Functional Medicine and Healthy Aging

With so much conflicting information available, you may have questions with where to even begin. In our Foundations series, we start with the basics and cover topics that are important to your health and wellness. We give you easy to digest information that answers your questions and hopefully leaves you wanting to know more! Today we explore Functional Medicine and Healthy Aging. September is Healthy Aging month, so we’re here to talk about some common ailments that afflict us as we age, and what we can do to stop them.

September is Healthy(R) Aging Month¹ was developed in 1992, as the first baby boomers were turning 50. At that time, topics of aging were taboo as many suffered quietly the effects of chronic disease and social effects of aging. Fortunately, many now wear their age as a source of pride and conversations about aging are more common. Despite that however, Americans have had a relatively stagnant growth in life expectancy, exacerbated more so by the COVID-19 epidemic. Even more distressing is that our healthspan², that period in life in which we are disease free, is on average 10 years less than our lifespan. So how do we begin to change things?

Graph source: KFF³

As a Functional Medicine provider, I believe that effects of chronic disease can be improved through a root cause approach. As opposed to operating in a silo – (diabetes: see an endocrinologist; heart disease: see a cardiologist) where each discipline is primarily looking through their own lens, functional medicine operates from a total body approach. We investigate your sleep habits, stress levels, nutritional intake, gut health and more to get a full picture of your body and how it operates.⁴

There are many common diseases that plague the aging American population: high blood pressure, diabetes, dementia…. Most have overlapping risk factors and root causes. It is rare that diabetes doesn’t lead to cardiovascular disease and there is good reason for that – our bodies are interconnected and each hormone and organ works in tandem with the next.

Read below for common root causes that may be leading to chronic disease along with general recommendations. Then learn more about specific diseases affecting aging Americans.

Root Causes

Within functional medicine, there are a set of modifiable risk factors that are assessed to help determine the root cause of disease or a general state dis-ease. We aim to work with the individual patient to determine which changes will be the most impactful and are within their scope for change. Implementing any lifestyle modification is difficult. Each small step that you take to improving your health adds up to huge changes over the weeks and years.

Sleep: Chronic sleep impairment of less than 7 hours a night is associated with diseases like diabetes, vascular disease and Alzheimer’s, as well as mental disorders such as depression and anxiety. Getting a good night’s rest often starts with a solid bedtime routine. *If you know or have been told you snore and are experiencing daytime fatigue, see a provider immediately to be assessed for sleep apnea, a potentially dangerous condition*

Meditation – deep breathing, calming music, or even an online sleep story help distract the mind from your daily to dos.
Minimize screen time – the blue light emitted from television and phones decreases natural melatonin production, making sleep elusive. Aim to turn off screens at least an hour before bedtime.
Exercise – Strenuous or stimulating exercise may ramp up your sympathetic nervous system, increase body temperature and raise the heart rate – all of which make falling and staying asleep difficult. Instead, opt for gentle movement like yoga, stretching or a walk. Note that exercise does not affect everyone the same way, so if you find exercise puts you to sleep, go for it!
Large meals/caffeine/alcohol – Caffeine and alcohol can disrupt the time it takes to fall asleep and how soundly you rest. Large meals make uncomfortable reflux more likely and can cause large fluctuations in your blood glucose overnight. If you do find yourself wanting a late night snack, try and stick with something high in protein like nuts or low sugar yogurt.

Diet: The Standard American Diet (SAD) is heavy in processed and packaged foods that are difficult for your body to digest, high in added sugar and low in nutrients. An imbalance diet leads to poor gut health which has a known impact on immunity, hormone production and mental health. We look at what symptoms you are experiencing and take a food as medicine approach in treatment.

Eat the rainbow – have at least 3 colors on your plate each meal to ensure a wide variety of nutrients
Healthy fats – incorporate fish to your diet 2-3 times weekly (unless on a plant based diet) and eat nuts and seeds regularly
Fiber – Fruits, vegetables and grains such as quinoa are excellent sources of fiber. Fiber helps feed the bacteria in your gut, establishing a healthy environment. Adequate fiber intake decreases cancer risk by 7-13% for every 10g/day fiber added to the diet. Bonus that fiber keeps you feeling full longer and helps fight against weight gain.

Exercise: Movement comes in many forms and is essential for good health.

Stress: We live in an age where stress is nearly constant and intense. Our nervous system was designed for fight (sympathetic nervous system) or flight (parasympathetic nervous system). When we are stressed, or in fight mode, chemicals are released which prepare us for survival. Long term however, these chemicals disrupt sleep, increase blood pressure, cause digestive issues and weaken our immune system.

Meditation
Deep breathing
Participating in an enjoyable activity – reading, games, hobbies, music

Relationships: Social isolation or a lack of meaningful connections is linked to an increase in chronic diseases and poorer mental health. Participation in activities with others has a significant impact on the development of chronic diseases. Research into Blue Zones, areas with the world’s healthiest populations have found that all emphasize social relationships in their key to health.

Blood Pressure

The amount of pressure needed to circulate the blood from your heart throughout your body is referred to as blood pressure. Typically, the amount of pressure in the blood vessels is 120mm Hg when the heart is pumping and 80mm Hg while it is resting, or 120/80 mm Hg. Current national guidelines diagnose hypertension at 130/80mm Hg. Above normal levels, the pressure on the blood vessels is causing microscopic damage to the tissues that can lead to severe issues like stroke or heart attack.

I like to think of the vascular system as plumbing. As you turn the spigot, water comes out more forcefully. Similarly, if you have a thinner hose or pinch off flow, the pressure builds up. If you’ve ever plugged a water hose while it was on, you’ve likely seen the hose bulge out as the pressure builds. This is what happens as your blood vessels narrow from plaque or stress hormones.

