Functional Medicine Reality Podcast
The Functional Medicine Reality Podcast, hosted by Dr. Mark Su, explores the root causes of chronic and complex illnesses. It covers conditions such as Lyme disease, mold toxicity, gut dysbiosis, hormone imbalances, hidden infections, and heavy metal exposure. Through real patient journeys and expert clinician reasoning, the show examines chronic fatigue, autoimmune flares, brain fog, cardiovascular risk, and other difficult cases. Listeners learn practical next-step strategies for environmental toxins, stress-driven inflammation, gut repair, and longevity. The podcast aims to help people advocate for themselves and make informed health decisions.
Episodes
44. Treating Mold and Lyme: A Live Consult on What Comes First and Why
You've cleaned up your diet, started the sauna, cleared the toxins out of your cabinets, and taken every supplement on the list, and you're still only about halfway back to the person you used to be. That's where Amy is.Five years ago she was a nurse practitioner juggling two phones and a pager on hospital floors and training for triathlons. Today she's managing lupus, mold in
43. Biological Age: GLP-1s & How to Know Which Numbers to Trust
Your ring gives you one biological age, your watch gives you another, and the lab panel you ordered last spring lands somewhere else. It's hard to know which number to believe, or whether any of it is worth the money you're spending on it.In this episode, Dr. Su talks with Ryan Smith, founder of TruDiagnostic, about how to sort signal from noise. Ryan explains that the most important thi
42. Health Advice on Social Media: How to Know Who to Trust with MaryJo Anderson
You've read the posts, watched the reels, maybe dropped your lab results into ChatGPT late at night, and you still don't know what to do next. When three doctors give you three different answers and your feed offers a new diagnosis every morning, the hardest part becomes knowing who to trust.Why this episode mattersMaryJo Anderson saw 50 doctors over four years before she found answers f
41. Why Your Doctor Shuts Down Supplement Questions (And What Should Happen Instead)
You've asked a doctor about a supplement, an herb, or a therapy like hyperbaric oxygen or ozone, and gotten a flat "that doesn't work" in return, with no real explanation and no room for follow up questions.Why this episode matters: Dr. Su has watched this happen to his own patients for years. In this episode he names exactly what's going on and gives it a term, ontologica
40. The Brain Health PlayBook with Dr. Trevor Berry
Most of us will get our teeth cleaned twice this year and never think once about our brain. That's the gap Dr. Mark sits down with Dr. Trevor Berry to close in this episode.Why this episode matters:Dr. Berry is a board-certified chiropractic neurologist and co-founder of Brain Restore Centers, a fast-growing national network built around a hard fact, the changes behind conditions like Alzheim
39. Why We Built a Transparency-First Functional Medicine Podcast
If you've ever wondered what you're actually getting when you walk through the door of a functional medicine practice, you're not alone. It's a crowded field, and there's no easy way to know what a given practitioner will actually be like until you've experienced it firsthand.Why this episode matters:In this episode, Dr. Mark Su steps back from the usual format of the
38. Christine's Story on Hormones, ADHD, and Getting Her Life Back
You've probably been told your labs look fine while you're barely functioning. That gap, between what a lab report says and what your body is actually telling you, is exactly where this episode lives.Christine has been a patient of Dr. Su's for over fifteen years, and this conversation traces her whole arc, from years of unexplained symptoms that finally led to a Lyme disease diagno
37. GLP-1s: The Science Explained, A Doctor and a Patient's Real Take
You've watched GLP-1s take over every feed, every ad, every conversation at a family gathering, and you're still not sure what to believe. Is it legit? Is it safe? Is it just the easy way out?Why this episode matters: GLP-1s and peptides have gone from a niche diabetes medication to a full-blown cultural moment in just a few years, and the information hasn't kept up with the demand.
