Shai Efrati, MD, on Reaching Beyond Health Norms with Enhanced Medicine
Shai Efrati, MD, introduces the concept of enhanced medicine, aiming to improve the body’s physical and mental capacities beyond what is considered normal.
By Lana Pine | Published on October 2, 2024
5 min read
In an interview with The Educated Patient, Shai Efrati, MD, director of the Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine & Research and head of Nephrology at Shamir Medical Center, discusses the idea of “enhanced medicine,” a rigorously researched protocol designed to not only repair the body but to enhance our physical and mental capacities.
In Efrati’s new book, "Beyond Normal," enhanced medicine refers to a new approach that aims to go beyond just restoring health to a typical or "normal" level. Instead, it seeks to enhance biological functions beyond what is considered average, particularly as people age. He explains that as individuals grow older, their biological processes tend to decline, making the idea of "normal for age" less appealing.
“Being normal is not the desired goal,” he says. “We want to get above the normal.”
Enhanced medicine is about initiating physiological changes that lead to improved organ function, rather than targeting specific proteins or enzymes. This concept is similar to how vaccinations or exercise stimulate the body to strengthen itself. For example, interval training pushes the body to its limits, prompting the development of new blood vessels and stronger mitochondria, while intermittent fasting induces cell repair through a process called autophagy.
One key area of research in enhanced medicine that Efrati is particularly interested in is hyperbaric oxygen therapy, where patients breathe oxygen at high pressure, triggering the body to believe it's lacking oxygen. This perceived lack of oxygen activates the body's natural repair mechanisms, promoting the growth of new blood vessels and neurons, particularly in the brain.
This approach has shown promise in improving cognitive function, heart health and physical performance. Enhanced medicine focuses on treating tissue damage from various causes, whether from a stroke, injury or even COVID-19, by promoting the repair of malfunctioning tissues rather than addressing the primary cause of the injury.
