health&healing

“If we want to understand the secret of healthy aging,” says Dr. Bhavna Vaidya-Tank, founder of Regenesis M  D, an integrative medical practice in Raleigh, “there’s no better example than the people in the ‘Blue Zones.’ These are a handful of places in the world where people not only live longer (many are over 100) but live better. Most remain active into their 80s and 90s and rarely suffer from the chronic diseases common in most of the industrialized world.

“What characterizes these people are similar lifestyle patterns: their diets are healthy, high in fiber and antioxidants; they exercise regularly; they meditate; stress is low; and—most significantly—their inflammatory markers are very low. Since inflammation is basically the aging process,” notes Dr. Vaidya-Tank, “if you stop inflammation, you stop aging.”

Biohacking: New Term for Ancient Understanding

“A new term making its way into discussions of health has special resonance for me,” says Dr. Vaidya-Tank. “The term is ‘biohacking.’ Basically, it refers to healing strategies that stimulate and use our bodies’ innate ability to heal. The truth is, our bodies are designed to be healthy, to ward off illness, and to heal. We interfere with that innate power with poor nutrition, stress, and inactivity—making our bodies less efficient and less able to be healthy.

“The integrative medicine I practice is all about understanding the sources of health problems and using that information to strengthen the body’s capacity to heal.”

Getting to the Source

“Most of us have not led ‘Blue Zone’ lives,” acknowledges Dr. Vaidya-Tank, “and as a consequence we deal with increasing health problems as we age. However, we still have the ability to regain health and stay healthy. The key is information—determining the sources of the problems we face and using that information to heal. In a word: biohacking.

“So, I see Regenesis MD as a place where we can help people biohack their way back to good health,” she says. “We use a wide variety of what I would call ‘biohacking therapies,’ but I’m not suggesting that simply taking a supplement or doing an IV will fix everything. The key is in the testing we do, in our ability to accurately assess each patient’s problems—down to the cell level. That information guides the healing process and determines the therapies we use.”

Information gathering begins with a detailed questionnaire, Dr. Vaidya-Tank explains. “We ask about if they have had gut problems, mood problems, hormone issues. And we test everything.

“With the tests we use, we’re able to assess things like hormones and how well you are aging. We evaluate your arteries, and what’s going on in your brain and your heart—and can actually discern the beginning of heart disease before it presents as a symptom. We’re able to assess micronutrient deficiencies—something difficult to do with a regular blood test.

“We also do a lot of genetic testing,” she adds, “which helps us evaluate many health risks. We can assess the risk of cancer by looking at several genetic components, for example, or determine the likelihood of certain diseases. It also helps us determine which therapies may be most effective.”

Many Therapeutic Options

In addition to lifestyle changes, Regenesis MD offers a long list of therapies and treatments that heal and strengthen people’s immune systems. These options—including IV therapies, ozone therapy, peptide therapies, and platelet rich plasma (PRP)—are often described as examples of biohacking, notes Dr. Vaidya-Tank. “And, indeed, they are. They are all ways to stimulate and strengthen our bodies’ natural ability to heal. And each therapy,” she emphasizes, “is designed to meet the specific needs of the individual patient.”

IV Therapy: Powerful Healing Tool

Intravenous (IV) or infusion therapy is used extensively at Regenesis MD—for a wide variety of purposes. “By delivering specially formulated ‘cocktails’ of nutrients, electrolytes, antioxidants, even medications intravenously,” explains Dr. Vaidya-Tank, “we can replenish, restore, and detoxify your body much more quickly and efficiently.

“We do many different kinds of IVs—depending on the patient’s needs and condition. They can be used to fight infections, to restore nutritional imbalances, reduce stress—and more. We prepare all our IVs in-house and specifically tailor them to each patient.

“One of the most common therapies we offer,” she says, “is a glutathione IV. Glutathione is truly a super nutrient; it’s one of the best antioxidants and can help with fatty liver, weight loss, skin issues, energy, autoimmune conditions, and more.”

Vitamin C—another powerful antioxidant, notes Dr. Vaidya-Tank, is actually best administered by IV. “In high doses, Vitamin C has many benefits. However, you can only take in two grams orally before you get diarrhea. But when given intravenously, you can take in up to 50 grams of Vitamin C, because it bypasses the gut. We even will sometimes give 75 grams to help patients going through chemotherapy.

“NAD (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinuculeotide) therapy is a personal favorite of mine,” says Dr. Vaidya-Tank. “NAD is an essential molecule found in every cell in the body. It is a key building block that the brain, our internal organs, and neurological systems need to function at optimal efficiency.

“When your NAD levels are increased,” she explains, “your cells produce more energy, your good genes are ‘turned on,’ DNA is repaired, and many other functions are optimized. Since NAD is such a powerful and prolific molecule in the body, high dose IV therapy is considered a systemic, ‘reboot’ of the body and brain.

“Our ability to customize these IVs is critically important,” notes Dr. Vaidya-Tank. “This is possible because of the micronutrient testing we use, evaluating both urine and blood. These tests allow us to look at everything: amino acids, all B vitamins, antioxidants. We can assess energy production, your mitochondria, and your gut health, and identify—down to the cell level—specific nutritional deficiencies. Based on that, we will design an IV for you.”