There are 7 basic principle of Functional Medicine:
1. Science-based medicine that connects the emerging research base to clinical practice.
2. Biochemical individuality based on genetic and environmental uniqueness.
3. Patient-centered care rather than disease-focused treatment.
4. Dynamic balance of internal and external factors that affect total functioning.
5. Interconnections of the body’s physiological processes affect every aspect of functionality.
6.Health as a positive vitality, not merely the absence of disease.
7. Promotion of organ reserve
Oxidative stress describes a state of physiological stress in the body that arises from exposure to high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) relative to the level of neutralizing antioxidants.
Free radicals can interact with molecules in the body and damage various cell components such as DNA, protein and lipids, giving rise to various disease states.
Oxidative stress is essentially an imbalance between the production of free radicals and the ability of the body to counteract or detoxify their harmful effects through neutralization by antioxidants.
The term Nutritional Medicine covers the application of nutritional methods in the treatment and prevention of disease. We address issues of diet and lifestyle and then take it a step further to use as a therapy modality.
As long as 2000 years ago Hippocrates said: “Let food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food”“…to know what man is in relation to food, drink, occupation, and which effect each of these have on the other …”
Historically, clinical nutrition was limited to treating general malnutrition and specific nutritional deficiency, however the field of nutritional science has gradually broadened to include diet, vitamin and mineral supplements, and other related factors in the prevention and treatment of diseases.
Today, Nutritional and Environmental Medicine is defined as the study of nutritional and environmental factors and their interactions with human physiology, biochemistry, pathology and anatomy. It involves the clinical application of these interactions in the optimisation of health, the prevention and treatment of disease.
Nutritional medicine is aimed at achieving proper balance within the body by providing the molecular environment that allows it to heal itself. This is done by looking at basic nutrition, providing those nutrients that are found lacking or reducing those found in excess.
Environmental Medicine is concerned with those physical and psychological symptoms that result from allergy or sensitivity to various inhalants, foods, beverages and numerous chemical substances in air, water and food. It identifies toxic and allergic factors to remove or avoid them and/or desensitizes the body so that their effect is negligible.
Mainstream medicine is reserved in its opinion of the usefulness of supplements, however it is our opinion that there is an adequate body of scientific research to validate many alternative therapies and we feel confident in offering these therapies to you in conjunction with mainstream medicine.
It is well established that nutritional factors are of major importance in the development of diseases such as atherosclerosis and cancer and strong links have been found with many other diseases. Beneficial effects of low fat diets in cases of heart disease are well known by many already and it has been accepted that supplementation of Folic Acid prior to conception reduces the incidence of neural tube defect in the fetus by 75%.
References:
https://www.news-medical.net/health/Oxidative-Stress-Effects.aspx
https://www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-Oxidative-Stress.aspx
(https://www.hindawi.com/journals/omcl/) Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity Journal is a unique peer-reviewed journal
Aims and Scope:
Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity is a unique peer-reviewed journal that publishes original research and review articles dealing with the cellular and molecular mechanisms of oxidative stress in the nervous system and related organ systems in relation to aging, immune function, vascular biology, metabolism, cellular survival and cellular longevity. Oxidative stress impacts almost all acute and chronic progressive disorders and on a cellular basis is intimately linked to aging, cardiovascular disease, cancer, immune function, metabolism and neurodegeneration. The journal fills a significant void in today’s scientific literature and serves as an international forum for the scientific community worldwide to translate pioneering “bench to bedside” research into clinical strategies.
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/omcl/si/920895/cfp/ Nutrients and Diet: A Relationship between Oxidative Stress, Aging, Obesity, and Related Noncommunicable Diseases