Functional Medicine in the treatment of Eating Disorders
Watch the video HERE
Functional Nutrition (FN), a clinical tool, lends itself to Chronic diseases such as gut health and autoimmune disorders. When there is an overlapping mental health condition of disordered eating- particularly restricting, this is not a way to go.
Silvina Cox, an RD who works in ED’s and received extra training in FN led our September discussion. She distinguished Conventional from Functional Medicine and each of them from Alternative (see second attachment). Some people practice “Integrative” by adding Alternative methods. Truly Functional Nutrition providers are evidence based- they take the time to build a therapeutic relationship, study the systems of the body, and target root causes of illness.
ED pts can complain of gut health issues. In fact, Celiac disease sufferers have much higher incidence in AN. And you can’t nourish the brain w/ Celiac. Dr Kathy concurred that in the presence of symptoms she checks for antibodies- then a referral to GI for endoscopy/biopsy and genetic testing. Silvina, in other cases collaborates with an allergist.
Short of Celiac, there is also Wheat Allergy (diagnosable through IgE testing) and Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity which has no biomarkers and can present w/ food allergies in childhood. Her 3rd attachment is quite helpful here.
Silvina also covered Elimination diets, sometimes called Detox- used to identify foods causing intra or extra-intestinal (joint pain, fatigue, foggy brain, rhinitis, bloating); also to heal the gut. (See 4th attachment).
Such diets as well as any testing come with a risk of increasing Orthorexic tendencies. Similarly, we appreciate the warning re: conflict of interest- when practitioners profit from prescribing pharmaceutical grade supplements sold through their own accounts.
Ultimately, it is good training and the building of a therapeutic relationship that is critical to lessen anxiety and restore an increased variety of intake for our population.
Our video feed, posted on the VFED website has some technical glitches, but these attached handouts are excellent- including references for further reading in the 5th/6th ones.