As usual, the 2017 A4M World Congress was full of presentations on cutting edge therapies, theories, and information. The Exhibition Hall included over 390 exhibitors offering an opportunity for education and information on a wide variety of topics, protocols, supplements, foods, healing devices and therapies. It was an opportunity for educators, scientists, practitioners, and lay people to learn about almost any area of interest in alternative and integrative medicine.

The Congress began with a welcome from the founders, Dr. Ron Klatz and Dr. Robert Goldman. This was followed by a variety of speakers on topics ranging from sleep disorders, fasting, the future of food, diagnostics, improving healthcare delivery, optimizing the bioenergetics field, oncology, stem cell therapies, aesthetics, understanding the future, innovative technologies, nutrition, the gut microbiome, healthy reproduction, anti-aging innovations, energy in medicine, Follistatin and muscle growth factor, artificial intelligence in medicine, cannibus, and nervous system issues. In addition to all of these options there were Fellowship Modules, educational workshops and product showcases. It is a rare opportunity to get such a broad education in a short three days.

I would like to share a bit about the presentation on Fasting Mimicking Diet by Valter Longo, PhD. Research has shown that calorie restriction is an anti-aging mechanism. FAIM has posted articles by Dr. Mercola on the benefits of calorie restriction and fasting (see Intermittent Fasting). It can be as easy as only eating during an 8 hour window during the day and thus giving the body 16 hours of rest from digestion. Or it can be as intense as total water fast with basically no food over a period of time.

Fasting has shown to be anti-aging, and much more. It helps reset various feedback loops in the body; allows for detoxification of the many chemicals we are exposed to through the air, water, and food we eat; helps alleviate the side effects of chemo; lowers C-Reactive Protein; lowers blood sugar; promotes the burning of fat- especially belly fat; promotes lean body mass; regulates triglycerides, cholesterol, and glucose; and stimulates the circulation of stem cells. However, fasting can be difficult for most people. Any time there is a protocol that is hard to adhere to the compliance drops. So what is the answer?

Dr. Longo has developed a system that is based on five days of low calorie meals once a month. The patient eats as they usually would for the remaining 25 days. This protocol is repeated three time over the ensuing three months. This 5-day meal program is based on twenty years of research and clinical trials including a recently completed randomized trial at the Longevity Institute at the University of Southern California. Patients found they experienced many of the benefits described above as well as weight loss. It was typical for a patient to lose 5 pounds during the low caloric 5 days and 5 more pounds during the rest of the month. The encouraging aspect of this result is to help people who have tried but failed to lose belly fat which can cause so many health issues. Using Dr. Longo’s prepackaged meals is convenient, but a patient can come up with a similar plan if one takes the time to research. The bottom line is that by fasting one can experience many health benefits.

The beauty of the A4M Congress is the wide variety of experts who present. Following is list of many of the doctors, scientists, futurists and researchers who presented this year: Silvia Binder, ND, PhD; Steven Sinatra, MD; John Apsley, MD€, ND, DC; Rollin McCraty, PhD; Sangeeta Pati, MD; David Rhew, MD; Michael Nova, MD; Aristo Vajdani, PhD, MSC; Max Chartrand, PhD; Elroy Vojdani, MD; Mark Houston, MD; Willam Seeds, MD; Felice Gersh, MD; Joel Kahn, MD; James LaValle, RPh, CCN; David Zava, PhD; Sean Devlin, DO; John Hall, PhD; Mark Rosenberg, MD; Gabrial Nistor, MD; Nathan Bryan, PhD; Jaquel Patterson, ND, MBA; Joseph Purita, MD; Shelena Laji, MD; Alexander Bader, MD; Mark Tager, MD; Yan Trokel, MD; John Sanderson, MD; Mark Abreu, MD; Valter Longo, PhD; Pablos Holman; Joseph Raffaele, MD; Peter Bongiorno, ND; Pamela Smith, MD; Peter Diamandis, MD; Kurt Hang, MD; Tanya Dorff, MD; Andrea Girman, MD; Filomena Trindade, MD;Robert Miller, ND; Shalesh Kaushal, MD; Florence Comite, MD; Dennis Robbins, PhD; Justin Barad, MD; Robin Farmanfarmaian; Robert Silverman, DC; Andrew Heyman, MD; Andrew Keech, PhD; Garth Nicolson, MD; Jennifer Pearlman, MD; Michael Krychman, MD; Dian Ginsberg, MD; Jennifer Landa, MD; Sebastian Denison, RPh; Anteneh Roba, MD; Maria Khattar MD; Ahmed Al-Qahtani, PhD; Sasson Maulavi, MD;’ Richard Stava, MD; Thierry Hertoghe, MD; Alex Zhavoronkov, PhD; Michael Weiner, DO; Robin Willcourt, MD; Nick Delgado, PhD; Kendal Stewart, MD; Anderw Campbell, MD; Martin Gallager, MD; David Brady, ND; Raj Gupta, PhD; Ronald Aung-Din, MD; Chris Meletis, ND; Joseph Maroon, MD; Michael Lewis, MD; Rich Moon, PhD; Richard Gaines, MD; Bill Deagle, MD; Thomas Lewis, PhD; William Clearfield, DO; Rebecca Gelber, MD; Bonnie Rae, DMD; Edward Zimmerman, MD; and Denise Baker, MD.

A4M is a unique organization that offers an opportunity for everyone to broaden their horizons regarding topics of anti-aging, but for general health as well. They offer training Fellowships on Metabolic, Nutritional and Functional Medicine; Fellowship in Integrative Cancer Therapy; Fellowship in Stem Cell Therapy; the Aesthetic Anti-Aging Fellowship; and the Fellowship in Integrative Medicine. The spring 2018 Congress Brain Awakening will be in Hollywood, Florida April 13-14. Featured speakers will be Daniel Amen, MD, Rudolph Tanzi, PhD, and Raun Kaufman. For more information visit the A4M website or contact them at 561-997-0112.