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Today’s Practitioner provides integrative and functional medicine practitioners with clinical research, expert insights, emerging science, and practical resources to improve patient care. 

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NewsResearch Update

Acetyl-L-Carnitine and Depression: What a New Meta-Analysis Reveals

A new systematic review suggests acetyl-L-carnitine may reduce depressive symptoms, with the strongest apparent benefits seen in older adults.
Engineered Nutrient DeliveryLipid Health

Is Niacin Still an Effective Option for Lipid Management?

Today’s cardiometabolic care is moving beyond a singular focus on LDL cholesterol toward a more comprehensive therapeutic strategy. Properly formulated and prescribed, niacin merits renewed ...
Galectin 3Modified Citrus Pectin

A 30-Year Investigation Into Culprit Biomarker Galectin-3: From Survival to Sepsis—and Beyond

For more than 30 years, Isaac Eliaz, MD, MS, LAc, has investigated Galectin-3 and its role in inflammation, fibrosis, cancer, kidney injury, sepsis, and emerging ...
Galectin 3Metabolic Health

Why Do Some Respond Better to GLP-1 Drugs? Galectin-3 May Offer a Clue

Why do two patients with similar metabolic profiles sometimes respond so differently to the same GLP-1 medication? Galectin-3 may offer an important clue. This emerging ...
ADD/ADHDMood Support

Can L-Theanine and Caffeine Improve Focus in ADHD?

A new study explores whether combining L-theanine and caffeine may help support selective attention and promote a state of calm alertness.
Nutrition

Specific Ultraprocessed Food Ingredients May Raise Hypertension Risk

A new study suggests that specific ingredients in ultraprocessed foods may be linked to a higher risk of developing hypertension.
Gut MicrobiomeTesting

Beyond the Gut: Finding the Upstream Driver in Complex GI Cases

The gut is often where complex physiology becomes visible—not necessarily where it begins. Explore a structured laboratory and systems-based approach for identifying upstream drivers and ...
Engineered Nutrient DeliveryLipid Health

Why Niacin Remains Unique for Lipid and Lp(a) Support

Nicotinic acid has a distinctive role in nutritional lipid support. By influencing free-fatty-acid release, hepatic triglyceride production, and VLDL synthesis, niacin works upstream in lipid ...
Healthy Aging

Can a Small Daily Dose of Vitamin K2 Support Bone Health?

A randomized trial found that 100 mcg of vitamin K2 improved osteocalcin activation in healthy adults. But does that mean stronger bones?
vitamin e

The Immune Enhancing Effects of Alpha-Tocopherol and the Tocotrienol Family

We all are familiar with the antioxidant principles of the vitamin E family, their importance as an essential nutrient, and the protection they provide against ...

Zinc and Selenium: Key Players for Healthy Immunity

Adequate nutrition is essential for the normal functioning of the immune system, although some nutrients are more important than others when it comes to defending ...
blood sugar dips

Widespread Nutrient Shortfalls May Increase the Risk of Infections

Ideally, a well-balanced, nutrient-dense diet, including a variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and healthy fats can meet all of one’s daily requirements ...

Part 2: Melatonin, Respiratory Health, and Infections

In Part 1, we take a look at the mechanisms by which melatonin may impact immune function and inflammation. Herein, we take a look at ...

Hemicellulose as an Immune Enhancing Tool

The Impact of Hemicellulose from Plants and Mushroom-Derived Polysaccharides on Immune Function Hemicellulose isn’t a new thing. In fact, it is as timeless as the ...

The Berrylicious Benefits of Black Elderberry

Pleasant-Tasting Purple Berries that Provide Powerful Immune Protection Let’s face it, we all have days when the burden of remembering to take our supplements or ...

From Snakebites to Seasonal Sniffles, the Many Reasons to Turn to Echinacea

The modern data supporting echinacea, the Indigenous American botanical Perhaps you know it for its distinct flower – a pronounced brown central cone, surrounded by ...
PCOS

Inflammatory Cytokine Markers Predict COVID Severity and Survival

Mount Sinai scientists have identified primary markers of inflammation IL-6 and TNF-α reliably predict COVID severity and likelihood of survival. This is providing a foundation ...
zinc

New COVID-19 Era Studies Show Zinc Supports Immunity & Respiratory Health

In recent months a number of new studies have emerged regarding the use of zinc in clinical settings. Zinc is necessary for normal metabolism and ...

Healthspan Demystified: Key Nutrients for Metabolic Health and Performance

When you think of dietary supplements with healthspan-boosting potential, which ingredients come to mind first (or show up in your patient protocols regularly)? Is it resveratrol? Creatine? Collagen? Nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN)? Or something more niche, like spermidine or ergothioneine? Your personal selection ...

Can a Small Daily Dose of Vitamin K2 Support Bone Health?

A randomized trial found that 100 mcg of vitamin K2 improved osteocalcin activation in healthy adults. But does that mean stronger bones?

Natural Strategies to Address Cardiovascular Health in Women

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in women, yet it continues to be underdiagnosed, misunderstood, and undertreated in female patients. Women experience different symptoms, different risk timelines, and different physiological triggers than men — and the consequences of missing those ...

Is Your Patient Ready for Sauna? The Missing Step in Heat Therapy Protocols

Sauna is one of the most evidence-backed lifestyle interventions for cardiovascular and brain health—but its benefits are not automatic. In chronically stressed, depleted patients, the same thermal dose that extends healthspan in Finnish cohorts can act as additional allostatic load.

Resveratrol: A Versatile Anti-Inflammatory Agent Across Multiple Conditions

A quick dive into PubMed yields numerous human studies on resveratrol in the past year alone. These recent studies show benefits for patients with osteoarthritis, cardiometabolic disease, Alzheimer’s disease, COVID-19, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), and periodontal disease. Its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions ...

The Aging Female Heart: Beyond the Male Model of Cardiovascular Care

Heart health remains a universal concern, but women face a distinct set of structural, biological and psychosocial influences that drive cardiovascular risk. As female patients transition through menopause—and the protective effects of estrogen drop—their risks amplify. Women require a personalized approach to ...

AHCC and Immunity: Evidence-Based Insights into Comprehensive Immune Support

From infection protection to disease prevention—how this shiitake mushroom extract offers comprehensive immune support for all your patients.   For centuries, shiitake (Lentinula edodes) mushrooms have been a cornerstone of traditional medicine, valued for their ability to promote immunity, vitality and longevity. ...

Comprehensive Joint Support: Science-Backed Solutions

An evidence-based protocol can ease aches and pains, tame inflammation, and help  active patients stay in the game. All active patients, from weekend warriors to aging athletes, face a variety of physical challenges, ranging from shifts in muscle mass and flexibility to ...

Understanding Methylation for the Busy Practitioner: What is Methylation, How Do You Test, and Treat?

Chronic health consequences associated with hypomethylation include cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disease, diabetes, neurodegenerative disease, psychological disorders, and cancer.8,9 DNA methylation results in gene regulation by switching genes on and off and is the most well-studied epigenetic mechanism.10 Epigenetics relates to how environmental ...

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