Introducing World Council for Health Australia - Steering Committee - Professor Ian Brighthope

Professor Ian E. Brighthope

Professor Ian Brighthope graduated in Agricultural Science in 1965. For the next three years he was involved in teaching and research. His research interests were in the fields of agriculture and veterinary nutrition, including the nutritional health of cattle, horses, sheep, dogs, pigs and poultry. His involvement in the design and implementation of field trials provided him with a deep respect for scientific methods, its strengths and its weaknesses.

In 1969 he entered medical school at the University of New South Wales and following three pre-clinical years, completed his clinical studies at Monash University in Victoria, graduating with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery in 1974. After completing his residency and a year of general medicine and anaesthetic practice, he travelled widely throughout Europe, North America and Asia searching for solutions to the problems created by the significant gaps he recognised in the normal medical training of doctors.

This travel and its educational processes to learn about all forms of medicine and healing has continued throughout his career. His interest in the implications of human nutrition and the environment in health and disease commenced in his undergraduate training in the 1960’s and as a doctor and has continued to develop throughout his career.

It was in the fields of plant and animal nutrition that Professor Brighthope became aware of the importance of optimum nutrition and the use of nutritional supplementation in animal production, the treatment of animal dysfunction and the potential of this approach in the prevention and treatment of human disease. Also, the addition of agricultural and food processing chemicals to the food chain concerned him and this resulted in his investigating their harmful effects on human health in general, and in particular, the human nervous, immune and endocrine systems. Neglect of these areas of human care prompted him to adopt the nutritional and environmental medicine approaches in his medical practice, which was the first of its kind in Australia.

The Brighthope Clinics and Biocentres were developed in the 1970’s. They specialised in Nutritional and Environmental Medicine with particular interests in psychiatric diseases, learning and behaviour disorders, cancer patient care, heart disease, psychological disorders related to foods and chemicals, the chronic fatigue syndrome, arthritis, asthma, food and chemical sensitivities, auto-immune diseases, diabetes and the treatment of acute viral illnesses and other conditions with megadoses of intravenous Vitamin C and other nutrients.

The antioxidant and intravenous Vitamin C clinics under his management were the first of their kind in Australia. They treated patients from all walks of life from all over the world. The Brighthope Clinic was the first Integrative Medicine Centre in Australia in which modalities such as herbal medicine, acupuncture, chiropractic, meditation, intravenous nutritional therapies and others were integrated with mainstream and hospital medicine in the 1970’s. In the early 1980’s, he coined the term ‘Integrative Medicine’. This term was adopted by the Australasian Integrative Medicine Association (AIMA), which has become a significant force in changing the practice of orthodox medicine in Australia. Professor Brighthope was closely involved in the establishment of Integrative Medicine in Australia.

Chelation therapy was started in the early 1980’s and continues to be of great clinical value to patients with cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and many other disorders in which heavy metal burdens are a problem to their health and wellbeing. Chelation therapy for patients with cardiovascular disease has recently been hailed as a potentially very valuable therapy by the American Heart Association, a development that seemed impossible a few years ago.

The Brighthope Biocentre was the first EDTA Chelation Centre in Australia in which holistic detoxification programs were established in conjunction with megadose intravenous Vitamin C therapy. The approach to the management of many diseases in his centres was always based on science and frequently innovative and always safe. These modalities are now taught to medical practitioners in Australia and are routinely practiced by ACNEM trained medical practitioners.

As president of ACNEM, Professor Brighthope pioneered the first post-graduate medical course in nutrition in Australia and remained on the faculty as one of its principle lecturers from 1980 until 2007. In August 2007 he was awarded the Inaugural ACNEM award in recognition of more than 25 years of outstanding service in the field of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine including 25 years as founding President of the College. He initiated the ACNEM fellowship program and examinations and now plays a pivotal role in maintaining, as an official ambassador, ACNEM as the peak body in Nutritional and Environmental Medicine in Australia and Asia. A quality assurance and continuing medical education program is an integral part of the qualifying fellowship program. Professor Brighthope, in association with Professor Avni Sali, formed the Graduate School of Integrative Medicine at Swinburne University in 1996, at which he was honoured with a Full Professorship. This school has subsequently been succeeded by other programs, in particular, the National Institute of Integrative Medicine at which Professor Brighthope is a director.

