Learn More About Functional Medicine and Functional Nutrition

"We know that food is a medicine, perhaps the most powerful drug on the planet with the power to cause or cure most diseases."
~ Dr. Mark Hyman

"We must learn to treat the person, not the disease; the system, not the symptoms. This is personalized medicine, the medicine of the future." ~ Dr. Mark Hyman

What is Functional Medicine?

Functional medicine is a holistic, individualized approach to healthcare that focuses on identifying and addressing the root causes of disease rather than only treating its symptoms. It emphasizes understanding the body as an interconnected system where imbalances in one area can affect multiple other systems. Functional medicine aims to restore balance and promote optimal health by addressing underlying factors like nutrition, lifestyle, environmental exposures, and genetics.

The Core Principles of Functional Medicine

Individualized Care: Functional medicine recognizes that each person is biochemically unique and treatments are tailored to the individual's genetic makeup, lifestyle, and environmental factors. This personalized approach considers the differences in how each person's body functions, including metabolism, immune response, and hormone levels.
Root Cause Focus: Instead of focusing solely on symptoms, functional medicine aims to find and address the root causes of disease. For example, if a patient presents with chronic fatigue, rather than only prescribing medication for fatigue, a functional medicine practitioner will also investigate the underlying factors such as nutrient deficiencies, hormonal imbalances, gut health issues, or chronic inflammation.
Patient-Centered Approach: Functional medicine emphasizes a partnership between the practitioner/coach and the patient/client. It encourages clients and patients to actively participate in their healthcare journey, engaging in decisions related to diet, exercise, stress management, and lifestyle choices that contribute to long-term wellness.
Holistic Perspective: Functional medicine views the body as an interconnected system where different organs and systems influence each other. This contrasts with conventional medicine, which often treats isolated organs and systems. For example, digestive health, mental health, and immune function are all interrelated and improving one area may positively affect another.
Emphasis on Prevention: Functional medicine strongly emphasizes preventing disease by promoting health and wellness. This involves lifestyle changes and interventions designed to reduce the risk of developing chronic conditions rather than waiting for symptoms to arise before seeking treatment.
Systems Biology Approach: Functional medicine draws on systems biology, a scientific approach that looks at the body as a network of interconnected systems (e.g., immune, metabolic, hormonal, and neurological). It aims to understand how these systems interact and contribute to overall health, allowing practitioners to develop comprehensive, multi-faceted treatment plans.
Use of Advanced Testing: Functional medicine often incorporates advanced diagnostic testing to evaluate factors like hormone levels, gut microbiome health, nutrient deficiencies, genetic markers, and toxin exposures. These tests help practitioners understand what might be contributing to a patient's/client's health problems.

Common Treatment Strategies in Functional Medicine

Nutrition: A cornerstone of functional medicine is personalized nutrition, which often focuses on whole, nutrient-dense foods. Diets may be customized to address specific health issues like inflammation, blood sugar regulation, or digestive problems.
Lifestyle Interventions: Functional medicine strongly emphasizes lifestyle factors, including physical activity, stress management, and sleep hygiene, as well as interventions such as yoga, meditation, mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques, and exercise routines tailored to the individual.
Supplements and Herbal Remedies: Functional medicine may incorporate vitamins, minerals, herbal supplements, and other natural products to address nutrient deficiencies or promote healing. These interventions are typically used to support the body's healing processes and are chosen based on individualized needs.
Detoxification: Functional medicine reduces exposure to environmental toxins (e.g., chemicals and heavy metals) and supports the body's natural detoxification processes. This could involve dietary strategies, specific supplements, and lifestyle changes to improve liver function, kidney health, and overall detoxification capacity.
Mind-Body Medicine: Functional medicine recognizes the powerful connection between mental and physical health and often includes strategies to improve mental and emotional well-being. Techniques such as mindfulness practices, and stress reduction protocols are commonly recommended.

Functional Medicine vs. Conventional Medicine

Functional Medicine	Conventional Medicine
Focuses on root causes of disease	Focuses on treating symptoms
Treats the body as an interconnected system	Treats body systems and organs separately
Emphasizes personalized, holistic care	Uses standardized treatments and protocols
It aims to prevent disease and promote wellness	Typically intervenes after the disease develops
Incorporates lifestyle and nutritional interventions	Primarily relies on medications and surgeries
Encourages patient participation in health management	Doctor-driven with less focus on patient input

What is a Functional Medicine Health Coach?

They are health coaches who have been trained, certified, and specialize in functional medicine. Health coaches, in general, are not licensed medical professionals, so they don't diagnose, prescribe, or treat diseases. Instead, a health coach's scope of practice entails educating, empowering, simplifying, and encouraging clients to make lasting behavior changes that can optimize health, wellness, and longevity goals.

Conclusion

Functional medicine offers a more personalized, root-cause-oriented approach to healthcare than conventional medicine does. It emphasizes prevention and lifestyle changes to support the body's natural healing processes. While still complementary to conventional medicine, it has been beneficial for managing chronic, complex conditions where traditional treatments may not address underlying causes.

Additional Learning Resources:

What is Functional Medicine and Why Hire a Functional Medicine Health Coach? https://youtu.be/DqEeKQpqAhY

Learn More About What Constitutes Functional Medicine by The Institute for Functional Medicine: https://youtu.be/ECPPiZfhbIE.

Learn What Industry Experts Say About the Power and Effectiveness of Functional Medicine Health Coaching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTpdOxfHTNQ.

