Proage Preventing & Reversing Disease

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Cover Story | By S. Barot  | Photos by Alisa Murray Photography –

A 60-year-old soul in what functions like a 30-year-old body is the stuff dreams are made of – but could dreams become reality? A physician in Sugar Land is working toward that goal. Manjula Raguthu, MD, an integrative medicine specialist of the Proage Institute of Regenerative Medicine (Proage Institute) in Sugar Land, believes her unique and holistic approach to medicine identifies, prevents and reverses disease, rather than just treating it.

Born to a family of doctors, Raguthu discovered her passion for medicine early on beginning in childhood. Caring for people became second nature to her. She attended Guntur Medical College in India in 1990, where she earned an M.B.B.S. (a medical degree comparable to a M.D.), and went on to study Obstetrics and Gynecology at Osmania Medical College in Hyderabad, India in 1993. Raguthu is board certified in family practice and anti-aging and regenerative medicine. She has been employed at various institutions, including the Brownsville Community Health Center, St. Vincent’s Medical Center, Pierre-Toussaint Health Center and Mary Immaculate Hospital, among others. She has been in private practice over 20 years with many years of ER experience.

Though trained in western medicine, Raguthu became dissatisfied with it as she felt physicians were only treating disease and not addressing the root cause to prevent disease and the complications associated. She is your “functional medicine expert,” and her goal is to help you find the answers to the cause of your illness and the nutritional and biochemical imbalances that make you sick.

Raguthu’s primary goal in creating the Proage Institute is disease prevention, not only using ancient and conventional methods, but by focusing on the overall well-being of the patient. Her belief is that every individual has the potential to create a life of vitality through targeting their overall well-being.

“In addition to western medicine, integrative medicine uses various ancient and conventional treatment therapies from around the world, such as Indian Ayurveda, Chinese medicine, homeopathy, botanical medicine, aroma therapy, Tai Chi and detox programs,” Raguthu said. “The objective of integrative and functional medicine is to target disease at the cellular level to promote optimum functioning of the body.”

The Proage Institute

The wellness programs at Proage Institute are focused on building long-term health and include anti-aging treatments, detox, IV nutritionals, chelation therapies, in-depth testing for patients with chronic conditions, integrative and functional treatment for autoimmune disorders, nutrition evaluation and counseling, standard and alternative vaccine schedules, weight loss and hormone replacement. All treatments are tailored to the patient’s needs.

Raguthu uses an integrative approach to the body’s ability to process toxins, regulate hormones and neurotransmitters, have a healthy immune and inflammatory response, digest and absorb nutrients and maintain structural integrity, psychological and spiritual equilibrium while producing the energy needed to improve one’s life.

Women, men and children are treated by Raguthu. She hears their concerns, evaluates their health and presents them with a personalized treatment plan, which addresses their current health problems and provides preventative strategies for optimizing their health and wellness. Common concerns from women include weight management, thyroid imbalance, hormonal imbalance, menopausal and peri-menopausal transition, menstrual disorders, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and fibrocystic breasts, among others. Concerns from men typically are for mood disorders, prostate disorders, low libido, low testosterone, hypogonadism and cardiovascular diseases.

“Patients also need to be responsible for their health by addressing their work and life balance,” said Raguthu. “That is very important for a patient to do rather than just being prescribed pills. The goal is not just to correct disease for the interim, but to actually reverse the disease. Many patients I see come in because of the complications of the medications they are taking. The less medication patients take, the better for their body.”

To illustrate her methodologies, Raguthu gave the example of patients who suffer from PCOS. PCOS is a symptom manifestation of a hormone imbalance in the body, which can generate symptoms such as unwanted hair growth, irregular cycles, mood swings and depression. At present, it affects approximately four million American women, although statistics vary.

Raguthu said most physicians would generally prescribe contraceptive pills to regulate their irregular cycle. She added doing so would not address the cause of the problem, which would typically be an imbalance in the gut, insulin resistance or thyroid and pituitary gland abnormalities. Taking all symptoms into consideration, she said PCOS can be reversed by addressing the thyroid, adrenal system, the ovaries and the brain.

Using the latest testing for hormone  imbalances, nutritional deficiencies, food sensitivities, toxic imbalances and cardiovascular prevention techniques, you will receive the cutting edge evaluation and a targeted personalized plan for your health.

Food is Medicine

Another critical component to wellness includes food. Raguthu’s wellness program encourages the consumption of organic foods, as pesticides can have negative effects on the body. GMO products are also discouraged as Raguthu claims they cause damage to DNA. Patients sometimes are asked to implement a gluten-free diet and add supplements, including ginger, basil, mint, cilantro and sage, to name a few.

“I absolutely believe food is medicine and that what you eat is what affects your body,” said Raguthu. “If you are eating fast food and simple carbohydrates, you’ll end up gaining weight, having higher blood pressure and everything else associated with those issues, including diabetes. What we are trying to do is to educate people on better foods. Even simple things like eating healthy food versus fast food can reverse hypertension, obesity and the chances of becoming diabetic.”

Raguthu also noted the fact that in the past, supplement consumption was rare. However, it is well-known that individuals may not get all of the nutrients needed for the body to function optimally.

“In America, the shelf life of the food is compromised while getting it from the farm to the consumer,” she said. “The food is stored and frozen in different places, and by the time it reaches to the consumer, many of the nutrients have been depleted. We think it is fresh, but we do not know how long it has been stored and transported before it gets to the end consumer. My advice is to go to a farmer’s market or if time permits, grow vegetables at home.”

Raguthu firmly believes that patients hold the key to their health and that instead of blindly putting their health in the hands of their physician or provider, they should self-assess, reflect and determine if there is anything they can do to improve their own health and quality of life. “Patients should take their health and well-being into their own hands – and that is the first step to ensuring an optimal functioning body.”

For more information about the Proage Institute, call 832.532.0040 or visit www.proageinstitute.com.  Proage Institute is located in Sugar Land at 1235 Lake Pointe Parkway in Suite 103.