Creatine Benefits Beyond Muscle: Emerging Research on Brain Health, Metabolism, and Longevity

Creatine Benefits Beyond Muscle: Emerging Research on Brain Health, Metabolism, and Longevity

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Creatine has been around for decades. I leaned on it big time in my early career days (both as a physician and a competitive cyclist). I lectured on it in my second year of medical school. And as an athlete, I had firsthand experience of creatine’s most common side effect – water retention. I saw visible changes in my face and swelling in my ankles as I loaded on creatine before a big athletic event, dropping the dose afterwards. Even so, creatine has consistently demonstrated an excellent safety profile when used appropriately. What excites me now is its potential to benefit other areas, such as brain and cardiovascular health, and its validation by the latest research. In this 2-part article, we explore the latest research on creatine’s health benefits, clinical uses, dosing strategies, and potential side effects. Take a read; you may be surprised by some of the findings! ~DrKF

Urolithin A for mitochondria and immune health

Human Clinical Evidence Supporting High-Dose Urolithin A for Mitochondrial and Immune Function

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Age-related declines in muscle function, immune resilience, and cellular energy are closely linked to mitochondrial dysfunction, making mitochondrial-targeted interventions a key focus of aging research. In this context, recent placebo-controlled human trials show that a Urolithin A dose of 1000 mg produces broader and more pronounced effects on mitochondrial gene expression, muscle performance, and immune markers than lower doses.

Targeting Immune Aging: New Findings from the MitoImmune Study on Urolithin A (Mitopure®)

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Can Mitopure®, and its active ingredient Urolithin A, support an aging immune system? As we recognize immune aging as a primary driver of age-related disease, this question has taken on new clinical importance. The newly published MitoImmune study in Nature Aging provides the first rigorous clinical evidence to address this question. Conducted by researchers from Timeline, the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, and the lab of Professor.

AI in Functional & Longevity Medicine: 2025 Practitioner Insights

How Are Functional Medicine Practitioners Using AI? Access DrKF’s Report

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An excellent colleague of mine recently had an unpleasant experience when she discovered that every single citation in an article she’d generated using AI and sent over as a potential guest post appeared fine on first glance, but was completely fabricated. Not one existed. Thankfully, our team caught it very quickly and never would have approved it for publication without checking. But I’ll admit: I understand the temptation. Most of us are balancing a dozen spinning plates. If AI can lighten the load, who wouldn’t be leaning in?

The Power of a 10-Day Detox: A Functional Medicine Reset for Energy, Focus, and Epigenetic Balance

The Power of a 10-Day Detox: A Functional Medicine Reset for Energy, Focus, and Epigenetic Balance

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As functional medicine practitioners, we know that nutrition and lifestyle are among the most powerful levers for preventing and reversing all chronic disease, from cardiovascular disease and hypertension to cancer and type 2 diabetes. Yet we also see firsthand how challenging it can be for patients to translate recommendations into sustained daily practice. Deeply ingrained habits don’t shift overnight. In fact, a meta-analysis of 20 studies involving more than 2,600 participants found that health-related habits typically take 2–5 months to form, which is far longer than the popular “21-day” myth suggests.

Treatment-Resistant Depression: Why Standard Care Fails and What to Do About It

Treatment-Resistant Depression: Why Standard Care Fails and What to Do About It

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Despite a dramatic rise in antidepressant use in the United States since 1988, the number of Americans suffering from depression has not decreased. This leaves clinicians with a stark reality: more medication, without improvement. This reality raises the central question that inspired the Healing Depression Project: Is depression truly treatment-resistant, or are current treatments simply not effective?

Transforming Health, One Root Cause at a Time: A Conversation with Dr. Espinal

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In this practitioner spotlight, Dr. Darisa Espinal, naturopathic physician at Dr. Kara Fitzgerald’s New Frontiers Functional Medicine Clinic, shares her journey into functional medicine, the types of patients she supports, and how she integrates longevity medicine and root-cause care to help patients achieve optimal health and vitality. Dr. Espinal, can you share your path to becoming a functional medicine doctor and how your training shaped your approach to patient care?