Who literally wrote the book on nutritional medicine? Dr Alan Gaby. In this interview, Dr Gaby talks about his pioneering work that ultimately resulted in the publication of what is arguably the most important reference text in the field: Nutritional Medicine, Third Edition 2023. In addition, he discusses explore nutritional therapies that are clinically very useful but broadly overlooked including potassium magnesium aspartate for fatigue, riboflavin for migraine prevention and identifying hidden food allergies for treating various conditions.

Guest:

Dr. Alan Gaby, MD

About our guest:

Dr. Gaby received his undergraduate degree from Yale University, his M.S. in biochemistry from Emory University, and his M.D. from the University of Maryland. He was in private practice for 19 years, specializing in nutritional medicine.

He is past-president of the American Holistic Medical Association and has given expert testimony to the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine on the cost-effectiveness of nutritional supplements. He is the author of Preventing and Reversing Osteoporosis (Prima, 1994) and The Doctor's Guide to Vitamin B6 (Rodale Press, 1984), and is co-author of The Patient's Book of Natural Healing (Prima, 1999). Dr. Gaby has written numerous scientific papers in the field of nutritional medicine. He was the contributing medical editor for the Townsend Letter for Doctors from 1985 to 2023 and was contributing editor for Alternative Medicine Review from 1996 to 2010.

Over the past 43 years, Dr. Gaby has developed a computerized database of more than 28,000 individually chosen medical journal articles related to the field of natural medicine. He was professor of nutrition and a member of the clinical faculty at Bastyr University in Kenmore, WA, from 1995 to 2002. In 2010, Dr. Gaby completed a 30-year project: the textbook Nutritional Medicine. The second edition of Nutritional Medicine was completed in 2017 and the updated third edition was completed in 2023.

Nutritional Medicine by Dr. Alan R. Gaby is a science-based, extensively referenced textbook written for healthcare practitioners and for non-practitioners who are interested in viable alternatives to conventional medicine. The textbook discusses hundreds of nutritional therapies that can be used as effective, low-cost, low-risk alternatives or adjuncts to conventional medicine.

Guest websites and links:

• https://doctorgaby.com

Selection of our guest's publications:

• Gaby AR. Nutritional Medicine, Third Edition. Fritz Perlberg Publishing. 2023.
• Gaby AR. Is There an Epidemic of Research Fraud in Natural Medicine? Integr Med (Encinitas). 2022 May;21(2):14-18.
• Gaby AR. Adverse effects of dietary fructose. Altern Med Rev. 2005 Dec;10(4):294-306.
• Gaby AR. The role of hidden food allergy/intolerance in chronic disease. Altern Med Rev. 1998 Apr;3(2):90-100.

Editor's note:

Connection was lost during the interview in two places. The reference to a vitamin for arthritis referred to niacinamide (see Osteoarthritis page 699, in Gaby A, Nutritional Medicine, Third Edition 2023).

The concepts of 'lifestyle psychiatry,' and 'nutritional psychiatry' are transforming the way we think about mental health and wellbeing. Professor Joseph Firth shares his influential work in this area and its implications for changing clinical practice and health policy. We also discuss the digital environment as a newly evolving lifestyle factor that influences mental health.

About our guest:

Dr. Firth is Professor of Psychology & Mental Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, U.K, with a PhD (Medicine) from The University of Manchester.

Internationally recognized as one of the most highly-cited scientists in Digital Medicine, Lifestyle Psychiatry and Mental Health, he was awarded the USERN Laureate in Social Sciences in 2022 and named Research.com's #1 "Rising Star" in 2023.

A five-time recipient of the Clarivate™ Highly Cited Researcher award (2020–2024), he has published over 300 articles with more than 45,000 citations (h-index = 90), including first-author papers in top journals like The BMJ and The Lancet Psychiatry.

His current research leverages digital technologies and lifestyle medicine to improve outcomes for people with mental illness, and he is currently leading a multi-million £ UKRI-funded project around the implementation of digital lifestyle interventions into youth mental healthcare.

