He was trained in Chicago, Israel, Minnesota, and UCLA, where he was also faculty for several years before opening his Center for Digestive Health & Nutritional Excellence in Torrance, CA, in 2011. Dr. Kahana is published in peer-reviewed journals and has written for multiple medical textbooks. He serves on national committees for nutrition and inflammatory bowel disease and also runs a colon cancer prevention program for LA County. Dr. Kahana is married and has a one-year-old at home; he enjoys travel, sports (especially basketball and hiking), music and dance.
Dr. Kahana has a strong interest in medical nutrition and practices nutritional therapy of many gastrointestinal conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), gastroesophageal reflux, chronic constipation, Celiac disease, food allergy and intolerance, eosinophilic esophagitis, as well as gastrointestinal disorders in Autism. Approaching disease with a holistic perspective, Dr. Kahana strives to integrate complementary medicine with conventional practice, while working with dietitians and nutritionists to provide patients with a comprehensive insight into overall health.
Dr. Kahana is skilled in upper endoscopy, colonoscopy, capsular endoscopy, liver biopsy, esophageal pH probe monitoring, and is testing new techniques for studying microbial influences on health and disease. He loves to teach and offers many lectures on topics such as nutrition, inflammation, and the impact on health, probiotics and prebiotics, food intolerance and the benefit of a hypoallergenic diet, among others. Formally at Harbor- UCLA Medical Center, Dr. Kahana is now the Medical Director at The Center for Digestive Health & Nutritional Excellence, located in the South Bay in Torrance, CA, with a focus in clinical care on medical nutrition.
Dr. Kahana is a member of the following academies and societies:
- American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
- American Medical Association (AMA)
- American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN)
- North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN)
- American Gastroenterology Association (AGA)
- American College of Gastroenterology (ACG)
- Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA)
Dr. Kahana also volunteers as a medical consultant for a non-profit organization called What’s In Your Lunchbox (WIYLBox) and as a medical provider for a specialty camp for children with chronic illnesses called The Painted Turtle Camp. Dr. Kahana was recently elected to be the Treasurer/Secretary of the Board of Directors for the National Board of Physician Nutrition Specialists. He also sits on the Nutrition Committee for the Providence Hospital Network, where he is helping establish a nutrition program for patients with IBD.