Now that Kansas has embarked on registering naturopathic physicians, Lawrence is fast becoming the naturopathic center of the state.

Three of Kansas’ four registered naturopathic physicians are here, and a fourth will be registered shortly.

“We are recognized by the state, and we can practice and diagnose and treat freely,” said Mehdi Khosh, who practices with his brother Farhang and Deena Beneda-Khosh, who is married to Farhang.

The three recently gained state registration. Another Lawrence naturopath, Peter Kimble, will secure registration perhaps as early as today.

Naturopathy is often described as the treatment of disease and ailments using herbs, minerals and other natural products, as well as exercise, diet and other therapies such as acupuncture.

The Khosh brothers were instrumental in getting the registration law passed last year.

“We were trying to get licensed, but we got registration,” Mehdi Khosh said. “We are trying to prevent diseases and minimize health care costs. I wish we would get licensed, but it didn’t happen. We ended up getting registration.”

The law passed during the 2002 legislative session sets up a registration process for naturopathic physicians and establishes guidelines for practice and educational requirements. On July 1, 2004, people must be registered by the state to practice naturopathy before they can call themselves a “naturopath.”

This Lawrence trio, from left, Farhang R. Khosh, Mehdi L. Khosh and Deena Beneda-Khosh, are among the first to earn registration by the state of Kansas as naturopathic physicians. Farhang and Mehdi Khosh were instrumental in convincing the Kansas Legislature to allow for the registration of naturopaths -- who treat disease and ailments using herbs, minerals and other natural products, as well as exercise, diet and other therapies such as acupuncture -- in the state.

The Kansas Board of Healing Arts, which regulates health-care providers, is responsible for registration and regulation of naturopaths.

Supporters of naturopathic doctors have for years sought state licensure as a way to establish the natural-based treatments as a viable health-care alternative and to set up qualifications to protect the public from untrained practitioners.

But the idea of the state licensing naturopaths was strongly opposed by medical and osteopathic doctors.

Former state Rep. Gwen Welshimer, a Wichita Democrat, had pushed for licensure of naturopaths for years. “Registration will give naturopaths some time to prove their worth to Kansas,” she said.

Mehdi Khosh said the registration hadn’t increased business, but he believed the new law would protect the public because it sets standards that a person must meet before he or she can be called a naturopath. And, he said, one day he hopes the state will license naturopaths, just as it does medical doctors.