Dr. Firth also leads the Lancet Commission on Physical Health in Mental Illness, and acts as expert advisor for the World Health Organization's "Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour".

He has also engaged extensively with traditional and online media, with his publications around lifestyle and nutritional approaches to mental illness receiving coverage from >700 news outlets (including Times, Forbes, CNN, etc.) along with televised interviews on Sky News and BBC television.

Guest websites and links:

https://research.manchester.ac.uk/en/persons/joseph.firth

Selection of our guest's publications:

• Brinsley J, O'Connor EJ, Singh B, et al. Effectiveness of Digital Lifestyle Interventions on Depression, Anxiety, Stress, and Well-Being: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Med Internet Res. 2025 Mar 20;27:e56975.
• Marx W, Lane M, Hockey M, et al. Diet and depression: exploring the biological mechanisms of action. Mol Psychiatry. 2021 Jan;26(1):134-150.
• Firth J, Gangwisch JE, Borisini A, Wootton RE, Mayer EA. Food and mood: how do diet and nutrition affect mental wellbeing? BMJ. 2020 Jun 29;369:m2382.
• Firth J, Solmi M, Wootton RE, et al. A meta-review of "lifestyle psychiatry": the role of exercise, smoking, diet and sleep in the prevention and treatment of mental disorders. World Psychiatry. 2020 Oct;19(3):360-380.
• Firth J, Teasdale SB, Allott K, et al. The efficacy and safety of nutrient supplements in the treatment of mental disorders: a meta-review of meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials. World Psychiatry. 2019 Oct;18(3):308-324.
• Firth J, Marx W, Dash S, et al. The Effects of Dietary Improvement on Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Psychosom Med. 2019 Apr;81(3):265-280.
• Firth J, Veronese N, Cotter J, et al. What Is the Role of Dietary Inflammation in Severe Mental Illness? A Review of Observational and Experimental Findings. Front Psychiatry. 2019 May 15;10:350.
• Firth J, Stubbs B, Sarris J, et al. The effects of vitamin and mineral supplementation on symptoms of schizophrenia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychol Med. 2017 Jul;47(9):1515-1527.

Dr Adrian Lopresti shares important clinical insights from his published research on natural products such as saffron, ashwagandha, curcumin and magnesium on anxiety, depression and insomnia. He also discusses personalised Integrative therapy, a holistic treatment model he has pioneered that places the use of natural products in the wider context of lifestyle medicine and nutritional psychiatry.

About our guest:

Dr Adrian Lopresti is the managing director at Clinical Research Australia, a clinical psychologist, and an adjunct senior lecturer at Murdoch University, Western Australia.

He regularly publishes in peer-reviewed, high-impact journals and has completed more than 50 clinical trials investigating the effects of ingredients such as saffron, ashwagandha, curcumin, lutein, bacopa monnieri, magnesium, probiotics, and holy basil on anxiety, depression, insomnia, cognitive decline, osteoarthritis, digestive conditions, and general wellbeing in children and adults.

Dr Lopresti also has over 25 years of clinical experience working with children and adults experiencing a range of mental health conditions and has extensive experience in utilising psychological, nutritional and lifestyle treatments.

Dr Lopresti is also the founder of Personalised Integrative Therapy, a holistic treatment for depression and anxiety, and regularly conducts workshops both nationally and internationally.

Guest websites and links:

https://clinicalresearch.com.au

https://pitherapy.com.au

Selection of our guest's publications:

