Before you buy a cortisol supplement, make sure your cortisol is actually high. Dr. Craig Mortensen breaks down which supplements have research behind them, the ones we use at Premier IFM, who should avoid them, and the daily habits that lower cortisol naturally.

Your mouth may have more to do with your brain than you think. In this guest post, functional dentist Dr. Maryam Jackson reviews growing research linking periodontal disease, the oral microbiome, and tooth loss to cognitive decline. She also covers what you can do now to protect both your gums and your long-term brain health.

Researchers bought 30 top-rated immune supplements on Amazon and tested what was inside. Fewer than half matched their labels. Dr. Craig explains why where you buy supplements matters as much as what you buy.

Your heartburn might not be caused by too much stomach acid. Dr. Craig explains why some reflux patients actually have too little, why PPIs were designed for short-term use, and how to start looking for the real cause.

Weight gain around the middle, brain fog, fatigue, sugar cravings, and poor sleep may signal insulin resistance, even when fasting glucose is normal. Learn why insulin resistance can go unnoticed in women and which markers may reveal what standard labs miss.

For years, patients with persistent Lyme symptoms have been told: "It's all in your head." New research on brain activity, immune dysregulation, and biomarkers is starting to prove otherwise and point to why a root-cause, functional medicine approach may work better than repeated rounds of antibiotics.

Being told you're "MTHFR positive" doesn't automatically mean you need methylfolate, or that you have to fear every fortified food. Dr. Craig explains what 400 mcg of folate from real food looks like, when 5-MTHF actually makes sense, and the far more common reasons people run low on B12 and folate that have nothing to do with their genes.

Phosphatidylserine is one of the most well-studied nutrients for age-related memory concerns. In this post, Dr. Craig Mortensen breaks down what the research actually shows, including a 2022 meta-analysis and a 2025 randomized controlled trial, plus who should consider it, proper dosage, safety considerations, and why supplementing without addressing the root cause of memory decline only goes so far.

A 2025 randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial found that people sleeping on grounding mats showed significantly better objective sleep measurements than the control group. That's more rigorous than most supplement research. So what does the full body of grounding research actually show — and what doesn't it show? Dr. Craig gives you the honest picture.

If you're dealing with both acid reflux and hair loss, they may share the same root cause. Low stomach acid, long-term PPI use, gut dysbiosis, and the nutrient deficiencies they create — particularly in ferritin, zinc, B12, and vitamin D — directly impair hair follicle function. Dr. Craig explains the five mechanisms connecting digestive health to hair loss and what to do about it.

By the time Alzheimer's is diagnosed, the damage has been accumulating for 15-20 years. A blood test called the Cyrex Alzheimer's LINX measures immune reactivity against Alzheimer's-associated targets, blood-brain barrier proteins, neurological antigens, gut-brain axis markers, and pathogen reactivity, giving you and your doctor a detailed map of neurological risk decades before symptoms appear. Dr. Craig explains who should get it and what to do with the results.

Your cholesterol panel gives you four numbers — but most physicians never explain what they actually mean or what's driving them. Dr. Craig breaks down how total cholesterol is calculated, why LDL particle size matters more than LDL level, the direct connection between triglycerides and blood sugar, what HDL really tells you, and the best foods and lifestyle changes to genuinely improve your cardiovascular risk profile.

Berberine and metformin both activate AMPK — the same metabolic pathway triggered by exercise and caloric restriction. A 2025 clinical trial found berberine matched metformin's blood sugar benefits with fewer GI side effects. But combining them raises hypoglycemia risk and requires medical supervision. Dr. Craig explains the research, the risks, and who might actually benefit from combining them.

Every fall Dr. Craig stocks his family's natural medicine cabinet with the tools they reach for first when cold and flu season hits. From elderberry syrup and proteolytic enzymes to castor oil packs, garlic mullein ear oil, and InflamAway, here's exactly what's in it, what each one does, and how to use it correctly.

BioZyme is one of the most underrated supplements in functional medicine — a proteolytic enzyme formula that breaks down biofilm, clears chronic sinus congestion, resolves lingering post-cold coughs, and supports immune function. Dr. Craig explains exactly how it works, what his family uses it for, and the one mistake most people make when taking it.

Milk provides temporary relief from heartburn, but within an hour or two, it often makes acid reflux significantly worse. The fat and protein in milk stimulate your stomach to produce more acid, and whole milk relaxes the valve that keeps acid out of your esophagus. Dr. Craig explains the science, which types of milk are better, and what's really causing your reflux in the first place.

After nearly 17 years as a master stylist, Lauren Rowley developed sensitivities to ingredients in the professional products she used every day — including formaldehyde-releasing preservatives. That experience led her to create Bella Hue and to share what she wishes every woman knew: you don't have to be afraid of everything in your bathroom, but you should know what's in the products you reach for every single day.

If you have been through the standard fertility workup, been told everything looks normal, and still cannot get pregnant — the problem is not that there is nothing wrong. The problem is that no one has looked hard enough yet. Dr. Craig Mortensen breaks down the root causes of infertility that conventional medicine consistently misses, from thyroid autoimmunity and sperm DNA fragmentation to gut health, insulin resistance, and the risks of going into IVF without first optimizing your biology.

Still bloated or dealing with loose stools years after gallbladder removal? Here's the physiology behind post-cholecystectomy digestive symptoms — and how enzyme and bile support can help.