Functional Nutrition vs. Functional Medicine

First, I should clarify functional nutrition is not technically the same as functional medicine in that the providers may have distinctions. However, from a principle standpoint, they are basically identical, and have quite a bit of overlap in terms of the treatment tools that are used. I am not a doctor, and do not prescribe medication, but functional doctors don’t always use prescriptions either, although some do which is considered an ‘integrative’ approach.

Functional medicine tends to be more rooted in diet and lifestyle-based treatments. In fact, functional medicine was originally known as ‘nutritional medicine’. This term reflected its early focus on using nutrition to address underlying causes of chronic disease. Over time, the field expanded to include other integrative approaches, but the emphasis on nutrition remains foundational. In some states, chiropractors and naturopaths also work very similarly. So depending on the practice and provider, we all approach disease very similarly, it just comes down to the details of which tools we prefer to use and what specialties we focus on.

What is functional nutrition, and how does it compare to traditional approaches? Let's dive into the principles behind functional nutrition, how it addresses root causes of health issues, and why it’s a game-changer for long-term wellness.

If you’ve completed one of my programs, you likely have a pretty good understanding of functional nutrition because you’ve seen how it’s helped you resolve chronic inflammation that seemed to have no solutions. However, if you’re new to my slice of the internet, or still going through the process of unraveling the messy pile of spaghetti that is your symptoms, let me explain why functional nutrition matters, and highlight the similarities and differences between traditional nutrition and traditional medicine.

Addressing Root Causes, Not Symptoms

The most important and central theme of functional nutrition (and functional medicine) is that it addresses the ROOT CAUSE(S) of symptoms vs. suppressing or managing symptoms with medication alone. When we experience symptoms, there is a reason. Suppressing the symptoms doesn’t fix anything permanently; it just makes us feel better for the time being.  In order to actually reduce the underlying inflammation, functional nutrition uses comprehensive testing to identify the deeper cause(s), and then diet, supplements, and lifestyle to help the body stabilize and repair.

This root-cause approach also provides a better opportunity than traditional medicine in most cases for longer-term resolution of symptoms and further disease prevention. For example, GERD is often treated with acid blockers but is not a sign of acid-blocker deficiency. Instead, underlying issues like poor diet or gut imbalances are frequently at play. And by taking acid blockers for extended periods of time, the GERD is never fixed. It doesn’t go away, the symptoms are just suppressed and in fact new problems like vitamin and mineral imbalances can develop.

A Holistic, Interconnected Approach

A functional approach also emphasizes treating the body as one whole unit comprised of interconnected parts vs isolated body systems. This might sound like an obviously important mindset, but surprisingly traditional medicine and nutrition for the most part tend to focus on ‘specialty’ areas without much regard for, or collaboration with other specialties. For example, I frequently see clients who experience signs of blood sugar or cholesterol imbalance in addition to digestive issues. These symptoms are usually connected, but yet in a traditional medicine approach, they are each treated separately without regard for the gut as a central theme of both other issues.

A singular approach also tends to ignore not only other body systems but also the various aspects of treatment such as lifestyle, diet, and modifiable environmental factors. Traditional medicine may briefly touch on diet and lifestyle, but the primary course of treatment usually involves medication or surgery as a first-line therapy. Meanwhile functional nutrition and functional medicine focus primarily on diet and lifestyle, with medication and supplements in the background to support acute symptoms or discomfort.

Where Functional and Traditional Approaches Diverge

These concepts differ pretty starkly to traditional medicine, and even traditional nutrition to an extent. In my graduate nutrition program we were certainly taught about the importance of using diet as a means of disease prevention. At the same time, we also spent a lot of time learning about how to help patients manage symptoms with diet. This means that diet can perhaps help prevent disease from progressing as quickly, but it doesn’t mean it gets better or resolves. Traditional medicine is similar in that the mindset is to match symptoms with a prescription drug to suppress whatever discomfort is occurring. Nothing is usually repaired long-term, and it is less common for traditional doctors to develop a plan for stopping a drug than changing or adding new drugs. This is where the functional approach comes in!

There’s Always Hope

Regardless of where you are on the journey in getting back to health, or maintaining and optimizing wellness, know that there is always hope with a functional approach. Keeping nutrition and lifestyle on the front end of treatment, we can always dig deeper and find new clues to help connect the dots!

Explore how functional nutrition could address your root causes—schedule a consultation today!