• Schuster J, Cycelskij I, Lopresti A, Hahn A. Magnesium Bisglycinate Supplementation in Healthy Adults Reporting Poor Sleep: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial. Nat Sci Sleep. 2025 Aug 30;17:2027-2040.
• Lopresti AL, Smith SJ, Metse AP, Drummond PD. Effects of saffron on sleep quality in healthy adults with self-reported poor sleep: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. J Clin Sleep Med. 2020 Jun 15;16(6):937-947.
• Smith SJ, Lopresti AL, Fairchild TJ. Exploring the efficacy and safety of a novel standardized ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) root extract (Witholytin®) in adults experiencing high stress and fatigue in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. J Psychopharmacol. 2023 Nov;37(11):1091-1104.
• Lopresti AL, Smith SJ, Metse AP, Foster T, Drummond PD. The Feasibility and Efficacy of a Brief Integrative Treatment for Adults With Depression and/or Anxiety: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Evid Based Integr Med. 2020 Jan-Dec;25:2515690X20937997.
• Sarris J, Ravindran A, Yatham LN, et al. Clinician guidelines for the treatment of psychiatric disorders with nutraceuticals and phytoceuticals: The World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry (WFSBP) and Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) Taskforce. World J Biol Psychiatry. 2022 Jul;23(6):424-455.
• Lopresti AL. The Problem of Curcumin and Its Bioavailability: Could Its Gastrointestinal Influence Contribute to Its Overall Health-Enhancing Effects? Adv Nutr. 2018 Jan 1;9(1):41-50.
• Lopresti AL, Maker GL, Hood SD, Drummond PD. A review of peripheral biomarkers in major depression: the potential of inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2014 Jan 3;48:102-11.

Coenzyme Q10 has established use across both primary and secondary deficiency diseases. In this episode, Dr. Iain P. Hargreaves, PhD, an eminent scientist working on CoQ10, walks us through its history, functions, his work looking at blood brain barrier transport, clinical considerations around testing and supplementation, and where research is going in the future.

About our guest:

Dr. Iain P. Hargreaves, PhD is Senior Lecturer in Clinical Biochemistry / Honorary Consultant Clinical Scientist at the Neurometabolic Unit, National Hospital, Queen Square, London, UK School of Pharmacy, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK.

Following his completion of a PhD in biochemistry at Liverpool University, UK he worked for Prof. Simon Heales and Dr. John Land at the Institute of Neurology, University College of London, London, UK where he was involved in the establishment of the Neurometabolic Unit which specialises in the diagnosis of metabolic disease, especially mitochondrial and neurotransmitter disorders.

Dr Hargreaves worked in the Neurometabolic Unit for 21 years until he left to take up a lecturing position in biochemistry/clinical biochemistry at Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK. Dr Hargreaves has retained an honorary consultant clinical scientist and senior lecturer position within the Neurometabolic Unit and Institute of Neurology, respectively and is still actively involved in the mitochondrial diagnostic service.

Dr Hargreaves is editor of Coenzyme Q10: From Fact to Fiction (2015), Mitochondrial Respiratory Chain Disorders: From Clinical Presentation to Diagnosis and Treatment (2019) and author of 160 peer-review research papers.

Guest websites and links:

• https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Iain-Hargreaves

Selection of our guest's publications:

• Mantle D, Dewsbury M, Hargreaves IP. The Ubiquinone-Ubiquinol Redox Cycle and Its Clinical Consequences: An Overview. Int J Mol Sci. 2024 Jun 20;25(12):6765.
• Mantle D, Hargreaves IP, Domingo JC, Castro-Marrero J. Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Coenzyme Q10 Supplementation in Post-Viral Fatigue Syndrome: An Overview. Int J Mol Sci. 2024 Jan 1;25(1):574.
• Mantle D, Hargreaves I. Coenzyme Q10 and the Blood-Brain Barrier: An Overview. J Clin Med. 2025 Apr 16;14(8):2748.
• Staiano C, García-Corzo L, Mantle D, Turton N, Millichap LE, Brea-Calvo G, Hargreaves I. Biosynthesis, Deficiency, and Supplementation of Coenzyme Q. Antioxidants (Basel). 2023 Jul 21;12(7):1469.
• Mantle D, Heaton RA, Hargreaves IP. Coenzyme Q10, Ageing and the Nervous System: An Overview. Antioxidants (Basel). 2021 Dec 21;11(1):2.

