get adequate exercise, with sun going in and sweat coming out if you can; and manage stress for better health. Let’s not get bogged down too much in the details. Keep it simple, keep it fun.