How functional medicine changed my perspective on health

By JASMINE B. SUIZA, RND

Diabetes. Heart disease. Cancer. Psoriasis. PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome).
You probably have one or two friends or family members with these chronic health conditions.
According to the July 2023 data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, included in the top ten causes of deaths in the Philippines are heart disease, cancers, cerebrovascular disease (strokes and aneurysms), diabetes, and hypertensive disease. A recent report from the World Health Organization (WHO) also shows that approximately 70 percent of deaths in the country are due to Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs)—also known as chronic diseases. NCDs tend to be of long duration and are the result of a combination of physiological, genetic, environmental, and behavioral factors.
The cases of NCDs continue to rise globally and in the country—but how do we start?
Have you heard or read about Functional Medicine (FM / FxMed)? Functional medicine is a comprehensive, systems biology–based approach to healthcare (not a branch of Medicine) that focuses on identifying and addressing the root causes of chronic health conditions. It combines the holistic approach to health with a modern understanding of biology, pathophysiology, tests, pharmaceuticals, and nutraceuticals to help improve the patient’s overall health. Through Functional Medicine, practitioners understand the person who has the disease, more than what disease the person has.
After learning and reading about FM, here are the five ways Functional Medicine changed my perspective on health:

1. It looks into why and how a chronic health condition happens.
Chronic diseases are largely caused by modifiable lifestyle factors (MLFs) like nutrition, stress, exercise/movement, sleep/relaxation, and even relationships. Yes, your relationships also impact your health! These five MLFs may switch genes on and off— resulting in either good health, or disease. FM focuses not only on managing the disease, but also in preventing them. Let’s take PCOS as an example. Instead of prescribing metformin or birth control pills to manage this chronic (often lifelong) health condition, FM looks into why and how it happens—which is inflammation and insulin resistance, and recommends lifestyle changes like food, exercise, and even relaxation techniques.
2. It investigates factors affecting your health beyond lab tests and anthropometrics.
The Functional Medicine approach seeks to answer the question, “Why are you ill? How did you develop your illness?” The FM practitioner finds out the answers to these questions by using tools (e.g. FM Timeline, a tool for organizing the patient’s health history, FM Matrix, organizes the patient’s past and current health imbalances) and functional tests (e.g. Organic Acids Test, advanced gut health test, comprehensive hormone panel, and advanced cardiometabolic test). The FM practitioner then uses information from these tools and tests to identify the root causes of your health condition, including your antecedents (factors that set you up for disease), triggers (events that provoke your disease), and mediators (factors that keep your disease going). Utilizing the information, the FM practitioner can gain in-depth understanding of your overall health.
3. It uses a personalized approach.
Taking all the information from FM tools and tests into consideration makes the FM approach personalized. The FM practitioner learns and understands the patient’s individual lifestyle, diet, medical history, external factors, and even genetics to develop a personalized Functional Medicine Prescription. This may include a lifestyle plan, functional nutrition plan, dietary supplements/medications, and/or additional tests. For example, two patients with an autoimmune condition (e.g. psoriasis) will have entirely different lifestyles, genetics, contributing factors, thus will require distinctly different interventions.

4. The patient is part of their own treatment plan.
FM uses a collaborative care team approach to manage health conditions. FM practitioners (e.g. doctors, nutritionist—dietitians, nurses, health coaches) and the patient work together to facilitate the journey to optimal wellness. You are a part of your treatment plan. As the patient, you are the main player in creating your healthy lifestyle changes. Together with the collaborative care team, you will prioritize and plan the next steps as a team. You will be empowered to take control of your health, because no intervention will be successful without your collaboration.

5. It changes not just your health, but your life.
Once the root causes of your health issues are identified, your Functional Medicine plan will address many areas of your life—starting with your five MLFs. Optimizing these lifestyle factors will not only manage your health conditions – they may also improve your overall health and prevent other diseases before they even happen. FM is not just for those with chronic health conditions. It’s also for individuals proactively managing their health, including athletes, health enthusiasts, and those who wish to maintain their body’s optimal performance.

Cliché as it may sound, but truly, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Through Functional Medicine, take charge of your health, from the inside out.