Neurodegenerative diseases, including Motor Neurone Disease (MND)/Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson's Disease and Huntington's Disease, are generally considered progressive and irreversible, but a personalised, systems biology-based approach could challenge this view. A better understanding of the biology, modifiable contributors, and the use of personalised nutritional medicine is radically changing the way we think about neurodegenerative disease, and in this episode Dr. Kirstie Lawton, PhD explains why.

About our guest:

Dr. Kirstie Lawton, PhD is an AfN registered Nutritionist, a BANT registered Nutritionist, and a CNHC registered Nutritional Therapist, with a nutrition career spanning more than 20 years. She obtained a BSc Hons in Public Health Nutrition and a PhD in Nutrition from Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, and a DipION in Nutritional Therapy from the Institute for Optimum Nutrition in Richmond, London. She obtained a PGCE in Higher Education at the University of London to support her academic role. She is also completing an MSc in Neuroscience and Neurodegeneration through the University of Sheffield School of Medicine and Population Health.

In addition to her clinical role, Kirstie was integral in the establishment of the UK's first level 6 Graduate Diploma in Integrative Functional Nutrition at the Institute for Optimum Nutrition in collaboration with Portsmouth University, which was developed to support medical doctors, allied and complementary healthcare practitioners, to understand and incorporate functional nutritional concepts into their current practice. She is also a member of the editorial board of the Nutritional Medicine Institute (NMI) and journal.

​

Her interest in brain health is based on her own experience with a seemingly undiagnosable range of neurological symptoms, which have improved through diet, lifestyle and nutraceutical support. She is currently focusing her clinical work on diet and lifestyle approaches to support those with Motor Neurone Disease (MND)/Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson's Disease and Huntington's Disease.

Guest websites and links:

• https://www.younutritionclinic.com/

Additional publications:

• Crayle J, Lutz M, Raymond J, Mehta P, Bedlack R. Study of "ALS reversals": LifeTime environmental exposures (StARLiTE). Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener. 2023 Feb;24(1-2):54-62.
• Okun MS, Dorsey R. The Parkinson's Plan: A New Path to Prevention and Treatment. PublicAffairs. 2025.

Dedication:

Dr. Lawton would like to dedicate this episode to Ray Griffiths (1959-2025), who's work on Parkinsons disease inspired her own and was important for laying foundations for a systems-based approach to personalised nutrition and lifestyle medicine for neurodegenerative disease.

Genetic testing can help guide highly individualised diet and lifestyle medicine-based interventions and is also highly motivational. We meet Dr Denise Furness, a pioneer and thought leader on nutrigenomics and hear how she started in research and extended into clinical work and education for health professionals focusing on the role of genomics in nutritional and lifestyle medicine. Our discussion includes foundational concepts around nutrigenomics in clinical practice and her recent BIO AGE study.

Guest:

Dr. Denise Furness, PhD

About our guest:

Dr. Denise Furness PhD is a pioneer in the field of nutrigenomics and personalised health with almost 20 years' experience in the area. Dr Furness began her research career in 2003 investigating folate and B vitamin metabolism, methylation and DNA damage in relation to pregnancy health. Over the years her research expanded to include vitamin D, immune health and oxidative stress in relation to both male and female fertility. This research was conducted with the University of Adelaide, CSIRO human nutrition and The Women's and Children's Hospital in Adelaide, Australia. During this time, she witnessed a high success rate in the recurrent miscarriage and high-risk pregnancy clinics. She has published her work in peer reviewed journals and has won numerous awards for her research and conference presentations.

In 2012 Dr Furness founded Your Genes & Nutrition and began working with integrative medical doctors and learning about functional medicine. She has since become a prominent thought leader in this field and lectured for the Australasian College of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine (ACNEM), is editor of the ACNEM Journal and on the editorial board for the Nutritional Medicine Journal. Dr Furness regularly lectures globally at conferences for health professionals on topics related to nutrigenomics and functional medicine.