Studies & Systematic Reviews Supporting Functional Medicine

There have been several studies and systematic reviews that support various aspects of functional medicine, particularly in areas like chronic disease management, personalized medicine, nutrition, and lifestyle interventions. Below is a summary of significant studies and evidence supporting the benefits of functional medicine:

1. Cleveland Clinic Study on Functional Medicine for Chronic Disease (2020)

Study Overview: This was a retrospective cohort study conducted at the Cleveland Clinic, which compared outcomes between patients treated at the Center for Functional Medicine and those treated with standard care at a primary care center.
Results: Patients in the functional medicine group showed significant improvements in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) after 6 months. This was measured using the PROMIS Global Health scale, which assesses physical, mental, and social health. Notably, improvements were greater and sustained longer in the functional medicine group than in the conventional care group.
Significance: This study provided evidence that a functional medicine approach may offer meaningful improvements in quality of life for patients with chronic illnesses, largely by addressing underlying factors and using personalized, holistic interventions.

Reference: Beidelschies, M., et al. "Functional Medicine and Health Outcomes: A Retrospective Cohort Study." JAMA Network Open, 2020.

2. Gut Health and the Microbiome

Overview: The gut microbiome has been linked to various chronic diseases, and functional medicine heavily emphasizes gut health as central to overall well-being.
Research Example: A study by Mayer et al. (2021) in The Journal of Clinical Investigation highlighted the role of the gut microbiome in mental health, demonstrating its influence on mood disorders such as depression and anxiety through the gut-brain axis.
Significance: Functional medicine’s focus on gut health, including the use of probiotics, dietary interventions, and stress management, is supported by a growing body of research linking gut health to a wide range of chronic conditions including autoimmune diseases, mood disorders, and metabolic issues.

Reference: Mayer, E. A., et al. "Gut Microbiota in Brain Function and Mood: Implications for Mental Health." Journal of Clinical Investigation, 2021.

3. Personalized Nutrition and Nutrigenomics

Overview: Personalized nutrition, a core concept in functional medicine, is supported by the field of nutrigenomics, which studies how genetic variations affect individual responses to nutrients.
Research Example: A systematic review by Corella and colleagues (2016) explored how personalized dietary interventions based on genetic data can improve health outcomes in metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.
Results: The study found that personalized diets tailored to an individual's genetic predispositions significantly improved markers for chronic diseases, supporting the functional medicine approach of customizing treatments based on genetics and other unique factors.
Significance: This body of research supports functional medicine’s claim that individualized nutrition can play a key role in disease prevention and management.

Reference: Corella, D., et al. "Nutrigenomics and Personalized Nutrition: Science vs. Nonsense." Biochimie, 2016.

4. Systemic Inflammation and Chronic Disease

Overview: Functional medicine places a strong emphasis on reducing chronic inflammation through dietary changes, stress management, and lifestyle interventions.
Research Example: A meta-analysis published in The Lancet in 2019 examined the impact of anti-inflammatory diets, particularly the Mediterranean diet, on chronic inflammatory diseases like cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Results: The meta-analysis showed that anti-inflammatory diets significantly reduced inflammatory markers (e.g., C-reactive protein) and improved health outcomes in patients with chronic diseases.
Significance: This supports the functional medicine approach of using diet as a primary tool to reduce inflammation and improve health outcomes in chronic diseases.

Reference: Martínez-González, M. A., et al. "Mediterranean Diet and Inflammatory Markers: A Systematic Review." The Lancet, 2019.

5. Functional Medicine for Autoimmune Disease

Overview: Functional medicine often focuses on addressing gut permeability ("leaky gut") and inflammation as key factors in autoimmune diseases.
Research Example: Fasano (2011) conducted a study on the role of zonulin, a protein involved in regulating intestinal permeability, in the development of autoimmune diseases. The study found that increased intestinal permeability allows for the passage of harmful substances into the bloodstream, which can trigger an autoimmune response.
Significance: This research supports the functional medicine strategy of addressing gut health, particularly reducing gut permeability, as a way to manage autoimmune diseases.

Reference: Fasano, A. "Zonulin and Its Regulation of Intestinal Barrier Function: The Biological Door to Inflammation, Autoimmunity, and Cancer." Physiological Reviews, 2011.

6. Mind-Body Medicine and Stress Management

Overview: Functional medicine incorporates mind-body interventions like meditation, mindfulness, and yoga for stress reduction and overall well-being.
Research Example: A large systematic review and meta-analysis published in JAMA Internal Medicine in 2014 examined the effects of mindfulness meditation on psychological stress and well-being.
Results: The analysis found that mindfulness-based interventions significantly reduced symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress, and improved overall well-being.
Significance: This supports functional medicine’s focus on stress management as a critical component of treating chronic diseases and improving mental health.

Reference: Goyal, M., et al. "Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis." JAMA Internal Medicine, 2014.

7. Vitamin D and Autoimmune Conditions

Overview: Functional medicine frequently emphasizes addressing nutrient deficiencies, such as low vitamin D, which is linked to autoimmune diseases and other chronic conditions.
Research Example: Holick’s study (2007) in the New England Journal of Medicine reviewed the role of vitamin D in autoimmune diseases, finding that vitamin D deficiency is a significant risk factor for diseases like multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Significance: This supports the functional medicine approach of addressing vitamin D deficiency to improve outcomes in patients with autoimmune and other chronic conditions.

Reference: Holick, M. F. "Vitamin D Deficiency." New England Journal of Medicine, 2007.

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Welltality Coaching will support each client in reaching new heights, which may require letting go of old habits, stories, and beliefs to elevate into one's higher self. Therefore, Welltality Coaching, its employees, and its team members cannot guarantee clients will achieve a particular result.

Gabriella Testa and Welltality Coaching are not licensed medical professionals. Therefore, the company, owner, and its members abide by, practice, and operate according to the scope of practice of a certified health, wellness, and longevity coach and do not diagnose, treat, or cure disease.

The information on this website is for informational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice. Welltality Coaching advises all users to consult a licensed medical professional if they are seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment.