Functional Medicine

A Guide to the Endocannabinoid System

By Jamie Corroon, ND, MPH & Jake Felice, ND

Interest in the medical use of phytocannabinoids from Cannabis Sativa L. (Cannabis) has reached an all-time high. These exogenous, plant-derived ligands interact with endogenously produced proteins, receptors, enzymes and endogenous ligands, in one of the most evolutionarily preserved biological systems known to the life sciences: the endogenous cannabinoid signaling system, better known as the endocannabinoid system (ECS).

Webinar: The Broken Promise of Vitamin E–Why Annatto-Sourced Tocotrienols Are the “21st Century E”

By Erik Goldman

VIEW WEBINAR Over the years, vitamin E supplementation has been promoted for prevention or mitigation of everything from cardiovascular disease to Parkinson’s. In clinical trials, however, vitamin E has rarely lived up to its potential. That’s because most studies only use alpha-tocopherol—just one of the eight tocopherols and tocotrienols that comprise vitamin E. Recent research […]

The Fast-Mimicking Diet & the Science of “Juventology”

By Becky Wright, Contributing Writer

New research into fasting, and specifically an approach called the Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD), is shedding light on how to use foods and diet patterns to promote longevity and prevent or reverse degenerative diseases. It’s an approach that is catching on with functional medicine practitioners—and their patients.

Confronting the Hidden Epidemic of Fatty Liver Disease

By Carrie Decker, ND, Contributing Writer

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) often goes undiagnosed because it may not be accompanied overt symptoms or by liver enzyme elevations. Clinicians who are not specifically looking for it, are not likely to detect it. But over the long term it can have devastating consequences. Fortunately, there are many botanical and nutraceutical interventions that can help.

From the Mystical to the Medicinal, Mushrooms are Having Their Moment

By Ellen Kanner, Contributing Writer

Worldwide, there are 2,000-plus species of cultivated and wild edible mushrooms. All provide solid nutrition—even the seemingly vacuous white button variety. Some produce medicinal compounds. Whether in the kitchen or the clinic, mushrooms are the subject of rising popular interest these days.

Neurotransmitter Testing Holds Keys to Understanding Chronic Inflammation

By Decker Weiss, NMD, FASA, Contributing Writer

Clinically, we blame most chronic diseases on inflammation. Yet the ways we diagnose, measure, and monitor diseases associated with inflammation–including heart disease and cancer– have not evolved to a truly clinically useful level. By looking upstream at neurotransmitter levels, we can gain important information about what’s really happening with our patients. 

Can Probiotics Regulate Lipid Metabolism?

By Carrie Decker, ND, Contributing Writer

There’s ample data to show that gut bacteria affect mood, immune system health, sleep cycles, and response to stress. It turns out that the gut microbiome—at least certain microbial species within it—also play a role in lipid metabolism, suggesting that some types of probiotics may have heart health benefits.