How a Scientist Reversed His Biological Age and Why It Could Help Prevent Cancer
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Loading... - Jarvis Watson
- 19 Mar 2025
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At the age of 50, Professor Godfrey Grech faced a troubling reality. Despite being a cancer researcher and advocate for health, he was grappling with high cholesterol, high blood pressure, thyroid dysfunction, chronic inflammation, and mild dysbiosis. Weighing 98 kg, he recognized that he was “making a mess of my health.” Fast forward to today, at 52, Grech has shed 24 kg and significantly improved his health, with tests indicating that his biological age has decreased from 58 to 46. His transformation is rooted in science and simple lifestyle interventions focused on gut health.
The Science Behind the Transformation
Grech emphasizes that his journey was not about quick-fix diets or miracle cures but rather about rebalancing the microbiota in his intestines. This rebalancing leads to reduced inflammation and allows beneficial health-promoting compounds to enter the body. “Metabolic health is about creating the right balance to produce the right health-promoting compounds,” he explains, highlighting the critical role of gut health in overall well-being.
A New Approach to Cancer Prevention
For the past 18 years, Grech has led research in oncology at the University of Malta, focusing on early cancer detection, particularly colorectal cancer, which is one of the most common cancers in the country, with around 300 new cases annually. Recently, he has shifted his focus to lifestyle medicine, which research suggests could prevent at least 60% of colorectal cancers through lifestyle changes. However, mainstream medicine often prioritizes treatment over prevention.
Grech believes that intestinal function is crucial for metabolic health and that chronic inflammation, often stemming from poor diet and imbalances in gut bacteria, can set the stage for diseases, including cancer. He points out that individuals with chronic intestinal inflammation have a 75% higher chance of developing colorectal cancer.
Rethinking Diet and Gut Health
Malta faces challenges regarding balanced diets, with the rise of a take-away culture leading to unhealthy eating habits. Grech notes that many patients misunderstand what constitutes a balanced diet. “Patients come to us saying they eat healthy ingredients, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they have a healthy, balanced diet,” he states.
Extreme diets, stress, and certain medications can disrupt gut health. Grech advocates for a personalized approach, or “biohacking,” to identify and correct these imbalances. By using diagnostic tests that measure chronic inflammation and biological age, he has tracked his progress and made dietary changes, including incorporating probiotic-rich foods and a high-fiber diet, which have led to reduced inflammation levels.
Promoting Lifestyle Medicine
Inspired by his transformation, Grech is now advocating for lifestyle medicine to become a mainstream aspect of medical practice in Malta. He is developing lifestyle medicine health programs and has created a diagnostic dysbiosis test for inflammatory diseases, which provides bacterial information for dietary interventions.
Collaborating with an exercise and nutrition scientist, Grech has assembled a team of healthcare professionals focused on diet, prescribed exercise, stress management, and sleep—all interconnected with gut health. He is also involved with the European Lifestyle Medicine Organisation (Elmo) and is in the process of establishing the Maltese Society of Lifestyle Medicine.
The society aims to introduce a lifestyle medicine module in family medicine specialization and support cancer research projects. Grech emphasizes the importance of community outreach to raise awareness about lifestyle health and the potential to prevent not only cancer but also metabolic diseases through lifestyle changes.
Professor Godfrey Grech’s journey from an unhealthy 50-year-old to a vibrant 52-year-old exemplifies the power of lifestyle interventions in reversing biological age and improving health. His focus on gut health and its connection to metabolic health and disease prevention offers valuable insights into cancer prevention strategies. By promoting lifestyle medicine and community awareness, Grech aims to empower others to take charge of their health and prevent chronic diseases through informed lifestyle choices.