In her clinical practice, Dr Furness works with a range of patients helping them identify underlying triggers and root causes of their health concerns. Using a combined approach of genetics, biochemical markers, nutrition and lifestyle medicine she helps people take charge of their health and wellbeing.

Guest websites and links:

https://drdenisefurness.com.au

Selection of our guest's publications:

• Jankovic-Karasoulos T, Furness DL, Leemaqz SY, Dekker GA, Grzeskowiak LE, Grieger JA, Andraweera PH, McCullough D, McAninch D, McCowan LM, Bianco-Miotto T, Roberts CT. Maternal folate, one-carbon metabolism and pregnancy outcomes. Matern Child Nutr. 2021 Jan;17(1):e13064.
• Kos BJP, Leemaqz SY, McCormack CD, Andraweera PH, Furness DL, Roberts CT, Dekker GA. The association of parental methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase polymorphisms (MTHFR 677C > T and 1298A > C) and fetal loss: a case-control study in South Australia. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2020 Mar;33(5):752-757.
• McCormack CD, Leemaqz SY, Furness DL, Dekker GA, Roberts CT. Anti-Müllerian hormone levels in recurrent embryonic miscarriage patients are frequently abnormal, and may affect pregnancy outcomes. J Obstet Gynaecol. 2019 Jul;39(5):623-627.
• McCormack C, Leemaqz S, Furness D, Dekker G, Roberts C. Association between vitamin D status and hyperinsulinism. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2019 Dec;32(23):4005-4008.
• Furness DL, Yasin N, Dekker GA, Thompson SD, Roberts CT. Maternal red blood cell folate concentration at 10-12 weeks gestation and pregnancy outcome. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2012 Aug;25(8):1423-7.

Thomas G. Guilliams, PhD is an expert in a systems-biology based approach to dietary interventions, lifestyle medicine and nutritional and herbal supplements. This conversation shares his insights from extensive experience in dietary supplements that culminated in the publication of a foundational textbook, Supplementing Dietary Nutrients. We discus important themes such as how to contextualise the use and expectations of supplements alongside dietary and lifestyle changes, marketing vs. science, bioavailability, and issues around quality.

Guest:

Thomas G. Guilliams, PhD

About our guest:

Thomas G. Guilliams, PhD (Tom) earned his doctorate in molecular immunology from the Medical College of Wisconsin. For the past 28 years, he has spent his time investigating the mechanisms and actions of lifestyle and nutrient-based therapies and is an expert in the science and therapeutic uses of dietary supplements. Tom currently serves as an adjunct associate professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Pharmacy and was the VP of Science for Ortho Molecular Products for 24 years (he now serves them as a consultant). Over the past decade, he has written a series of teaching manuals (Road Maps) that teach and evaluate the principles and protocols that are fundamental to the functional and integrative medical communities. His publication The Role of Stress and the HPA Axis in Chronic Disease Management, now in its second edition, has become the standard for teaching this critical topic to healthcare professionals. He is the founder and director of the Point Institute, an independent research and publishing organization that facilitates the distribution of his many publications. A frequent guest-speaker, Dr. Guilliams provides straight-forward science-based training to a variety of healthcare disciplines in the use of lifestyle and non-pharmacological therapies. Tom is an avid outdoorsman with too many hobbies to list. He is blessed to live in the woodlands of Central Wisconsin with his family.

Guest websites and links:

• https://www.pointinstitute.org

Selection of our guest's publications:

• Guilliams, T. Supplementing Dietary Nutrients, Second Edition. The Point Institute. 2020.
• Guilliams, T. Bioavailability of Supplemental Dietary Nutrients: Challenges and Conundrums. The Point Institute. 2020.
• Guilliams TG, Weintraub J. Implementing Personalized Dietary Interventions for Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Diseases. Integr Med (Encinitas). 2023 Nov;22(5):18-26.
• Guilliams TG, Drake LE. Meal-Time Supplementation with Betaine HCl for Functional Hypochlorhydria: What is the Evidence? Integr Med (Encinitas). 2020 Feb;19(1):32-36.