Lifestyle, not drugs, key to beating chronic diseases — Experts

By Chioma Obinna

As the world marks the 2026 Global Lifestyle Medicine Health Week, health experts have warned that Nigeria may face an escalating burden of chronic diseases unless urgent attention is shifted from “sick care” to preventive lifestyle-based healthcare.

The experts at Martlife Detox Clinic clinic, regarded as Nigeria’s first Modern Mayr Medicine centre, said many health conditions including infertility, chronic fatigue, hormonal imbalance and digestive disorders could be significantly reduced through healthier lifestyles, detoxification, and improved gut health.

In a press statement signed by the management, Prof Oladipo Ashiru said overdependence on drugs without addressing poor nutrition, inadequate sleep, stress and toxin accumulation was worsening non-communicable diseases across the country.

“Lifestyle medicine is not about perfection. It is about direction. Start with one meal, one hour of sleep, one deep breath,” Ashiru said.

The experts explained that Modern Mayr Medicine, developed by Austrian physician, Franz Xaver Mayr, focuses on gut restoration, detoxification and mindful eating as the foundation for overall wellness.

According to the clinic, since its establishment in 2012, Martlife has been applying these principles in Nigeria long before lifestyle medicine became a global movement.

“Modern Mayr Medicine is lifestyle medicine, and then some. It addresses not just what you eat, but how well you digest, how thoroughly you eliminate waste and how deeply you rest. That is the foundation of fertility, hormonal health and vitality,” the clinical team explained.

The clinic identified poor eating habits, environmental toxins, stress and inadequate elimination of body waste as major contributors to rising chronic illnesses.

It further argued that many Nigerians unknowingly suffer from digestive dysfunctions that prevent proper absorption of nutrients despite eating healthy meals.

“You can eat bitter leaf, ugu, ogbono and utazi daily, but if your colon is backed up or your liver is congested, you are not truly absorbing nutrients or clearing waste,” the experts noted.

The specialists also linked liver congestion and exposure to indoor mold during the rainy season to fertility challenges and hormonal disorders, particularly among women undergoing assisted reproductive treatments.
They said the clinic’s approach combines conventional diagnostics with bioenergetic testing, colon hydrotherapy and personalised detox programmes tailored to patients’ health conditions.

According to the team, the growing global acceptance of lifestyle medicine validates what the clinic has practised for over 14 years.

Globally, Lifestyle Medicine Health Week, observed from May 17 to 22, promotes six pillars of healthy living including balanced nutrition, regular exercise, restorative sleep, stress management, social connection and avoidance of harmful substances.

Martlife, however, said gut cleansing and proper elimination should be considered a “seventh pillar” because “without a clean gut, no lifestyle intervention reaches the cells.”

The clinic urged Nigerians to adopt simple health routines such as avoiding late-night meals, increasing water intake and reducing processed foods.

As part of activities marking the week, the clinic announced discounted bioenergetic testing and wellness therapies for residents seeking lifestyle-based interventions for chronic conditions.

Founded in 2012, Medical Art Centre and Martlife Detox Clinic operate from Maryland, Lagos, offering fertility care, detoxification and lifestyle medicine services.

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