I didn’t go into medicine expecting to focus on holistic health. I was trained as a conventional physician – until my very first patient at Mayo Clinic, an 85-year-old woman, asked what I thought about Echinacea.

I had no idea. Medical school hadn’t covered it. So I told her, “Let’s find out.”

Soon, patients were bringing me books and articles on alternative therapies. I began to see both benefits and risks. In some cases, acupuncture provided better pain relief than conventional treatments, but certain herbs were toxic. As physicians, we needed evidence-based guidance to help our patients, so I helped develop Mayo Clinic’s Integrative Medicine program to research and deliver safe, effective therapies.

Over three decades later, I'm still doing this work. And I'm used to talking about holistic health, especially with skeptics. Instead of arguing, I invite them to take a closer look at what holistic health really means.

Here’s how I approach those conversations.

What does holistic health mean?

Let's start with a definition. Many people assume holistic health is all about unproven remedies, alternative therapies, and rejecting conventional science. But holistic health is simply a broader, evidence-based approach to wellness – one that considers the whole person, not just isolated symptoms.

The key domains I focus on with patients are nutrition, exercise, mind-body practices, sleep, social connectedness, spirituality, and connection to nature. These aren’t radical ideas. They’re foundational elements of good health, backed by solid science.

The evidence behind holistic health

There’s a misconception that holistic health lacks scientific support. But the reality is, we have a wealth of research on many of the core components.

  • Nutrition. Studies consistently show that eating whole foods, limiting processed sugars, and incorporating more plant-based foods support longevity and cognitive function.1-3
  • Exercise. Research confirms that regular physical activity reduces the risk of heart disease, some types of cancer, and cognitive decline.4-6
  • Mind-body practices. We have unprecedented levels of stress today, and the impact of stress hormones like cortisol on health is significant. Mind-body practices like meditation and yoga have been shown to reduce stress, lower cortisol levels, and even preserve brain volume as we age.7-9
  • Sleep. Yes, getting 7 or 8 hours of sleep is important. But getting quality, uninterrupted, and restorative sleep – not just sleeping longer – is crucial for immune function, mental health, and overall well-being.10
  • Social connection. A strong support system can improve longevity and mental health, while loneliness is linked to higher risks of chronic disease.11,12
  • Spirituality. While often dismissed as "woo-woo," studies indicate that people with some form of spiritual or mindfulness practice tend to have better health outcomes.13
  • Nature. The concept of "biophilia" suggests that humans are wired to connect with nature. We have a lot of research showing that kids who spend more time in nature do better in school, people who go into nature have lower stress levels, and those who spend time in nature have better blood pressure control and improved brain function.14-16  

A skeptic might say, "Well, that just sounds like basic good health." Exactly! There's nothing mystical about eating whole foods, getting quality sleep, exercising regularly, or managing stress.

Yet most of this doesn't come up in a 15- or 20-minute appointment with a primary care physician. That’s not a criticism of primary care. It’s just an acknowledgment that holistic health allows us to think about a much broader picture of wellness than simply diagnosing and treating disease or managing symptoms.

But what about the research on holistic therapies?

Another common argument I hear is, “If holistic treatments like massage, meditation, and acupuncture work, why don’t we have more double-blind, placebo-controlled studies on them?” 

One reason is that some therapies are difficult to test using traditional research models. For instance, how do you create a placebo to test the benefits of massage therapy or meditation?

There are clever ways to design clinical studies that gather good evidence on the effectiveness of holistic therapies. For example, when researching the effects of acupuncture, studies use retractable needles as a placebo because they don’t penetrate the body. There are ways to design double-blind studies, but they're harder to do and not perfect.

Another challenge is securing adequate funding for research. Pharmaceutical companies invest billions of dollars in drug trials because there’s a financial incentive to patent a new drug and bring it to market. There’s far less funding available for studies on non-patentable therapies like yoga or sauna use – even though preliminary research suggests significant benefits.17,18

That said, we continue to build an evidence base. When you combine hundreds or thousands of smaller studies, patterns emerge. For example, systematic reviews and meta-analyses on acupuncture now show clear benefits for pain management.19 The argument that there’s "no research" supporting holistic therapies simply isn’t accurate.

It’s not “us vs. them” 

Perhaps the biggest misconception about holistic medicine I hear is that it stands in opposition to conventional care. That could not be further from the truth. I always emphasize that integrative medicine is about adding options to a physician’s toolkit, not replacing proven medical treatments.

Conventional medicine excels at treating illness once it arises, but it often falls short in preventing disease in the first place. Holistic medicine shifts the focus from fixing what’s broken to maintaining overall well-being. We need both approaches in our healthcare system.

If I have a heart attack right now, I don’t want acupuncture – I want a skilled cardiologist to open my blocked artery. But once I’m stable, I want to know what lifestyle changes I can make to prevent another heart attack. Even better, taking a holistic approach earlier would most likely have prevented the heart attack in the first place.

Similarly, if a patient has chronic pain and has already tried physical therapy and medications without finding relief, should health providers just give up? Or should we explore evidence-based options like acupuncture, biofeedback, or therapeutic massage? 

