Why Women Need Functional Medicine | Autoimmunity, Hormonal Health, Mental Wellness

Dr. Jess grew up in rural Kansas and has a huge heart for the open farm fields and dirt roads.

Hello, and welcome to Immunity with Dr. Jess! Our team aims to empower women with a new perspective on their healthcare challenges and goals. As women, we are uniquely designed to have various changes throughout our lives. Unfortunately, we have not been well-informed on how we can best care for our bodies through the changes, and oftentimes, we receive a quick band-aid approach to our symptoms, which neglects the root cause.

Throughout my life, I've struggled with hormonal and immune system challenges. My onset of menarche (first menstruation) was at the early age of 10 years old, which was followed by physical and emotional changes - breast growth (although you wouldn't know it now, lol!), weight gain, acne and inflammation (lots of hives), and depression and insecurity. These led to a wild world of other challenges that I hope to dive into in the future.

Without a proper understanding of what was going on with my body, I ran to birth control pills to fix my issues. It remedied many of my problems initially, but I continued to struggle with depression and insecurity. However, there were no other options at my disposal. I did have a few very short stints on anti-depressants, as most of the girls around me were on them too, but I hated the completely numbing feeling of not being able to be super happy or sad. Just flatlined.

Fast-forward several years, I met the man of my dreams, and we were ready to start a family. I hopped off birth control and nothing… nothing… nothing… I had multiple cycles without a positive pregnancy test. I was already in chiropractic school, so I started looking into alternative reasons this could happen – adding supplements, cleansing my system, and cleaning up my diet. I was under a tremendous amount of stress from school, and I was breaking out in terrible hives with my boards. I exercised daily and thought I was doing "everything right." Yet, one negative pregnancy test after another.

I've since learned how delicate our bodies can be in this toxic world, and stress can trigger your body to go into defense mode. I can't lay blame on anything specific for our fertility struggles, but it’s frustrating when everything seems to be functioning correctly, but the normal processes just aren’t coming together. There is a disturbance that isn’t being addressed, which is where Functional Medicine is crucial in discovering the root cause. Finding the source of dysfunction can provide women with the best opportunities to live their lives optimally. We will always have stress, trauma, toxins, mold, pathogens, etc, so it's crucial to understand how to support yourself. People "recover" and succeed from these triggers all the time. These experiences or exposures do not determine us, but we are self-determining and give meaning to them. If you continue to focus and stress about these things, your body will constantly be in a sympathetic state (or stressed), and your immune system is on the defense.

Now, I am not discrediting your experiences or exposures – they are very real. If you feel stressed, depressed, fatigued, hormonally or metabolically imbalanced, inflamed, or experiencing any unwanted symptoms, that is why I am here! Modern medicine approach is a one-size-fits-all synthetic medication, which can have a time and place. As a preventative and recovery holistic practitioner, I want to empower you to take control over your joy and overall wellness with an all-natural approach. When something is off, let's dive into your biochemistry and support you with nutrients, medicinal herbs, and other lifestyle changes.

I've provided a few statistics on women's healthcare (this is not an exhaustive list) as to why people are turning to functional medicine:

1. Autoimmune Diseases

• Prevalence: Approximately 80% of the 50 million Americans with autoimmune diseases are women. (1)

• Rising Rates: Autoimmune diseases are among the top 10 leading causes of death in women under 65 in the U.S.

2. Chronic Conditions

• Chronic Disease Burden: About 60% of U.S. women live with at least one chronic condition (e.g., heart disease, diabetes, depression). (2)

• Cardiovascular Disease: The leading cause of death in women, responsible for 1 in 3 deaths annually. (3)

3. Hormonal Health & Metabolic Issues

• Infertility: Affects approximately 10% of women (6.1 million) aged 15-44 in the U.S. (2)

• PCOS Prevalence: Affects 1 in 10 women of reproductive age. (2)

• Thyroid Disorders: Women are 5 to 8 times more likely than men to have thyroid conditions. (4)

• Obesity: Affects approximately 41.9% of adult women in the United States, and Increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, certain types of cancer (such as breast and endometrial cancer), and reproductive health issues. (2)

4. Mental Health

• Anxiety & Depression: Women are twice as likely as men to experience depression and anxiety disorders. (5)

5. Medicinal Herbs in Women's Health

• Usage: Around 50% of women with chronic conditions use herbal supplements as part of their care. (6)

• Popular Herbs & Evidence:

  • Black Cohosh: Used for menopausal symptoms; clinical trials show mixed results, with some reporting symptom relief. (7)

  • Chasteberry (Vitex agnus-castus): Effective in reducing symptoms of PMS and cyclic breast pain. (8)

  • Ashwagandha: Shown to reduce stress and cortisol levels, supporting adrenal health. (9)

  • Turmeric (Curcumin): Anti-inflammatory properties beneficial for autoimmune conditions and joint health. (10)

Bibliography

1. American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA). Autoimmune Disease Statistics.

2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.

3. American Heart Association (AHA). Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics.

4. American Thyroid Association. Thyroid Disease Information.

5. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Mental Health Statistics.

6. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH). Herbal Supplement Usage Data.

7. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Black Cohosh and Menopausal Symptoms.

8. Journal of Women's Health. Chasteberry for Premenstrual Symptoms.

9. Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology. Ashwagandha and Stress Reduction.

10. Phytotherapy Research. Anti-inflammatory Effects of Curcumin.

Disclaimer

This document is for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your health regimen.