Dr. Ryan Best, ND

Dr. Ryan Best is a Naturopathic Doctor who combines a deep knowledge of human physiology and biochemistry with a wide array of treatment protocols to develop individualized approaches to therapy. With a robust understanding of various realms of healthcare, Dr. Best works alongside conventional care teams to generate a comprehensive treatment plan, no matter the condition.

As a registered member of the Oncology Association of Naturopathic Physicians (OncANP), Dr. Best, ND focuses his practice on integrative cancer care, autoimmune diseases, and allergic disorders. He has extensive training in chronic infectious disease management and therapies, as well as thorough training in mast cell disorders.

“Dr Ryan is very knowledgeable and caring.. He has been a great bridge between the traditional methods of tackling cancer and more integrative ways. He knows how to support your healing journey in whatever path you chose.i feel very blessed to have him on my team and would highly recommend him to others.”

– Jolayne Tweedie

Why Naturopathic Medicine?

Dr. Ryan Best completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Guelph in Ontario with a double major in human physiology and biological science with honours. During this time, Dr. Best was quite convinced he was headed into conventional medicine — until a work abroad trip to Korea post-grad completely changed his mind.

While teaching as an English teacher in Korea, Dr. Best developed a chronic recurrent lung infection that could not be cured by the antibiotics used by conventional doctors at home in Canada. He eventually went to visit a Korean doctor and was surprised to learn that the medical system there incorporated holistic and alternative practices.

So, instead of being handed just an antibiotic, Dr. Best was given a comprehensive treatment approach that combined medications with several nutraceuticals and supplements, lifestyle and diet changes, and stress management techniques. The Korean protocol resolved Dr. Best’s lung infection quite quickly and sent him on a quest to learn more.

“I spoke with my doctor about what some of these other therapies were and that doctor actually told me that if I was interested in learning more that maybe I should look into naturopathic medicine as an option as well. So, I started to do more research and realized that this might be the perfect career path for me.” — Dr. Ryan Best, ND 

When he got back to Canada, Dr. Best enrolled at the Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine and received his doctoral degree in Naturopathic Medicine in 2018. Since then, he’s completed extensive post-graduate training in several different fields, including oncology, chronic infectious disease management, and auto-immune and inflammatory disorders.

“Dr Ryan very informative and caring. He understands both traditional ways of treating cancer and the more holistic ways. He looks at critical trials and their results and will implement them if they are helpful. He recognizes that cancer is a complex disease and different people need different treatments. He also knows side effects of drugs and can recommend supplements to deal with those. I feel that Dr Ryan is caring and he understands that healing from cancer is not just putting medicine in a person. It also involves treating the patient like a person and empowering them to make educated choices in their healing journey. I highly recommend Dr Ryan for anyone struggling with cancer or other autoimmune disorders.”

– Anonymous, Rate MD’s Review

Why Integrative Cancer Care?

Dr. Best decided to focus on integrative cancer care after witnessing several close family members suffer difficult cancer journeys, including his grandfather. While still in naturopathic medical training, Dr. Best’s grandfather endured aggressive chemotherapy and surgery for pancreatic cancer, which induced severe side effects and were ultimately unsuccessful at saving his life.

“That really was a turning point in my practice. I realized this was an area of medicine that we had so much else that we could do to support people to improve their quality of life and to give them better chances of survival. I started to realize over time, how many other tools were available that weren’t being utilized through the conventional cancer system.

As I started going through my practice and working into that special focus over time, I started to see with my own eyes patients have transformational changes where they could get through one of the most difficult journeys of their life, and get through it with much better quality of life and with better supporting care around them.” — Dr. Ryan Best, ND

From that moment on, Dr. Best has gravitated towards chronic complex illnesses that are often poorly understood. He challenges himself to continue to learn new therapies and familiarize himself with new developments in oncology, to be able to help patients that may not be getting enough help through the conventional medical system.

“I like to be chronically learning. One of the biggest things that I love about my job is that I get to continually evolve my knowledge. I always have more to learn and I constantly get to translate that knowledge into better results for my patients.” — Dr. Ryan Best, ND 

Conditions Treated by Dr. Best, ND

Dr. Best focuses his practice on integrative cancer care, allergic disorders, and autoimmune diseases, as well as chronic infectious diseases and mast cell disorder. His detailed knowledge of conventional and integrative medicine allows him to treat a variety of health conditions, including:

• Cancer
• Autoimmune diseases
• Mast cell activation disorders
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Neurological diseases
• PANS and PANDAS
• Fibromyalgia

“My husband has been seeing Dr. Ryan Best for the last two years ever since he was diagnosed with cancer. It has been nothing but a fantastic experience in every way. My husband is cancer free and I know it has been because of Dr. Ryan’s great care. Dr. Ryan has treated us with the utmost respect and is so knowledgeable that we learn something new every time we visit. I also recently took another family member in to see Dr. Ryan as she was dealing with depression and anxiety. He gave her some tools to use right away and she is already seeing some improvement. I would highly recommend Dr. Ryan to anyone who is looking for a very conscientious and highly ethical Naturopath, Dr. Ryan is the person to see!”

– Pia Giltner

Additional Services Offered by Dr. Best, ND

Even after receiving his doctorate from Boucher Institute, Dr. Best continues to advance his knowledge of effective treatment services. He’s well-versed in conventional and alternative therapies to form a holistic treatment plan. With this robust knowledge of integrative cancer care, Dr. Best, ND offers several naturopathic therapies, including:

• IV therapy
• Low-level laser therapy

“My job is not to tell you what to do with your care. My job is to analyze your wants and needs, as well as the therapies you’re currently utilizing, to figure out how to best support you through that process and offer you options. These options can range from medication supplements and lifestyle changes to dietary adjustments and many other different facets that we use to build a customized approach.” — Dr. Ryan Best, ND 

Getting Personal with Dr. Best, ND

Though he currently treats patients in Calgary, Dr. Best grew up in a small farm town in Brighton, Ontario. It’s safe to say he favors the mountains here, with his favorite hobbies being mountain sports. In the summer he enjoys mountain biking, rock climbing and hiking, and in the winter months, you can find him backcountry and resort skiing.

Though he spends a large portion of his time with patients, Dr. Best’s free time is spent with his white German shepherd-labrador mix named Kolby. He’s adorable, but also 120 pounds — so it’s safe to say that he’s quite the handful.

“There are very few satisfactions that come above when you get to sit with a patient going through a treatment protocol, support them through that journey, and then be able to tell them at the end that they’re cancer-free and get to move back to their regular life. That’s the most rewarding part of my job.” — Dr. Ryan Best, ND