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
We’ve all had patients struggling with chronic conditions like long COVID, fibromyalgia, Lyme disease, and chronic fatigue. Despite all the tools in our functional medicine toolkit, there’s still something missing. How can we truly help them? I’m excited to have Ashok Gupta is back on the New Frontiers podcast to offer a new take on that healing from chronic illnessquestion. He explains that how many chronic diseases stem from a malfunction in the brain’s threat detection system, where the body overreacts to perceived threats, triggering immune, nervous system, or mood responses, . This creatinges a vicious cycle. Ashok shares how retraining the brain and calming the nervous system can reset the body’s response to chronic stress and presents the growing body of research supporting thehis Gupta Program, including new subjective measurements like CRP showing its impact. What excites me most is the potential for this approach to help some of my toughest-to-treat patients. With more studies emerging, I’m increasingly hopeful this could be a game-changer. It’s a conversation you won’t want to miss! ~DrKF
What if the key to reversing chronic disease, slowing cognitive decline, and boosting energy lies in the tiny powerhouses inside your cells—and we’ve finally found a way to protect them? We know mitochondria power our cells, but did you know they also create oxidative stress as they generate energy? Protecting mitochondrial health is critical—but most antioxidants can’t reach inside the mitochondria where protection is needed most—until now. MitoQ, a scientifically advanced, mitochondria-targeted antioxidant developed by visionary researchers in New Zealand penetrates mitochondria up to 90%, offering protection where it’s needed most. In this episode with Dr. Siobhan Mitchell, we dive into how MitoQ is transforming the way we tackle chronic disease, inflammation, and cognitive decline. From improving heart health to supporting brain function, MitoQ is changing the game. It’s something I’m using personally and recommending to most of my patients. Listen in to discover how this powerful tool can help you support your patients at the cellular level—before symptoms even appear. ~DrKF
Berberine is a common choice in the functional medicine community to aid patients in blood glucose regulation. Up until March 2025, there were 30 randomized controlled trials on PubMed investigating this connection. Now, a new study published in a prestigious Journal of the American Medical Association publication (JAMA Network Open) brings that number to 31.
A recent study published by a team of scientists at Yale, UCLA, University of Florida, and University of Hawaii found that (unfortunately) experiencing violence and trauma becomes biologically embedded in our epigenome, and that these changes are passed down not just to the next generation, but to grandchildren as well.
Join me for a fascinating conversation around an exciting breakthrough in dementia detection that’s offering real hope for early intervention. Dr. Hans Frykman, Chief Scientific Officer at Neurocode Laboratories, is here to share groundbreaking insights into cutting-edge biomarkers that can identify Alzheimer’s disease before symptoms even appear. What’s even more fascinating is how these same tools are revealing neuroinflammation caused by infections, including COVID, Lyme disease, and mold exposure—issues that are incredibly relevant in functional medicine today. The assays Dr. Frykman and his team have developed are transforming the way we think about diagnosing and addressing neurodegeneration. We’re talking about a potential game-changer that allows us to intervene earlier, reverse damage, and ultimately improve the trajectory of these conditions. This is an extraordinary time in science and medicine, and the work we’re discussing today is at the forefront of it all. Don’t miss out on how this could reshape your practice. ~DrKF
We’re witnessing an exciting shift in how we understand gut health and disease—and it’s all thanks to the powerful metabolites produced by the microbiome, like short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and secondary bile acids. In today’s episode, Dr. Tom Fabian shares groundbreaking insights into how these postbiotics influence intestinal barrier integrity, immune balance, and even muscle regeneration. These compounds are also connected to key processes like glucose metabolism and healthy aging. What’s truly fascinating is how this science is opening up new frontiers in treating IBS, metabolic conditions, and chronic gut issues. With the upcoming launch of Diagnostic Solution Laboratories’ StoolOMX test an add-on to the GI-MAP, we now have a tool to measure these metabolites in clinical practice, making personalized and effective treatments more attainable. This is a pivotal moment in functional medicine that you don’t want to miss.
Sleepless nights can be more than just an occasional inconvenience—they often come with exhaustion, frustration, and confusion about why nothing seems to help. If you’ve (or your patients have) tried different remedies but still struggle to get quality rest, understanding the specific nature of insomnia is the key to unlocking deeper, restorative sleep.
In this episode, we’re diving into exposomics—one of the most cutting-edge fields in environmental medicine. We in the functional medicine space have long embraced this approach that focuses on the lifelong effects of environmental exposures, from the prenatal period on, and how these exposures shape our health over time. I’m thrilled to have Drs. Robert and Rosalind Wright with us, pioneers in this field at Mount Sinai to share their research exploring how environmental factors, from lead and air pollution to social stress, can influence chronic diseases like asthma, obesity, Alzheimer’s, and autism.
Join me and Dr. Colleen Cutcliffe, my brilliant friend, scientist, and the powerhouse CEO of Pendulum, for our deepest dive yet into all things Akkermansia. This free-flowing conversation will take your understanding of this extraordinary strain to a whole new level. We’ll explore Akkermansia’s pivotal role in metabolic health—think cravings, weight regulation, A1C—and why we’re deficient in the first place. Plus, we’ll discuss its connection to stress, anxiety, and even neurodegenerative diseases. We’ll also dive into the hotly debated topic of Akkermansia’s impact on MS, unpacking both sides of the controversy. And, we’ll touch on its promising influence on hormonal balance, from infertility to menopause. As someone who’s deeply invested in science, I’m personally bullish on Akkermansia and trust Pendulum’s products as part of my own foundational health stack. With groundbreaking science and fresh insights, this episode will change the way you approach your practice. ~DrKF
By the end of my book tour in 2022—one of the most amazing but intense experiences of my life—you could scrape me off the floor. (Who knew? I certainly didn’t expect it.) I was wiped out. My Oura data corroborated what I was feeling, and, particularly devastating, my HRV was stuck in the low teens. Thank goodness I’d layered an extremely needed vacation into the book experience, and we headed off to Baja California Sur. It was this vacation—and my almost immediate HRV rebound—that prompted me to trade the high-stress East Coast lifestyle for a more balanced, nurturing environment in Mexico longer term.
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Dr. Kara Fitzgerald, ND
Dr. Fitzgerald is an internationally-recognized expert clinician, as well as nationally-bestselling author, who is actively engaged in clinical research on epigenetics and longevity using a diet and lifestyle intervention developed in her research and practice.
She has published two clinical studies on the potential bioage-reversing effects of an 8-week DNA methylation-supportive diet and lifestyle in middle-aged men and women in the journal Aging. She continues to lead the conversation around interventions for healthy aging and their extensive potential in improving individual and population level disease burdens, while also providing evidence-based and practical advice that cuts through the hype.
Dr. Fitzgerald is on faculty at the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM), is an IFM Certified Practitioner, and lectures globally on functional medicine, longevity, and epigenetics to practitioners and consumers.
She maintains an award-nominated podcast series ranked in the top 1% of global podcasts by Listen Score, New Frontiers in Functional Medicine, and an active blog and Clinic Immersion webinar series through her website, www.drkarafitzgerald.com.