36. Doctor First or Inspector First: What to Do When You Suspect Mold Illness with Mike Schrantz
You've read about mold. You've read about CIRS, mycotoxins, water damage, and now maybe even bacteria, and it's a lot. So you start looking into an environmental inspection, wondering if your house is behind the fatigue, the brain fog, the symptoms nobody's been able to explain.Why this episode matters:Dr. Mark Su sits down with Mike Schrantz, CIEC, one of the most connected in
35. Mobility vs. Stability: What Your Pain Treatment Might Be Missing, with Dr. Mike Melander
If you've done months of physical therapy or chiropractic care and your pain still hasn't moved, you're not imagining it, and you're not doing it wrong. Something in the plan was probably missing from day one.Why this episode matters: Most pain treatment starts with the same assumption: get stronger. But strength only works within the range of motion you actually have access to
34. Best Supplement for Longevity: Creatine, NAD, HRT, or Something Else Entirely with Dr. Mark Su
What's the single best supplement for longevity? Dr. Mark Su gets asked this question constantly, and in this solo episode he finally sits down and gives a real answer.It depends on what you're after. Want to feel younger and better? Creatine is the cheap, convenient place to start. Want something more personalized? Hormone replacement therapy, guided by testing, becomes the conversation
33. HRV Explained by the Man Who Helped Build the Technology, Vivek Menon
If you've ever glanced at your wearable in the morning and felt a small wave of anxiety over your recovery score, this episode is for you. And if you've spent years feeling like your body is stuck in some kind of alert mode, tired but wired, never quite settled, this conversation might put language to something you've been feeling for a long time without knowing what to call it.Why
32. The Hidden Power of Lyme Disease Symptoms That Masquerade as Other Conditions
If your symptoms have never fully added up, if you've been handed a fibromyalgia diagnosis that didn't feel complete, or if you've watched someone you love go through the medical maze with Lyme disease and come out the other side still struggling, this episode is for you.Lyme disease is the single topic that opened the door to functional medicine for me nearly two decades ago. And i
31. Why "Passing Code" Doesn't Mean Your Home or Rental Is Healthy
If you've ever been told your labs are "normal" while you still feel exhausted, foggy, or sick in ways no one can explain, you already know how little "normal" actually promises. It turns out the same is true for the buildings we live in.Why this episode mattersFor anyone managing chronic illness, especially mold sensitivity, MCAS, or unexplained fatigue, your environment
30. 3 Strategies for Medical Anxiety That Actually Work with Dr. Mark Su
If your stomach drops every time your doctor's office calls, or you find yourself spiraling into worst-case scenarios before a test result comes back, you're not broken and you're not overreacting. Medical anxiety is real, and it's especially common for people who've spent years navigating chronic illness, uncertain diagnoses, or being told their labs are "normal"
28. Why Your Probiotic Probably Isn't Working, And What to Take Instead
Ready to stop guessing and finally get a clear plan?Join Dr. Su for the Ask Dr. Mark Clinical Q&A Call, a small-group call limited to about five people each month where you can bring your real questions and get real direction.Book your spot: https://go.rootseekhealth.com/askdrmarkIf you've ever taken a probiotic for weeks, felt nothing, and quietly concluded they just don't work for
27. ADHD - Myths, Misconceptions & a Life Changing Diagnosis with MaryJo Anderson
You've said it before. Maybe quietly, maybe to a close friend, maybe just in your own head."I think I might have ADHD."And then nothing happened. There was nobody to follow up. Nobody to sit down with you and actually explored it. So you kept going, kept functioning, kept wondering.This episode is for you.Why This Episode MattersAdult ADHD, especially in women, is one of the most un
26. Chronic Illness, Mold & Relationships: What Helps, What Hurts, and What Nobody Talks About
If chronic illness has made you feel like a burden to the people you love, you are not alone, and you are not imagining how hard this is.Illness does not stay contained to the body. It moves through a household. It strains marriages, tests friendships, and quietly reshapes who you are in relationship to everyone around you. The fear that runs alongside it, the hypervigilance, the late-night sympto
25. What Your Hospital Bill Isn't Telling You (A Nurse Explains)
You went to the hospital. You got care. You came home.And then the bills started arriving, one after another, for amounts that didn't add up. And somewhere in your online patient portal was a diagnosis you had never been told about, for a condition nobody mentioned while you were lying in that bed.If that has happened to you or someone you love, you are not alone. And you are not missing some
24. ADHD, Stimulants, and Real Results with Dr. Mark Su
Once a month I open up one hour to five people only. Real questions, real answers, real direction. Grab your spot at go.rootseekhealth.com/askdrmark.You've probably been told the story about stimulant medication goes one way. You take it, you focus better, maybe you sleep less, maybe you lose your appetite. That's the whole conversation. But what if the real story is bigger than that, an
