Functional nutrition is nutrition that is related to the field of functional medicine.

What is Functional Medicine?

• Functional integrative medicine looks at treating people as biochemically unique individuals vs. diseases. It addresses the health and balance of the whole person vs. silencing a symptom.
• It supports the normal healing mechanism of the body naturally rather than just putting a Band-Aid on the disease.
• Functional Medicine is deeply science based. The latest research shows us that what happens within us is connected in a complicated network or web of relationships. Understanding those relationships allows us to see deep into the functioning of the body.

For more information please visit https://www.functionalmedicine.org/

Functional Nutrition looks at the foundational way that food affects your body on the cellular level. The recognition of our lifestyle choices (diet, toxic exposure, medications and stress) to influence genetic predispositions is a fundamental principle in functional medicine. In this way, functional medicine supports the unique expression of health and vitality for each individual.

Functional Foods are foods that have a potentially positive effect on health beyond basic nutrition. Oatmeal and beans is a familiar example of functional foods because it naturally contains soluble fiber that can help lower cholesterol levels.

Of course, all foods are functional because they provide varying amounts of nutrients and energy to sustain growth or support vital processes. However, functional foods are generally considered to offer additional benefits that may reduce the risk of disease or promote optimal health.