The Brain-Gut-Microbiota Axis: A Primer for Clinicians

The brain-gut-microbiota axis provides a bidirectional route of communication between the gut microbes and the brain. The axis involves the vagus nerve, short-chain fatty acids, tryptophan, cytokines and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. New evidence suggests that gut microbes are involved in neural development and function, both peripherally in the enteric nervous system and centrally in the […]

New Biden COVID Task Force A Mixed Bag for Holistic Medicine

The Biden-Harris administration’s new COVID-19 Advisory Board promises to bring a strong public health perspective to the nation’s pandemic response and a welcome shift away from the haphazard, willfully anti-scientific policies of the Trump administration. But it could be a thorn in the paw for the dietary supplement industry and for some practitioners of natural […]

It Was 20 Years Ago, Today…. Reflecting on HPC’s First Two Decades

On October 15, 2000, the first edition of Holistic Primary Care rolled off the presses at Democrat Printing & Lithography in Little Rock, Arkansas, and into 60,000 doctors’ offices across the country. And just like that, an idea had back in 1986 had suddenly become a tangible reality, giving voice to a movement aimed at […]

IFM: We Must Expand Access to Functional Medicine in Vulnerable Communities

In medicine, racial and economic differences determine both the quality and the type of health care an individual receives, and this is unacceptable. The disparities in health outcomes between whites and people of color are exceedingly stark. This is true across the field—from conventional medicine to Functional Medicine and beyond. At The Institute for Functional […]

In Memoriam: Robert Anderson, MD (April 3, 1932 – April 6, 2020)

The field of holistic medicine lost one of its brightest and most enduring lights with the passing of Robert Anderson, MD, on April 6, 2020, just three days after his 88^th birthday, after a prolonged period of declining health.

If Social Distancing is Key, Why Aren’t Our Leaders Role-Modeling It?

Watch a clip or look at a photo of Donald Trump at any of his recent COVID-19 press conferences.

There he is, flanked tightly by a phalanx of dutifully stone-faced cabinet members, advisors, and health experts—all within a sneeze of each other. All apparently unconcerned about catching or transmitting the very pathogen that is tanking the global economy and throwing turmoil into millions of peoples’ lives.

HPC at 20: Affirming Our Inspirations

This year marks Holistic Primary Care’s 20th birthday. As we take stock of our journey so far, I want to thank all of you who’ve been loyal readers of and contributors to this publication over the years. If you’re new to HPC, welcome to our community.

A Safe Future: Is That Too Much to Ask?

“We deserve a safe future. And we demand a safe future. Is that really too much to ask?”

Greta Thunberg posed this blunt question to the world during her brief but forceful speech at the New York City climate strike on September 20.

To thunderous applause and fervent chanting of her name, the celebrated–and vilified –Swedish eco activist voiced the fears, rage, and hopes of her generation.

The troubling truth is, Greta’s demand really might be too much to ask.

“The Answer to Disease is Vegetables”: Plant-Based Pioneers Have Their Moment

“We know the answer, and it is not that complicated. To be healthy, eat high volumes of vegetables. The answer to disease is vegetables. But people don’t want to hear, ‘Eat vegetables.’ They want pills to overcome the diseases caused by our dysregulated appetites,” said Joel Fuhrman, MD, at the first annual Plant-Based World Expo in New York City earlier this summer.

Zinc Carnosine Prevents Oral Mucositis

Oral administration of polaprezinc (zinc L-carnosine) can prevent oral mucositis in cancer patients undergoing radiation or high-dose chemotherapy, according to a series of studies from researchers in Japan. The compound may also be useful in preventing or minimizing more common oral lesions like canker sores.