Professor Brighthope has published extensively for the general public and has appeared regularly in the media as an advocate of nutritional and environmental health. He is the author of 5 books and many scientific and medial lectures and reviews. His books have been endorsed by many luminaries, most notably the late Linus Pauling, the only person to have ever been awarded two unshared Nobel Prizes.

Over three decades Professor Brighthope had a very busy lecturing schedule to health professionals and the public in Australia and internationally. He continues to consult for the manufacturing industry in nutrition and micronutrient supplementation and supervises and consults for various health resorts and specialist clinics, preventive medicine programs and sporting concerns. He and his companies have initiated and/or sponsored many major events in Nutritional Medicine in Australia for more than 35 years, including international and national conferences and University based re-search. The research programs have included the study of Vitamin E in Cancer, the Risk Factors in Breast Cancer, the attitudes of Medical Practitioners to Complementary Therapies, the Antioxidant Activity of Polyphenols in Grapeseeds, Post-Antibiotic use of Probiotics, the use of SAMe in fibromyalgia and Depression. 

One of the most recent was a double-blind placebo controlled study proving the effectiveness of a specially prepared extract of Tumeric in the fast-acting relief of osteoarthritis. Research into the benefits of probiotics, trace elements, essential fatty acids and nutrient delivery systems continues as a result of Professor Brighthope’s interests in these areas. Professor Brighthope intermittently employs research Fellows at various campuses to assist with R and D.  His companies provide active nutraceuticals and placebos for university studies into serious conditions, for example, N-Acetyl Cysteine in major mental illnesses. He is currently researching the therapeutic potential of medicinal cannabis, a powerful health care therapeutic of the future.

Professor Brighthope has acted as an advocate of doctors practicing Complementary Medicine for over 35 years. He has had training and extensive experience in Crisis Management, Risk Management and Public/Government Relations. He was President of the Complementary Healthcare Council of Australia, the peak industry body for Complementary Medicines. He was responsible for the management of the many political, legal, insurance, regulatory and media issues caused by the world’s largest recall of pharmaceutical products, the Pan pharmaceutical recall of 2003.

In 2007, after stepping down as President of the Australasian College of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine, he was honoured with the inaugural annual award to recognise his contribution to health through the research, teaching and the practice of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine.

Professor Brighthope’s lifelong ambition is to change the way medicine and healthcare is practiced for the benefit of the public and to see nutrition, nutritional and environmental medicine the building blocks and keystones to world health and peace.

In December 2015, he appeared in a chapter of a groundbreaking book launched by the Australian federal treasurer titled “50 Unsung Business Heroes”. His chapter interview appears on YouTube.

On the 27th May 2016, Professor Brighthope was give the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Indian Nutritional Medicine Association (INMA). On the 9th. June he delivered a keynote address to the Indian Nutritional Medicine Association on the role of intravenous vitamin C, probiotics and medicinal cannabis to the Indian Nutritional Medicine association. On the 10th June 2017, he was awarded an Honorary Fellowship in nutritional and environmental medicine of the Indian Nutritional Medicine Association (FINEM).

In late 2017, he initiated the establishment and content of Australia’s first RACGP Category 1 CPD points course in medicinal cannabis. This course is a joint effort of ACNEM, NIIM and NICM, the National Institute of Complementary Medicine at the University of Western Sydney.

Concurrently professor Brighthope was instrumental in the reconfiguration of a Human Research Ethics Committee to nominate general practitioners for authorised prescriber status of medicinal cannabis as required by Australian federal legislation. His interest in medicinal cannabis dates back to the early 1980’s when he observed that his hospital patients detoxing from alcohol, benzodiazepines, heroine and other hard drugs were doing better when they remained on cannabis to relieve anxiety and pain. In 1999 and 2000 he witnessed his dear friend, the Late Sir William Keys, derive great relief from unrelenting and excruciating pain caused by an extensive mesothelioma by using cannabis.

In November 2018, the National Institute of Integrative Medicine (NIIM) presented him with the 2018 Award in recognition of his Outstanding Contribution and Accomplishments in the Field of Integrative Medicine. In 2019 he was made a director of the National Institute of Integrative Medicine in Melbourne, Australia.

In late February 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic had been affecting countries around the globe. Professor Brighthope realised that there would be a need for people to improve their state of health and increase their resistance to this new and novel coronavirus. From previous experience and based on the scientific literature, he initiated a prophylactic and treatment protocol titled “The CD Zinc Campaign”. It consisted of the use of vitamin C, vitamin D and Zinc as oral supplements and the use of high dose vitamin D for deficiency states and high dose intravenous vitamin C for acutely and severely ill patients, either as outpatients or inpatients.The campaign was taken to the federal government, unions, public, media and business. For the next 6 months, the recommendations were publicised in social media and at various webinars. However, there was no recognition given to the protocols by government or the mainstream medical profession. Practitioners of nutritional and integrative medicine became supportive in the early days of the campaign.

During the entirety of the pandemic, Professor Brighthope has been involved in training health professionals on the prevention and treatment of Covid-19, long Covid-19, post-vaccination reactions and related complications. He has also been active in giving advice and directions to families of relatives in hospital and ICU under very difficult circumstances wherein the medical personal routinely refuse to give proven nutraceutical treatments to save lives. These treatments have even been argued in the presence of a Supreme Court judge who was also unable to counter the dogma of the ICU specialists. The ICU specialists prefer to administer unproven and toxic drugs such as Remdesivir, with the attendant risks of precipitating acute renal failure.

The nutraceutical approach is now used in many centres. Additional treatments are now included, in particular the use of the very effective repurposed drugs Ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine.

Professor Brighthope is currently the Director of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine at the National Institute of Integrative Medicine in Melbourne , Australia.

In August, 2022, frustrated with the damage being done by the mainstream medical authorities and politicians of all colours, he formed The WOW, The World Of Wellness International Limited.

Professor Brighthope has continued to campaign for the best of health care.

POSITIONS HELD

1.  President and a Founding Director of The Australasian College of Nutritional &      
     Environmental Medicine, an organisation of doctors concerned with the 
     dissemination of unbiased information on Nutrition to the medical profession 
     (1979-2007). 

2.  Chairman and a Founding Director of The Australian College of Herbal Medicine.

3.  Founding Director and Board Member of the OMAA.

4.  Founder and Past Director of The Graduate School of Integrative Medicine. 
     (A joint venture between ACNEM, Swinburne University and AIMA).   

5.  Managing Director of Brighthope International Pty. Ltd.

6.  Founder, Director of and consultant to Nutrition Care Pharmaceuticals Pty. Ltd.

7.  Director of Ausnutria Pty. Ltd., a division of Ausnutria Ltd. Hong Kong & China.

8.  President and Director of Nutrition Care Asia Pte. Ltd.

9.  Managing Director of Nutrisearch Australia Pty. Ltd. (past)

10.  Managing Director of Biocentres (Australasia) Pty. Ltd. (Australia & Singapore)

11.  Past President of the Complementary Healthcare Council of Australia. (The peak 
       body rep-resenting the Complementary Health Products Industry, now titled        
       Complementary Medicines Australia).

12.  Director and/or consultant to a number of Chinese and S.E. Asian Companies.

13.  Expert Member of the Central Chinese Health Think Tank

14.  Director of GeneCare and NutriGenomics Australasia Pty. Ltd.

15.  Director of GeneCare International Ltd. (Hong Kong)

16.  Board member of Medicinal Cannabis Education (ACNEM, NIIM and NICM)

17.  Board member of the National Institute of Integrative Medicine (NIIM).

18.   Advisory Board Member to the Global Health Initiative

19.  Chairman of the Australia China Nutrition and Health Association

20.  Founder and Director of Entoura Pty. Ltd. a medicinal cannabis company.

21.  Board member and Director of the National Institute of Integrative medicine.

22.  Director of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine at the National Institute of 
       Integrative Medicine ( Australia ).

