Book Club Corner

A foundational functional medicine text examining the connection between physical health and mental/cognitive function. Hyman presents a systematic approach to identifying and correcting the nutritional, hormonal, inflammatory and toxic drivers of mood and cognitive disorders.

Often described as the definitive introduction to functional medicine, Bland — widely regarded as the father of functional medicine — makes the case for a systems biology approach to chronic disease, explaining the paradigm shift from symptom management to root cause resolution.

Dr Pizzorno — founding president of Bastyr University and a member of our Honorary Scientific Board — presents compelling evidence that environmental toxin exposure is a primary and underappreciated driver of chronic disease, including metabolic dysfunction, neurological conditions and autoimmunity.

Neuroscientist and Alzheimer's prevention researcher Dr Mosconi presents the first book to address the neurological dimension of menopause — the effect of oestrogen decline on brain structure, function and dementia risk — with a focus on evidence-based lifestyle and nutritional neuroprotection strategies.

An integrative physician and herbalist presents a comprehensive guide to female hormone health across the lifespan — covering PCOS, endometriosis, thyroid dysfunction, perimenopause and HRT — from a functional and botanical medicine perspective, with particular attention to the HPA-HPG axis connection.

A forensic re-examination of the Women's Health Initiative study and subsequent HRT research, arguing that the long-standing fear of oestrogen has been based on a systematic misreading of the evidence — with significant consequences for women's health outcomes globally.

A neurologist presents the evidence for the gut microbiome's role in brain health, examining how microbial diversity — and its disruption — influences neurological and psychiatric conditions through the gut-brain axis, neuroinflammation and neurotransmitter production.

A detailed, protocol-based guide to addressing H. pylori, SIBO, dysbiosis and intestinal permeability using evidence-based nutritional and botanical interventions. Particularly relevant for practitioners supporting the 5R framework in clinical practice.

Stanford microbiome researchers present the current science of gut microbial health — how dietary fibre and fermented foods shape microbiome diversity, the consequences of microbial depletion, and evidence-based dietary strategies for microbiome restoration.

A rigorous evidence-based examination of the nutritional science behind common foods — separating the evidence from industry-influenced guidance on fats, carbohydrates, protein sources, dairy, grains and ultra-processed food — with practical clinical and patient-facing application.

A paediatric endocrinologist and leading researcher in metabolic disease presents the biochemical evidence for the role of processed food — and specifically added sugar and refined carbohydrate — in driving the global chronic disease epidemic through metabolic, hepatic and neurological pathways.

Hyman synthesises the best of paleo and plant-based dietary approaches into a flexible, evidence-based framework centred on food quality, phytonutrient density, glycaemic stability and anti-inflammatory eating — with practical clinical application for diverse patient presentations.

Harvard geneticist David Sinclair presents his information theory of ageing — arguing that ageing is a disease driven by epigenetic disruption rather than genetic inevitability — and reviews the evidence for interventions including caloric restriction, NAD+ precursors, metformin and lifestyle factors in modulating the ageing process.

A physician specialising in longevity medicine presents a comprehensive evidence-based framework for extending healthspan — covering cardiovascular risk, cancer prevention, metabolic health, neurodegenerative disease and the critical roles of exercise, sleep, nutrition and emotional health — with practical clinical and personal application.

Nobel Laureate Elizabeth Blackburn and health psychologist Elissa Epel present the science of telomere biology and its role in cellular ageing, chronic disease and longevity — and the evidence for lifestyle, nutritional and psychological factors that influence telomere length and telomerase activity.

Stanford neurobiologist Robert Sapolsky presents the definitive account of the physiology of stress — how chronic psychological stress disrupts every major body system through cortisol, the HPA axis and autonomic nervous system — with profound implications for functional medicine's approach to stress as a root cause of disease.

Canadian physician Gabor Maté explores the evidence for the role of emotional repression, adverse childhood experiences and chronic stress in the development of autoimmune disease, cancer and chronic illness — presenting a compelling case for the inseparability of psychological and physiological health.

The leading sleep neuroscientist presents the comprehensive evidence for sleep as the single most important health behaviour — covering its role in immune function, metabolic health, hormonal regulation, memory consolidation and cardiovascular risk — and the consequences of chronic sleep insufficiency for every body system.