Future of Medicine

Traditional Western Medicine

- Biochemical individuality: the interaction of our unique genetics, diet and environmental factors (toxins, pollutants, mental stress, and physical activity) can modulate our genes determining the expression of them.
- Patient-centered treatment: treatment is directed to the patient rather than the disease, a different paradigm to that of the western medicine approach.
- Nutritional balance and bioavailability of nutrients: It is important to supply nutrients in adequate quantities and in balance with all others, leading to an optimization of their absorption and utilisation by the cells.
- Web-like interconnections of physiological factors: all functions of our body are interconnected. The Functional Therapy considers the interrelationship of all internal biochemical process rather than individual systems functioning autonomously and without effect on each other. For example, we now know that immunological dysfunctions can promote cardiovascular disease, that dietary imbalances can cause hormonal disturbances, and that environmental exposures can precipitate neurologic syndromes such as Parkinson's disease
- Health as a positive vitality - not merely the absence of disease

Traditional Western Medicine has come up with an extraordinary number of pharmaceutical drugs, with single treatments for a single diagnosis, however Chronic Diseases such as Arthritis, High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, Cancer, Allergies, Autoimmune Disorders, Chronic Fatigue, Depression, and others like ADHD, Autism, Infertility ( and the list goes on) are on the increase. Not to mention the myriad of side effects (some cases long term) of pharmaceutical drugs.

An increasing number of Australians are recognizing that their quality of life is not improving and are looking for health care choices that can go beyond the Western medical approach. A Medical approach not only focused on the traditional disease-centered practice, or an isolated set of symptoms but a holistic integrative medical look that supports the unique expression of health and vitality for each individual.

Integrative/Functional Medicine

Integrative/Functional Medicine is a dynamic way to approach, prevent and treat complex chronic disorders by detection (with functional diagnostic testing) and correction (with functional nutrition therapy) of imbalances that lead to illness. Those imbalances arise as environmental inputs due to inadequate quality of our diet, the air we breathe, the water we drink, exercise (more or less) and emotional changes that we go through.

These "imbalances" are considered according to the genetic individuality that occurs in each of us. Considering some examples: while an individual is allergic to cow milk the other is not. While for one person an orange can cause headaches and insomnia, for others not. While one needs more omega 3 to keep triglycerides and HDL at appropriate levels, the other needs less.

Why should we consider a Functional Nutrition Therapy?

Functional Medicine considers the interaction between all body systems, including the relationships between physical functioning and emotional aspects. These processes include communication, both outside and inside the cell; bioenergetics, or the transformation of food into energy; replication, repair, and maintenance of structural integrity, from the cellular to the whole body level; elimination of waste; protection and defense; and transport and circulation.

Integrative/ Functional Medicine is based on the following principles:

Functional Diagnostic Testing

Through assessment of the underlying causes and triggers of dysfunction, the functional medicine practitioner is able to identify and understand how key processes are affected, such as regulation of hormones and neurotransmitters, body ability to detoxify toxins, heavy metal exposure, etc.

Research Nutrition's objective

Research Nutrition's objective is to make a difference to your health by providing health practitioners the necessary tools to identify possible factors that can alter body systems, promote proper cell nutrition causing our cells to function properly, allowing the organs and systems to work with the unique purpose of maintaining the balance of our body, then promoting health.