Functional Medicine

Antibiotic Overuse Remains A Worldwide Problem

By Erik Goldman, Editor

Globally, there are striking regional variations in per capita antibiotic consumption. A 2018 study of prescription patterns in 31 European countries showed that Greece tops the list in Europe, at roughly 40 doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day (Klein E, et al. PNAS 2018). That’s a 4-fold difference from the Netherlands, where use is lowest. […]

Confronting the “Antibiotic Iceberg”

By Erik Goldman

Antimicrobial resistance is just the tip of the iceberg of adverse health consequences caused by antibiotic overuse, according to Martin J. Blaser, MD, director of the Rutgers University Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine. The less obvious—and therefore more dangerous—part of the iceberg, he says, is the epidemic of chronic inflammatory diseases driven in large […]

Adding Health to Years: A Holistic Approach to Healthy Aging

By Erik Goldman

Every day, nearly 10,000 Americans reach their 65th birthdays–that’s roughly 3.7 million people per year. At the farther end of the age spectrum, octogenarians are now the fastest growing age bracket. The need for effective strategies to mitigate senescence and promote optimal metabolic function into advanced age has never been greater. NAD+ plays a fundamental […]

New Collaboration Promotes Chromatography for Herb Quality

By Erik Goldman

The American Herbal Pharmacopoeia (AHP) and the American Botanical Council (ABC)—two of the nation’s leading herbal medicine advocacy groups—have joined forces with the International Association for the Advancement of High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC Association) to promote greater consensus and wider use of this important analytical technique. According to an AHP press release announcing […]

Rethinking Osteoporosis

By Russell Jaffe, MD, PhD, Contributing Writer

Osteoporosis is often called “The Silent Killer,” because in and of itself, it has no symptoms and most people who have it are quite unaware that they are losing bone until they experience a fracture. As we all know, a major fracture in advanced age raises the risk for a wide range of sometimes deadly comorbidities. […]

Ahiflower Oil: A New Option for Boosting Omegas & Reducing Inflammation

By Lisa Rankin, MD, Contributing Writer

Ahiflower oil, derived from the seeds of a plant called Buglossoides arvensis, provides a new vegan-friendly, sustainably sourced option for boosting essential fatty acid levels and mitigating pro-inflammatory physiological states. The research shows that Ahiflower—so named because it represents a plant-based alternative to omega-rich oils from fatty fish like the Ahi tuna–provides the richest, most […]

COVID Pandemic Stokes Surge in Supplement Use

By Janet Gulland, Contributing Writer

The COVID-19 pandemic has fueled a massive surge in supplement use across the United States, according to data from a new Harris Poll sponsored by the Samueli Foundation. The survey gathered responses from 2,053 US women and men, representing a broad range of ages, ethnicities, and geographical locations. Over three quarters of the respondents (76%) […]

Covid Longhaulers Benefit From a Functional Medicine Approach

By Jon D. Kaiser, MD, Contributing Writer

The term “Post-Covid Syndrome,” broadly relates to people of all ages who have had a recent documented Covid-19 infection, subsequently tested negative either once or multiple times, yet still have persistent symptoms including fatigue, brain fog, gastrointestinal symptoms, headaches, dyspnea, muscle aches, chest pain, reduced exercise tolerance and heart palpitations. These symptoms persist long after […]

The Biochemistry of Longevity: How to Supplement for Age Optimization

By Erik Goldman

Cumulative research in the area of longevity points to a handful of key biochemical pathways that regulate the aging process, and influence the level of health people maintain as they age. These lines of research also show how targeted plant compounds and nutraceuticals that can positively influence these pathways.  In this free webinar, Dr. Christopher […]

Antibiotics at the Crossroads

By Erik Goldman

Antibiotics can sometimes be almost miraculous in their clinical impact. Over the last 70 years, since their introduction into routine medical practice, they’ve saved countless lives. But in many cases the benefits are much less dramatic or apparent. Further, there is increasing evidence that routine use of antibiotics can have long-term detrimental effects on human […]