23. Hype or Hope? How to Spot Mold Misinformation with Mike Schrantz
If you've ever Googled "mold illness treatment" at midnight, desperate for answers, you already know how overwhelming it gets. The supplements, the sprays, the lab reports with pages of frightening health warnings, it can feel like you're drowning in information and still no closer to knowing what to actually do. This conversation is for you.Dr. Mark Su sits down again with Mik
22. Pharmaceuticals vs. Supplements: What Your Doctor Isn't Telling You
If you've ever stood in the supplement aisle wondering whether any of it actually works, or sat across from a doctor who handed you a prescription without explaining why, this conversation is for you.The question of pharmaceuticals versus supplements comes up constantly in functional medicine, and the honest answer is more nuanced than most people expect. In this episode, Dr. Mark Su breaks d
21: How to Choose Supplements You Can Actually Trust, with Leah Habjan
Got Lab Results But No Real Answers? Download your free guide: rootseekhealth.com/labsYou've probably stood in a supplement aisle, or scrolled past an influencer ad, and thought, I have no idea if any of this actually works. Maybe you've spent real money on things that did nothing. Maybe your doctor shrugged when you asked. That confusion is not a personal failing. It's the suppleme
20: Hair Loss, Peptides, and Taking Ownership of Your Health with Luigi
Got Lab Results But No Real Answers? Download your free guide: rootseekhealth.com/labsIf you've ever walked out of a doctor's office feeling like you were handed a prescription instead of an answer, you're not alone. That rushed, "here's a pill, see you later" experience is something a lot of people are navigating right now, and it leaves you with more questions than
19: Alcohol, Self-Awareness, and Root Cause Health: A Real Conversation with Dr. Su & MaryJo
Got Lab Results But No Real Answers? Download your free guide: rootseekhealth.com/labsReady to find out what's actually going on in your body? Book a consult at rootseekhealth.com.What does alcohol have to do with functional medicine?More than you might think.In this episode, Dr. Mark Su sits down with patient and guest MaryJo for one of the most honest, human conversations the Functional Med
18. Sick Home, Sick Body: A Real Mold Remediation Case Unpacked with a Dr. Su & Michael Schrantz, Mold Remediation Expert
Got lab results but no real answers? Download your free guide and finally understand what your body is trying to tell you: rootseekhealth.com/labsEpisode OverviewMold. It's one of those words that makes people freeze, panic, or reach for their wallet before they even know what they're dealing with.In this episode of the Functional Medicine Reality Podcast, Dr. Mark Su sits down with Mich
17. Statin Side Effects, Muscle Pain, and Brain Fog: How to Make a Smarter Cholesterol Decision
What if the knee pain you've been blaming on age is actually a statin side effect?That's a question worth sitting with. And it's one of the reasons I wanted to do this episode, because I see this pattern in real people, in real conversations, all the time. Someone's been on a statin for a few years. They're moving less, feeling foggy, their joints ache. And when they bring
16: Parasites, Lyme Disease & Cellcore: What Actually Heals Chronic Illness with Dr. Todd Watts
I'll be upfront. I walked into my first encounter with Dr. Todd Watts as a full-on skeptic.I'm an MD. I like data. I've literally told vendors at conference booths, hey, I'm not buying anything, fair warning. That's just who I am.But I remember standing in that conference room years ago watching Todd present on parasites, a topic I had barely touched in fifteen years of co
15. What Causes Autoimmunity? A Deep Dive into Viruses, Inflammation, and Aging with Dr. Jessica Lasky Su
Hey friends, what if we stopped fighting over labels and actually started treating the mechanisms behind what's making people sick? That's the question driving today's conversation with Dr. Jessica Lasky-Su from Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital.Here's the thing. Her team is working at the edge of some really fascinating science, genetics, epigenetics
14. Part 3: Living with Chronic Lyme Disease - Resilience, Recovery, and Reclaiming Life After 7 Years of Illness | Mary Jo's Journey
What does “I feel good” mean after years of chronic Lyme and a major surgery that reshapes your body and your identity? We sit down with Mary Jo to unpack a tender, determined third chapter: living well after treatment, navigating a post-hysterectomy reality, and rebuilding confidence without ignoring limits. The result is a rare blend of practical playbooks and soul-level honesty—how to budget en
13. Gut Health, Mental Clarity, and the Search for Balance: A Real Talk with the Next Generation
In this episode, I sit down with Sebastian, a family friend and college student, for an open and thoughtful conversation about health, food, mental clarity, and the overwhelm of modern wellness information. This is a rare and refreshing look at how the younger generation is thinking about health and asking questions many adults never learned to ask.Seb shares how his interest in lifting, performan
12. Functional Medicine and Mold: A Deep Dive into Mycotoxin Testing with Mike Schrantz
