Kara Fitzgerald, ND, received her doctor of naturopathic medicine degree from the National University of Natural Medicine in Portland, Oregon. She completed the first Counsel on Naturopathic Medicine-accredited post-doctorate position in nutritional biochemistry and laboratory science at Metametrix Clinical Laboratory under the direction of Richard Lord, PhD. Her residency was completed at Progressive Medical Center, a large, integrative medical practice in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Fitzgerald is the lead author and editor of Case Studies in Integrative and Functional Medicine and is a contributing author to Laboratory Evaluations for Integrative and Functional Medicine and the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM)’s Textbook for Functional Medicine. With the Helfgott Research Institute, Dr. Fitzgerald is actively engaged in clinical research on the DNA methylome using a diet and lifestyle intervention developed in her practice. The first publication from the study focuses on reversal of biological aging and was published 04-12-2021 in the journal Aging. She has published a consumer book titled Younger You as well as a companion cookbook, Better Broths and Healing Tonics and has an application-based Younger You Program, based on the study. Dr. Fitzgerald is on the faculty at IFM, is an IFM Certified Practitioner and lectures globally on functional medicine. She runs a Functional Nutrition Residency program, and maintains a podcast series, New Frontiers in Functional Medicine and an active blog on her website, www.drkarafitzgerald.com. Her clinical practice is in Sandy Hook, Connecticut. Additional publications

DNA strands

6 Surprising Reasons to Test for the MTHFR Mutation

Many of you know about methylation and how problems with this process are linked to heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autoimmune disease, and autism. But did you know that methylation problems may also be involved in other more surprising areas of your health? In this article, we’ll dive into those other lesser-known consequences of faulty methylation and what you can do about it. But first, a refresher course on what methylation is and how the MTHFR mutation is involved in methylation problems.

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Epigenetics, SNPs, and Aging with Dr. Jeff Bland

Folks, I am just honored, thrilled, excited to be talking to my dear mentor and friend Dr. Jeff Bland on this episode of New Frontiers in Functional Medicine. Not only is Dr. Bland the father of functional medicine, but he’s also the founder of Big Bold Health, a company whose mission is to enhance immunity at the global level through rediscovery of ancient food crops and superfoods which support immuno-rejuvenation. Join me as I pick his brain on genetics, aging, SNPs, DNA repair, and senolytics, and find out why your genes are not a death certificate but rather a ‘uniqueness certificate’ that requires specific approaches. You won’t want to miss this in-depth conversation! Listen, learn, and if you would be so kind, leave a review on iTunes or wherever you hear my voice. Thank you! ~DrKF

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Beyond Extra Virgin—The Health Benefits of High Phenolic Olive Oil

Olive oil, known as “the great healer” of various ailments in Ancient Greece, has been used medicinally for centuries. Today, olive oil is known by health-conscious consumers and scientists alike to have medicinal properties ranging from heart health to cancer treatment. Yet when it comes to purchasing olive oil, the options seem endless – extra virgin, virgin, high-phenolic, early harvest, refined, premium, pure – leaving consumers perplexed. While taste may seem like an easy way to choose a condiment, this is not the most surefire way to choose a health supplement with proven results. In this article, we have gathered the most compelling, peer-reviewed and published scientific studies on olive oil’s health benefits to remove some of the guess work when choosing a healthy olive oil.

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Ketogenic Diet, Epigenetics, and Chronic Conditions with Dr. Dominic D’Agostino

Exactly a hundred years ago, in 1921, the ketogenic diet was developed, and yet we are still discovering its many benefits, including its positive effects on the epigenome. How fascinating is that? In this episode of New Frontiers, I’m thrilled to have renowned nutrigenomics researcher and fellow epigenetics aficionado Dr. Lucia Aronica interview one of the world’s top experts on the ketogenic diet – Dominic D’Agostino. Dom is also a neuroscientist, accomplished researcher, and associate professor of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology at the University of Florida.

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Best Tests and Treatments for Celiac Disease and Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity

Are your patients complaining of bloating, abdominal pain, brain fog, or fatigue? Perhaps you run a stool test and find that after treating the abnormal results, the patient’s symptoms continue. Or perhaps you have treated your patient many times for dysbiosis only to have it return again and again. At this point, it’s wise to consider that your patient may be reacting to a common dietary component such as wheat.

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Four Critical Reasons to Use Food Sensitivity Testing

Often food sensitivity testing is ordered simply due to patient demand for this service. However, the fact of the matter is that food sensitivity testing has a great deal of usefulness in clinical practice. Functional medicine practitioners have used it effectively to unearth the root cause of health problems, pinpoint the reasons behind what exacerbates a given health concern, and even determine which dietary supplements can do more harm than good.

The Gut Microbiome: How our Dietary and Lifestyle Habits Impact Diversity and Resilience

by Olivia Moeller We often talk about the importance of a healthy microbiome, but what does that exactly look like? Our lead nutrition resident, Olivia Moeller, MS, CNS takes a deep dive into the literature to help us define just that. Going beyond definitions, Olivia explores dietary strategies to support gut resilience and diversity which are…

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Immuno-Senescence: What Clinicians Need to Know with Dr. Joseph Raffaele

Folks, if you’ve been following me for any time, you I am fascinated with reversing epigenetic aging. With such research rapidly evolving, there’s always something new to talk about and my guest today has become a friend and a regular on the New Frontiers podcast – Dr. Joseph Raffaele: renowned expert on telomere biology and age management medicine. Dr. Raffaele, who is board-certified in internal medicine, diplomat at the American Board of Anti-Aging Medicine AND co-founder of PhysioAge Systems, joins me for the third time to talk about the latest in immunosenescence and aging. (You can find links to our previous conversations and related content in the shownotes.)