EDITORIAL BOARDS

1.  Editor of The Journal of The Australasian College of Nutritional and 
     Environmental Medicine (1983-2007).

2.  Member of the International Advisory Board of the Journal of Nutritional and 
     Environmental Medicine (U.K.) – Past.

3.   Member of the International Advisory Board of the Journal of Complementary
      Therapies in Medicine. 

4.   Member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Complementary Medicine 
     (resigned 2003)

5.  Member of the International Advisory Board of the Orthomolecular Medicine 
     News Service in honour of the late Dr. Linus Pauling.

PUBLICATIONS

1.  Nutritional Medicine – Australian Family Physician 1991.

2.  Vitamin C and Immune Nutrients – Bio Publishing 1985 (Book).

3.  The AIDS Fighters – Keats Publishing 1986 (Book).

4.   Sleep Soundly Every Night Without Drugs – Bay Books – 1988 (Book).

5.  A Recipe for Health – McCulloch – 1989 (Book).

6.  Fighting Fatigue – The Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Allen & Unwin 1990 (Book).

7.  A Critical Guide to Nutrition and Dietary Supplements in Disease Management. 
     Churchill Livingston 2003. Jamieson (Contributions).

8.  Lecture Notes on Nutritional Medicine – ACNEM Manual.

9.  Papers and Reviews on the Nutritional Influences in:-

Diabetes     
Asthma                                           
Arthritis                
Dementia                               
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Cancer                         
Leukaemia    
Autoimmune Diseases                                        
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Psychiatric Disorders                
Pediatric Disorders   
Learning and Behaviour Disorders                          
Epigenetics and Nutrigenomics

10.  Listed in the International Authors and Writers “Who’s Who”.

11.  National Press Club Telstra Address “ Sustainable Health in an Ageing 
       Population”.

12.   Regular articles for Australian Pharmacist, National Pharmacy group and many 
        other publications.

13.  FoodMatters feature film and DVD. Appeared as the only Australian in this 
       groundbreaking film, now in over 10 different languages.

14.  The Vitamin Cure For Diabetes – Basic Health Publications 2012 (Book)

15.  The Forces for and Against Health in Australia – OMNS 2012 (Paper)

16.   A chapter in Boundless Plains to Share.

17.   50 Unsung Business Heroes-Purpose Publishing 2015

AWARDS

1.              The Lady Cilento Award – In recognition of exceptional contribution 
                 over many years to the advancement and professionalism of the Health and   
                 Nutrition Industry in Australia, 2001. An award made by the 
                 Complementary Health Council of Australia which is the peak body
                 recognized by the Commonwealth of Australia.

2.              The ACNEM Inaugural Award for over 25 years of outstanding service 
                 to Nutritional and Environmental Medicine as Founding President of   
                ACNEM (1979-2007). 

3.              Lifetime Achievement Award 2016 from the Indian Nutritional Medicine 
                 Association.

4.              Honorary Fellowship in Nutritional and Environmental Medicine of the 
                 Indian Nutritional Medical Association.

5.              National Institute of Integrative Medicine NIIM presented him with the 
                 2018 Award in Recognition of his Outstanding Contribution and 
                 Accomplishments in the Field of Integrative Medicine.

MEMBERSHIPS
Past and Current

1.             Fellow, life member and ambassador of The Australasian College of    
                Nutritional and Environmental Medicine 

2.             Fellow of the Australian Society for Environmental Medicine. (past)

3.             Fellow of the International College of Applied Nutrition. (past)

4.             Fellow of the Australian College of Herbal Medicine.

5.             Member of the Australian Institute for Agricultural Science and
                 Technology. (Past) 

6.             Member of the Biological Farmers Association of Australia.

7.             Patron of the New Zealand Health Forum. (past)

8.             Member of the Australian Medical Association (Past)

9.             Member of the Australasian Integrative Medicine Association (AIMA)

__________________________________________________________________

Director: Nutritional and Environmental Medicine. National Institute of Integrative Medicine. www.niim.com.au

Founding president (1982):
The Australasian College of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine.
www.acnem.org

Co-Founder:
The Australasian Integrative Medicine Association.
www.aima.net.au

Founder
The World Of Wellness International Limited
www.worldofwellness.life

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