In this episode of the Functional Medicine Reality Podcast, I sit down again with my friend and colleague Mike Schrantz, an Indoor Environmental Professional I often call the “Doctor of Homes.” I’m the “Doctor of People,” and together we work at the intersection where sick buildings and sick bodies collide.Today we step into a thorny topic that affects a lot of patients and a lot of practitioners:
11. Unveiling the Truth: Financial Incentives in Healthcare
One of the questions I am asked most often by patients is this:“Don’t doctors get paid to prescribe medications?”It is a fair question. And if you have ever left a medical visit feeling rushed, unheard, or confused about why a prescription was offered when you wanted to talk about lifestyle change, you are not alone.The short answer, from my experience, is no. Doctors are not paid directly for wri
10. Understanding Your Symptoms: The Critical Role of Differential Diagnosis with Mihaela
Hey friends. This is one of those foundational conversations that quietly shapes everything we do in healthcare, yet it’s rarely talked about outside medical training.In this episode, I walk you through the concept of differential diagnosis, what it is, why it matters, and how overlooking it can delay healing or, in some cases, cause real harm.Differential diagnosis simply means creating a thought
09. Exercise as Medicine VO2 Max, Zone 2, and the Future of Longevity with Cooper Paul
Welcome back to the Functional Medicine Reality Podcast. I'm Dr. Mark Su, and today we're pivoting from the chronic inflammation world into the longevity space. I'm here with Cooper Paul, a pulmonary hypertension specialist at a major academic hospital in Boston and a true longevity medicine enthusiast who's taught me an incredible amount over the last few years.Here's the
08. Part 2: Living with Lyme - Mary Jo’s Journey from Diagnosis to Resilience
Welcome back to the Functional Medicine Reality Podcast. I'm Dr. Mark Su, and this is part two of my conversation with Mary Jo Anderson. If you caught our first episode together, you know we covered the long, painful road to getting a Lyme disease diagnosis. Today we're diving into what happens after you finally have answers.Here's the thing. Getting a diagnosis doesn't mean ev
07. Understanding Mold: Myths, Realities, and Treatment Options
Alright, so here's one I get asked constantly: Do I really need to throw out all my belongings if there's mold in my house?If that question's been keeping you up at night, or if you're stuck wondering whether dealing with mold means going bankrupt and starting over, take a deep breath. This episode's for you.I brought back Mike Schrantz, one of the most networked indoor en
06. Understanding Your Symptoms: The Critical Role of Differential Diagnosis
Hey friends, this one's for both practitioners and patients who've been around the functional medicine world for a while.Here's the thing. When you've been dealing with chronic symptoms for months or years, it's really easy to fall into patterns. You start assuming every flare-up is the same old story. SIBO acting up again. Mold toxicity. Food sensitivities.But what if it&
05. From GI Struggles to Stability: Anti-Aging in Real Life
From GI Struggles to Stability: Anti-Aging in Real LifeA Patient Conversation with JeanIn this episode, I’m joined by Jean, a long-time patient who generously shares her real-life health journey, not from a place of perfection, but from lived experience.This conversation is about what healing actually looks like over time. It is about chronic gut issues, instability, fatigue, and inflammation, but
04. Humanity in Healthcare: A Candid Talk with Dr. George Papanicolaou
In this episode, I sit down with Dr. George Papanicolaou, long-time mentor, colleague, and friend, for one of the most honest conversations we’ve ever had publicly about medicine, humanity, and what it really means to care for people.George was my first boss early in my career and has spent more than three decades practicing medicine across vastly different settings, from the Navajo Nation to prim
03. Part 1: Unmasking the Journey - Mary Jo's Story of Resilience and Hope
This is a deeply personal and meaningful episode.In this conversation, I’m joined by Mary Jo Anderson, who courageously shares her health journey for the first time publicly. This episode marks the beginning of a longer, unfolding story and a new chapter for both Mary Jo and this podcast.Mary Jo’s story is not just about chronic illness or Lyme disease. It is about what it feels like to slowly los
02. Mold, Health, And The Middle Ground
Mold is a real issue, but the conversation around it has become increasingly extreme and overwhelming.In this episode, I’m joined by Mike Schrantz, an indoor environmental professional and long-time colleague, for an honest, grounded discussion about mold, sick buildings, and how environmental health intersects with human health in the real world.Together, we explore how fear-based, black-and-whit
01. Kickoff Episode: Functional Medicine Reality Podcast
I’m Dr. Mark Su, a conventionally trained physician, functional medicine practitioner, and lifelong student of the why behind symptoms.This podcast was born out of real-life questions, real patient stories, and a deep sense that the healthcare conversation needs more honesty, nuance, and humanity. Not perfection. Not dogma. Just reality.In this kickoff episode, I share three confessions, a few piv
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