Functional Medicine Conference - June 2016

What is this Conference?

The Functional Medicine Conference was the first of its kind in Ireland, and was organised by the Institute of Health Science, and nutritionist, Maev Creaven. This was a full day event, with internationally recognised keynote speakers of functional medicine, and was aimed at increasing knowledge of 3 key topics among nutritional therapists. The topics, and speakers were the following:

- Dr Liz Lipski, who spoke about ‘Balancing the Gut-Brain Axis to Improve Mental Health‘,

- Dr Kara Fitzgerald, on ‘Towards a Methylation Diet and Lifestyle‘

- Michael Ash, whose talk was entitled 'Mitochondria, Microbiome, Metabolome: Mechanisms and Interventions for clinical care'.

'Balancing the Gut-Brain Axis to Improve Mental Health' - Key Takeaways

Dr Liz Lipski gave a very engaging and interesting talk about the importance of gut health, and its links to mental health. She posed the question of whether depression, anxiety and other mental health issues begin in the gut, and cited emerging research which lends a lot of evidence to this theory. Very interestingly, recent research has shown that a large percentage of people who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), also experience depression, anxiety, and/or schizophrenia. Added to this, as many as 20% of people with schizophrenia have gluten-intolerance.

The main point? When gastrointestinal issues are resolved, many people’s mental health complaints can also be vastly improved. There is an overlap between digestive and mental health issues, and diet plays an important role in balancing the gut and mental health.

My own 2 cents

This was a very interesting talk, and tied together a lot of research, which is focusing on similar themes. I agree that balancing the gut plays a very important role in mental health, and I would also add that it is important to build on this with adequate nutrients to support brain and mental health, as well as adding regular exercise, could be just as important to improved mental health.

Nutrients such as vitamins D, A, and E, which have been linked to inflammatory regulation in the brain, and vitamins B2, B6, B9, and B12 which impact the functioning of the methylation cycle. Methylation has many functions, and when it is impaired, it decreases our ability to think clearly, and even to have meaningful relationships, maintain a healthy body, and live a fulfilling life. For example, if serotonin (a neurotransmitter) is not properly methylated, it can become inactive, which in turn can lead to depression.

Other important nutrients for mental health are said to include calcium, chromium, folate, iron, magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids, and zinc. For example, low levels of calcium may play a role in PMS-related depression in particular, while magnesium deficiency can cause irritability, fatigue, mental confusion, and predisposition to stress. Each of these nutrients plays an important role in maintaining mental health.

In my opinion, exercise is another key step to be added in line with balancing the gut. Research has shown that exercise releases chemicals in the brain, leading to generally feeling better, improved self-esteem, better concentration and sleep.

‘Towards a Methylation Diet and Lifestyle‘ - Key Takeaways

Dr Kara Fitzgerald defines methylation as a fundamental, homeodynamic process utilised by the body for myriad activities, ranging from cell division, CNS development and epigenetic regulation of genetic expression to immune cell differentiation, neurotransmitter biosynthesis, detoxification and hormone biotransformation. Quite a mouthful! In a nutshell, it is a vitally important process, and can be influenced by both diet and lifestyle, as can be impaired in some people from birth. For example, low, or hypomethylation, has been associated with a variety of conditions, including Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), autism and advanced aging, cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, immune hypersensitivity, and inflammation. In some cases of hypermethylation, this can be linked to multiple types of cancer, Down Syndrome, Alzheimers disease, and immune dysfunction.

The main points I took away were that medical and nutritional experts and practitioners need to evolve and increase our understanding of how to assess and support balanced methylation states. We know already that many factors can influence methylation at the same time, and we need to develop better protocols to balance methylation.

My own 2 cents

Methylation is a very complex topic, and is associated with several clinically relevant conditions, when it is both up or down regulated. There are many diet and lifestyle changes that can be made to support balanced methylation, and I agree with Dr Fitzgerald, that research needs to focus on more ways to bring about the right balance. I liked her suggestion to eat stewed apples, as a way to both nourish the gut microbiome, and support methylation. This was news to me, and is now my new addiction.

'Mitochondria, Microbiome, Metabolome: Mechanisms and Interventions for clinical care' - Key Takeaways

Michael Ash's talk focused on the important and complex links between gut flora, energy, metabolism, and the immune system. Nutrition plays a vital role in ensuring the right quality and diversity of your gut microbiome (bacteria, etc.). Poor quality and a lacj of diversity have been linked in recent research to the quality of mitochondrial function in cells, which directly affects the body's energy supply, metabolism, and immune response.

Mr Ash illustrated these points with some case studies, which brought the theory to life, and demonstrated how important these links are in everyday life. He also discussed the many inflammatory and anti-inflammatory foods, which have a profound effect on the gut microbiome.

The main points I took away were that there is an intimate and interconnected relationship between our gut organisms and us, in the context of a rapidly changing digestive tract. We need to balance the gut through nutrition, and support this with lifestyle. Medical professionals need to develop food-based approaches to prevent or treat many diseases.

My own 2 cents

We cannot underestimate how much can be achieved through nutrition and lifestyle changes. Key factors involved in impairing the microbiome include stress, a poor diet which is high in inflammatory foods and low in nutrients, and infection. By improving all of these areas, and performing a glut-healing protocol, significant improvements can be made to energy, immunity, digestion, and metabolism. Added to this to research on mental health and methylation, and the case for a healthy gut is reinforced even more.

Main Thoughts on the Conference

Despite a few logisitical issues on the day, this was time well spent, and the speakers came across as extremely well prepared and well researched. The consistent theme throughout the day was that of gut microbiome health, and each talk added to the complex tapestry of gut health and its affects on the whole body. I'm happy to see that functional medicine and nutritional therapy are exploring these important areas, and making this information available to practitioners. What I really wish, though, is that Western medicine would invest in more research into these areas, and investigate gut health improvement ahead of treatments that are purely pharmaceutical based. Let's hope that this happens soon, but until that time, nutritional therapists and functional medicine doctors will continue, where possible, to support patients through gut microbiome balance.