This story first appeared in the Sept. 19 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine.
Because his new patients don’t always understand what integrative medicine is, Dr. Soram Khalsa encourages them to view a video.
In it, the 66-year-old turbaned and bewhiskered internist — he adopted Sikhism, a religion founded in 15th century Punjab, in 1971 after a bout with chronic fatigue syndrome led him to yoga for relief — explains how he combines traditional medical practices with acupuncture, homeopathy, herbs and vitamin therapies, particularly vitamin D. (Author of The Vitamin D Revolution, Khalsa says 90 percent of his new patients are D-deficient.)
Between optimum health and cancer, he says, there exists a “gray zone” in which organs might not be clinically diseased but still can cause symptoms Western medicine can’t detect or treat. “A lot of people’s problems — fatigue, backaches, migraines — are not well treated with traditional modalities like narcotics,” says the Yale-educated Khalsa, who was raised in Cincinnati, attended Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, has been on staff at Cedars-Sinai for 30 years and is a clinical instructor at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine.
Morgan Freeman and Judith Light are among his longtime devotees. Says Light: “I had just started Who’s the Boss? and was exhausted. Dr. Khalsa is a brilliant diagnostician — he saw all of these things that have been lifelong problems. I attribute my energy and much of the longevity of my career to him.”
A 45-year-old producer with ulcerative colitis that was not responding to steroids and immunosuppressive drugs was put on a regimen of Chinese herbs and acupuncture. “Over the course of six months, we tapered from a very high steroid dose to none at all,” Khalsa tells THR. “Some months later, his gastroenterologist did a colonoscopy and was shocked to see that there were no lesions in his colon.” Pronounces Freeman: “Dr. Khalsa was referred to me by a close friend. I am very grateful for the referral.”
More From THR‘s Top Doctors Issue:
Hollywood’s Top Doctors Revealed: Exclusive Survey
See The Doctors With Their Famous Patients
Hollywood’s Vaccine Wars: L.A.’s “Entitled” Westsiders Behind City’s Epidemic
Hollywood’s Biggest Anti-Vaccine Proponents
How to Live Forever: The (Mad?) Science Hollywood Is Using to “Cure” Death
‘I’m Going to Live Forever’: Hollywood Elders’ Best Quotes About Aging
Is Working in Hollywood Bad for Your Health?
Meet the Real-Life McDreamy: The Doctor Behind ‘Grey’s Anatomy’
4 NYC-Based Physicians Loved by L.A.
NY Giants’ Steve Tisch Reveals His $10M Plan to Further Concussion Research
Chris Albrecht Recounts His Daughter’s Harrowing Car Accident
Voice Doctor Who Treats KISS’ Paul Stanley Shares His Advice to Rock-Star Clients
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