Disrupting the Natural Health Industry!

Confessions of a Serial Disruptor

Throughout my career as a Medical School Professor I wore the mantle of “Disruptor”. My actions were driven by curiosity as I wandered from biomedical medical health problem to problem, evaluating where the field was mired in nonsensical dogma, or ancient science, and challenge the field to think differently. My intent was not centered on arrogant actions but rather a devoted desire to find a better way? Building knowledge upon those that preceded me, as it should be.

Some brief examples of this disruptive approach in medicine include:

• in cardiovascular science where I discovered the most common cause of hypertension (deficits in endothelial production of nitric oxide)

• why babies are born small for their gestational age (a disturbed immune response vs poor placental circulation)

• the chemical fingerprints behind stomach cancer linked to the bacterial infection with H. pylori

• how simple vitamin B12 could be a transformative treatment for septic shock based on its chemical structure (just to name a few).

When I turned my minds eye to the nutritional and supplement industry, I similarly approached it with the view of what makes sense and what does not. What is unsubstantiated hype, what is old science, and what is marketing mispeak? My intent was not to call out out bad science, there is no joy in that as that bucket replenishes constantly. Rather, what interested me was to find a better way to consumer health. To make a difference. To connect the dots between nature and health in a manner that was not as effective as it could be.

The first area I tackled was the joint health industry. For osteoarthritis the pharmaceutical industry was reliant on NSAIDs who while effectively managed pain, swelling had little to no effect on disease progression. The supplement industry countered with glucosamine and chondroitin (the latter is a conglomerate of glucosamine and protein). The mentality was that if you have broken elements of cartilage that is compromising joint health then if you swallow more cartilage elements (glucosamine and/or chondroitin) then they will be digested/absorbed/delivered to the exact spot in cartilage from where there was a problem and plug the gap in the brick wall.

What I call, nutritional hopefulness.

What was missing were processes. The body does not do things willy nilly, it is regulated by processes and while it is true that these can become out of balance and dysfunctional the corrective actions must center on restoring balance to the processes not the outcomes of their activities (they will come naturally).

So the path to superior joint health is NOT to eat more cartilage (in the forms of glucosamine or chondroitin) but to restore balance to the processes that degrade or breakdown cartilage vs. repair and rebuild it. These polar opposites are intimately connected at the gene expression level. Further, it was known what switches regulate this see saw. Knowing this I found a solution within the medicinal plants of the Amazon Rainforest and cultural heritage of the Incas. Reminding us all that nature is connected to us and we to it.

My research led to an Innovation Award from the NIH, successful clinical trials and preclinical studies on chondrocyte gene expression as part of “Proof of Principle” and when commercialized it disrupted the joint health industry with the first with a 7 Days to benefits claim (as opposed to 2-3 months where it currently was. A claim that is all too common now, as the competitive forces scramble to keep up. But is that not the result of any disruptive influence?

The purpose of this newsletter is to

• provide some historical perspectives as to where we were so we can better reflect on where was are going

• highlight great science

• draw attention to some wickedly good innovation

• define where the future lies in terms of products, concepts and deliverables

• offer sound information upon which individuals can make superior health decisions

• and to be provide a confidence that we are on the road to better understanding how nature can keep us happier and healthier, and with that, some wisdom.

  Some may say that this perceived sentience rings of arrogance, but after a career of visionary disruptive outcomes I will leave the legacy to speak for itself. Hope you enjoy the thoughts. Feel free to challenge and share as I develop this dialogue.