Dr. Tom Guilliams, our go-to expert for anything related to nutrition research, returns to the Evolution of Medicine podcast for the second part of our Controversies in Nutrition series. Dr. Guilliams has written several books on the therapeutic uses of nutritional supplements.

Our guest opens the discussion by rebutting attempts by major medical journals to discredit nutraceuticals. He breaks down the weaknesses of their research and arguments, along with how the studies are biased and unscientific. He also reviews the limitations of specific nutrient biomarkers, realistic expectations for improving methylation through folic acid supplementation, and how to assess optimal vitamin D levels in individuals who receive plentiful sun exposure.

Listen to this episode if you’re interested in:

• Why treating based on genetic testing may or may not be beneficial
• The significance of tracking homocysteine levels in patients
• When to evaluate methionine levels
• The NAC controversy between the FDA and Amazon

Sandi and Steve Amoils are Medical Doctors who built a multi-disciplinary functional medicine clinic in Cincinnati, which includes chiropractors, energy healers, therapists and doctors. They talk about what first steps they took to work towards this vision, how they made their business work in a cash-based model, and why they partnered with a larger hospital system. Their clinic also runs an accredited fellowship integrative medicine program.

Download and listen to the full episode to learn more about:

• Their insights on how they became successful
• Increasing patient demand for functional healthcare
• Building credibility for functional medicine
• Why a large hospital system wants to run an integrative health clinic, and why the doctors singed onto that partnership
• And much, much more!

Dr. Shilpa P. Saxena adds to her series of Evolution of Medicine interviews with a discussion on polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). With both personal and professional experience reversing the condition, she walks us through the functional medicine approach to treatment.

Dr. Saxena explains how insulin resistance often accompanies and must be addressed through the “matrix” of each patient’s overall health and lifestyle. Since PCOS is a clinical diagnosis, she also describes the signs practitioners should look out for in their patients and how to confirm the diagnosis with the aid of laboratory testing.

Developing a niche in PCOS can be a great opportunity for practitioners since it is so prevalent, affecting between 6-12% of women, and because functional medicine provides the most robust treatment approach for complex metabolic conditions. 

Listen to the full conversation to learn more about:

• Tailoring treatments to patients with PCOS
• Which supplements to utilize in a PCOS treatment protocol
• Common root causes and co-conditions
• The importance of securing Phase I and Phase II detox pathways
• How group visits can be a powerful aid to treatment