Root causes:

Sleep: a lack of sleep causes the release of hormones like cortisol and adrenaline which stimulate our fight or flight (sympathetic nervous system) response. These are the same chemicals released when you are angry, stressed or startled and lead to an increased blood pressure. Sleep disorders are also linked to an increased rate of obesity, which is a contributing factor to high blood pressure.⁵

Stress: Chronic worry and activity again puts our bodies into fight or flight mode and keeps it there. Our nervous system is designed to withstand periods of stress, but periods of rest are also required for health. Looking at ways to manage stress such as meditation, calming exercise, and improved sleep and dietary habits are essential.

Diet: Inflammatory hormones are released with heavily processed diets which affect stiffness of the blood vessel and the size, or tone, of the vessel. The consumption of high amounts of salt causes the body to retain additional fluid, akin to turning the pressure up on the water hose. Prioritizing a diet in whole foods like nuts, fruits and vegetables and healthy fats is shown to have a substantial benefit on blood pressure. The Mediterranean Diet is an example with the most supported data⁶.

Diabetes

As we ingest food and drink, our body breaks it down into 3 main parts – carbohydrates, protein and fat. This breakdown, digestion, is assisted by our pancreas, gallbladder and stomach acid . The carbohydrates then become further broken down into sugars where they are transported into the cell and used for energy. Carbohydrates are absolutely essential for the life of the cell. As the sugar is broken down, your pancreas is triggered to release insulin, which helps move the sugar from your blood to where it is needed in your cells. If the amount of carbohydrates (sugars) are too high for the insulin to keep up with, then the level of the sugar remaining in the blood rises. Over time, a high level of sugar in the blood stream contributes to the body to becoming indifferent, or resistant to it.

Diabetes is a disease where the body is not producing enough insulin, or is unable to use insulin properly. This leaves the blood sugar (glucose) elevated. In a healthy person, fasting blood glucose should be under 100. Levels higher than this signify impaired glucose metabolism.

Root causes:

Stress: High levels of stress cause the release of cortisol and ghrelin.⁷ ⁸ Both hormones are linked to food cravings and a higher caloric intake. Consistent high levels of these hormones leads to a higher consumption of carbohydrates and thus blood glucose increases above normal. Chronically high blood glucose is a contributing factor to developing insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

Diet: A diet high in processed foods is difficult for the body to break down properly and obtain proper nutrients. Inflammatory hormones produced contribute to insulin resistance and a higher fasting blood glucose. Higher quantities of added sugar, present in most packaged foods, also causes increases in blood glucose. Incorporating high fiber foods slows the digestion time and prevents large spikes in blood glucose. Though fruits do contain natural sugar, the accompanying nutrients are providing benefit to your gut and cells. Enjoy in moderation if you have current blood glucose concerns

Exercise: A sedentary lifestyle is linked with an increase in insulin resistance. Incorporating moderate movement to your daily routine helps use the blood sugar better and helps your pancreas produce more insulin. Exercise also provides stress release which will lower diabetes risk.

Dimentia/alzhiemers

External factors are increasingly being linked to the tragic memory loss disorder Alzheimer’s. Conditions such as social stress, high blood pressure, our diet and even the air we breath can affect our Alzheimer’s risk⁹. Through an increase in tau and beta amyloid plaques that accumulate in the brain, memory loss, confusion and an impairment of daily living skills occurs. This can continue for decades until the patient is no longer aware of their surroundings or their loved ones. For something so tragic, it’s helpful to know that there are modifiable lifestyle actions that can be taken to decrease our risk for this neurological disease.

Root Causes

Diet: Diets that are high in processed foods, sugars and excess calories are linked to inflammation. The inflammatory hormones released in response to processed foods are able to cross the blood brain barrier and exert damage directly to the brain tissue. A lack of nutrients and phytonutrients deny our cells the materials they need to function optimally and repair of our cells is decreased to a minimal amount.¹⁰

Sleep: The process of sleep is thought to decrease beta amyloid and tau proteins from being produced and additionally assist in the clearing of these toxic proteins from the cerebral spinal fluid. Though studies evaluating how adequate sleep helps prevent alzehimer’s disease and dimentia, multiple studies show up to a 30% increase in disease with insufficient sleep.^{11, 12}

Stress: Hormones that are produced in states of chronic stress produce inflammation throughout the body, including the brain. Functional changes are known to occur in the hippocampus, which is the area responsible for memory formation. High levels of stress are also linked to tau and amyloid beta plaque production ¹³.

Environment: Toxins are ever present in our environment and are increasingly being linked to Alzheimer’s disease and dementia ^9,¹⁴. Forever chemicals such as PFAS found everywhere from our drinking water to cookware to food packaging are known neurotoxins and linked to inflammation in the brain. Avoid plastics where you can (especially in the microwave) and focus on improving health through stress modification and diet to minimize inflammation.

Social: Increasingly, active social lives are linked to improved health. Social relationships keep you engaged and focused outside ourselves, and they bring joy, stress reduction and give you something to look forward to.

Making changes to our lifestyle can feel overwhelming at times. Focus on making a small change that feels doable to you. Then, once that becomes easy, add another. Then another. Enlist the support of a friend, loved on or neighbor and challenge them to make healthy changes with you. It is never too late to change the trajectory of our health.

To learn more about Functional Medicine and see how it may help you, schedule a free 15 minute consultation or head to our Work With Me page! Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter below as we delve into topics like lifestyle medicine, ingredient highlights, medication concerns and more.

Anytime that you are experiencing a health concern, please contact a healthcare professional for guidance. In the meantime, ensuring that you are providing your body with the nutrients it needs and supporting it through sleep and stress reduction will always provide benefit. The content on this site is for informational or educational purposes only and does not substitute professional medical advice or consultations with healthcare professionals.