To me, a truly holistic approach means finding health solutions that combine the best of conventional medicine and the best of integrative therapies. 

But holistic medicine has an even higher goal: health optimization. This is the point where we have not only prevented disease, but we have also helped people achieve their highest quality of life and well-being.

Changing minds, one experience at a time

Over the years, I’ve seen some of the biggest skeptics become champions of holistic health. Like surgical colleagues who dismiss these ideas – until they develop chronic neck pain from hours in the operating room. After trying every conventional treatment, they get acupuncture, and suddenly, their pain improves. That experience changes their perspective.

I've seen parents whose children struggle with severe anxiety. They’ve tried medications, but nothing works. Then they introduce a mind-body practice like guided imagery or meditation, and suddenly, their child’s life improves.

Holistic health isn’t about rejecting conventional medicine. I can't emphasize this enough. It’s about broadening the conversation. When we can merge the best of conventional medicine with a broader, integrative approach, we’re offering patients the most complete care possible.

And really, isn’t that what medicine is all about?

A word from Thorne

In the 41 years Thorne has been in business, we have seen big changes in attitudes toward the use of nutritional supplements. In 1984, suggesting people take vitamins to support their immune function or improve their heart health was considered a little fringy. Thorne’s first customers were naturopathic physicians and chiropractic doctors – groups of practitioners who didn’t need to be convinced of the benefits of supplements and other alternative medical approaches. Now, in 2025 much of this has become integrated into mainstream medical practice and we count among our customers many conventionally trained medical professionals.

References

  1. 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov. [Accessed Feb. 5, 2025.]
  2. Fadnes LT, Økland JM, Haaland ØA, et al. Estimating impact of food choices on life expectancy: A modeling study. PLoS Med. 2022;19(2):e1003889. 
  3. Ramey MM, Shields GS, Yonelinas AP. Markers of a plant-based diet relate to memory and executive function in older adults. Nutr Neurosci. 2022;25(2):276-285.
  4. Qiu Y, Fernández-García B, Lehmann HI, et al. Exercise sustains the hallmarks of health. J Sport Health Sci. 2023;12(1):8-35.
  5. Thomas R, Kenfield SA, Yanagisawa Y, et al. Why exercise has a crucial role in cancer prevention, risk reduction and improved outcomes. Br Med Bull. 2021;139(1):100-119.
  6. Khalil MH. Walking and hippocampal formation volume changes: A systematic review. Brain Sci. 2025;15(1):52.
  7. Rogerson O, Wilding S, Prudenzi A, et al. Effectiveness of stress management interventions to change cortisol levels: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2024;159:106415.
  8. Rees T, Li H, Sharma NK. Yoga as an adjunct treatment to manage pain, anxiety, depression, and stress during hospital stays: A systematic review. Int J Yoga Therap. 2024;34(2024):Article 15.
  9. Haudry S, Turpin AL, Landeau B, et al. Decoding meditation mechanisms underlying brain preservation and psycho-affective health in older expert meditators and older meditation-naive participants. Sci Rep. 2024;14(1):29521.
  10. Ramar K, Malhotra RK, Carden KA, et al. Sleep is essential to health: An American Academy of Sleep Medicine position statement. J Clin Sleep Med. 2021;17(10):2115-2119.
  11. Wen Z, Wang H, Liang Q, et al. Mediating effect of social support and resilience between loneliness and depression in older adults: A systematic review and meta-analytic structural equation modeling. J Affect Disord. 2024;365:246-257.
  12. Nakou A, Dragioti E, Bastas NS, et al. Loneliness, social isolation, and living alone: A comprehensive systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression of mortality risks in older adults. Aging Clin Exp Res. 2025;37(1):29.
  13. de Diego-Cordero R, Suárez-Reina P, Badanta B, et al. The efficacy of religious and spiritual interventions in nursing care to promote mental, physical and spiritual health: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Appl Nurs Res. 2022;67:151618.
  14. Gaekwad JS, Sal Moslehian A, Roös PB, et al. A meta-analysis of emotional evidence for the biophilia hypothesis and implications for biophilic design. Front Psychol. 2022;13:750245.
  15. Lomax T, Butler J, Cipriani A, et al. Effect of nature on the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents: meta-review. Br J Psychiatry. 2024;225(3):401-409.
  16. Jimenez MP, DeVille NV, Elliott EG, et al. Associations between nature exposure and health: A review of the evidence. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(9):4790.
  17. Yoga: Effectiveness and safety. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/yoga-effectiveness-and-safety. [Accessed Feb. 5, 2025.]
  18. Henderson KN, Killen LG, O'Neal EK, et al. The cardiometabolic health benefits of sauna exposure in individuals with high-stress occupations. A mechanistic review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(3):1105.
  19. Nielsen A, Dusek JA, Taylor-Swanson L, et al. Acupuncture therapy as an evidence-based nonpharmacologic strategy for comprehensive acute pain care: The academic consortium pain task force white paper update. Pain Med. 2022;23(9):1582-1612.