Science, medicine in wellness program

MANILA, Philippines - Science and medicine combined in a wellness program? That’s how it works at the BioBalance Institute, the first ever established in the country.

“We quantify health by measuring toxicities and nutrient deficiencies in the body. The result: no guesswork,” said Dr. Ted Achacoso, co-founder and chief science officer at the institute in Mandaluyong City, in an interview recently.

“A nutrient deficiency or toxicity signals an imbalance in your body way before illness sets in. When this imbalance progresses and remains unaddressed, it eventually manifests in signs and symptoms that may lead to serious health conditions,” Achacoso explained.

One may have been to a doctor where all tests – from X-ray to MRI to CT scan to blood and urine have been performed – and come back normal, and yet one still feels sick.

“It is because there may be nutrient imbalances in the body,” Achacoso said.

Departing from the usual executive check-ups, BioBalance applies advanced technology to test the body’s cells.

“Today’s clinical tests have been testing for organ function instead. But it is the cells that underlie all organs,” Achacoso, an expert in anti-aging and nutritional medicine, said.

“And just because you are not sick, you are well,” said Achacoso.

At BioBalance, an individual has a unique nutrient and metabolic profile, determined by age, genetics, lifestyle, environment exposure and disease predisposition. But in nutritional intake and supplementation, one body size does not fit all the requirements it needs.

Because both science and medicine are applied, the BioBalance program is accurate, Achacoso said.

Through its partnership with US-based laboratory Genova Diagnostics, BioBalance applies advanced technology to peer inside the cells and measure levels of vitamins, minerals, amino acids (from breakdown of protein), omega fatty acids, among other substances, including those that reveal the inner workings of the mitochondria and neurotransmitters of the brain.

It helps identify nutritional imbalances which can be the root cause of a bad health condition.

Measuring nutrient and metabolic status of the body allows the wellness program to personalize recommendations on dietary changes and vitamins and mineral supplements for each person.

“Just like illness, medicine doctors run diagnostic tests before giving any drugs. But BioBalance recommends nutrient and metabolic tests before giving any supplements.

“In that way, the measured wellness approach removes the guesswork on specific nutrients the body needs,” Achacoso said.

“We aim to change mindset when it comes to health. This is the reason we established the first ever BioBalance Institute in the country,” institute general manager Alex Fernandez said.

“Health should be beyond curing diseases. It should be about taking measurable concrete steps in monitoring wellness and science plays an important role,” he added.

United Laboratories Inc. is a partner of the institute in the wellness program.