Functional Medicine in the News - Collaborative Natural Health Partners

Recently, JAMA (The Journal of the American Medical Association) published the first ever study looking at the effectiveness of a functional medicine clinic ¹ – and it was positive. This is not surprising, however it is very exciting to have a powerful journal endorse natural preventative healthcare.

At Collaborative Natural Health Partners, we practice science-based, clinically validated medicine. In the last decade there has been a surge of new research pertaining to natural agents. To name a small fraction of examples- Echinacea vs Tamiflu ², Elderberry as an anti-influenza ³, Turmeric for anti-inflammatory effects in Osteoathritis ⁴, Omega 3’s for reducing triglycerides ⁵, lavender extract comparable to pharmaceutical anxiolytic Paxil ⁶, etc.

We at CNHP see natural medicine aid the preventative healthcare system day after day. The study in JAMA found that patients being seen at a functional medicine clinic had more significant and sustainable improvements in Quality of Life (QoL) than patients seen at nearby conventional family medicine practices. Functional medicine is a relatively new term describing essentially what a Naturopathic doctor does. Learn more about Functional Medicine here: https://www.ifm.org/functional-medicine/what-is-functional-medicine/ . Learn more about Naturopathic medicine here: https://www.naturopathic.org/medicine .

The purpose of this study was to evaluate functional medicine as a viable option for the looming healthcare concerns. Chronic disease and associated healthcare costs are on the rise, and changes need to be made to buffer the healthcare system in America. In any future healthcare model, preventative medicine needs to be paramount. I believe everyone should have a Naturopathic Doctor on their care team – it’s good for the patient, the climate, and the healthcare system.

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