One of the most common clinical concerns I encounter from patients is surrounding vitamin D status. People ask: are my vitamin D lab values normal? How often should I test? How much should I supplement? Can I get enough vitamin D from sunlight and foods without supplements? What if my lab values say I’m insufficient but I have horrible reactions to vitamin D supplements? What about the report from the Endocrine Society that says I should have serum levels far beyond what the current NIH standards suggest is adequate?

We’ll look at answers to all of these questions and concerns here today as well as explore some of the biochemistry behind how our individual bodies utilize vitamin D.

Now that you’ve prepared the landing and oiled the gears, you are poised to tackle the final section. Here you will learn more about how to apply some basic principles of systems medicine to your own life. You will also better understand some future goals and targets for medical science research in our ever-evolving attempt to understand health and disease in complex living systems.

Understanding metabolism and how metabolic function is affected in such cases of imbalance is of paramount importance to long-term health. If we could travel back in time and gift our past selves and family members with this valuable information of metabolic health, it is quite likely we may have been spared some if not all of the hardship of the chronic illness or imbalances we find ourselves facing today. Regardless, even without our time machine, there is still a great deal we can do to repair our bodies when they’ve begun to break down.

In this 3-part series, we will target some of the most important foundation concepts in health and medicine. We’ll do that through:

Discussing what is missing from many current medical models regarding chronic illness pathophysiology, prevention, and treatment and why

• Preparing a general outline for a more effective systemic model for preventing and treating chronic illness

• Providing more clarity around the terminology of systemic dysfunction, to include breaking down the science of “neuroendocrine decompensation” as well as exploring alternative terms

• Offering some practical guidance on applying principles of systems-based medicine to your own life

In Part II of this 3-part series, we take a closer look at the inimitable role of the liver in detoxification. The science of how nutrition influences detoxification/biotransformation processes in the body is ongoing and while there’s much left to learn, significant evidence exists to conclude that dietary bioactive components and nutrients can regulate these processes primarily through impacting liver function.

In Part I of this 3-part series, we explore how the body's innate detoxification system works and what we can do to optimize it without falling prey to pseudo-scientific detoxification product marketing scams that may make us feel worse or drain our wallets without offering adequate support for overall health.

Minimizing disease risk requires appreciating the role that hormones play in predicting and perpetuating a variety of chronic illnesses. Nutrition plays a key role in influencing hormonal balance and attending disease outcomes.

What can the study of antioxidants teach us about the broader unique challenges of nutrition science? We are in the midst of a paradigm shift in the medical and scientific community that appreciates more about how complex systems perform. We can no longer rely on overly-reductionistic models to give us complete insight into how our bodies work or how food affects us.    

Supplements can have powerful beneficial effects and may possess the capacity to elevate health and enhance healing. However, when employed with a broad brush, without a more in-depth personalized medical evaluation or full appreciation for the unique needs of each individual, supplements can impede recovery and even advance disease progression. Knowing how to construct a nourishing foundational whole foods-based and appropriately individualized nutrition and metabolic healing strategy - which may or may not include minimal use of supplements judiciously timed and dosed - is ideal.