The Best 21st Century Medicine: Functional Medicine
- Posted on
- By Dr. Adrian den Boer
- Posted in Functional Medicine, Preventative
- 1
What is Functional Medicine? Is it alternative medicine? Is it complementary medicine?
It’s none of the above.
It is an evolution in the practice of medicine, born out of the need to address complex, chronic diseases for which the simple, single pill diagnosis no longer works. Created by Dr. Jeffrey Bland in 1990, Functional Medicine incorporates the latest in genetic science, systems biology, and understanding of how environmental and lifestyle factors influence the emergence and progression of disease (Institute for Functional Medicine, 2015).
The World Health Organization reports that chronic diseases are the leading cause of mortality worldwide, representing 60% of all deaths (World Health Organization, 2015). This staggering statistic alone demands a better way to treat disease and promote health (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014)! Functional Medicine does this in several effective ways: