What’s the Difference Between a Naturopathic Doctor and an Epigenetic Doctor?

Different kinds of doctor’s take different approaches when treating their patients for illness. Let’s say, for example, that a patient has high cholesterol.

Medical Doctor: treats disease by prescribing a drug to the patient. A doctor would prescribe a drug to lower cholesterol.
Naturopathic Doctor: uses natural remedies to treat symptoms. They might recommend red yeast rice, a fermented rice proven to lower cholesterol.

People ask me all the time how I am different than a naturopath. While epigenetics is sometimes seen as a natural way to treat disease, there is still a fundamental difference between naturopathic doctors and epigenetic doctors.

“My job as a functional medicine doctor is to know what cholesterol does in the body and why you’d make it. Cholesterol makes up 70% of your brain, 30-50% of cell membranes, and the majority of sex and stress hormones,” says Doctor Goodbinder. “If you come to me I’ll say let’s make some lifestyle changes such as decreasing stress and getting your liver working appropriately, and suddenly your cholesterol goes down.”

As one can see, the approach of an epigenetic doctor is much different than that of a naturopathic doctor. Simple lifestyle changes can prove to be just as effective if not more, because you’re being proactive and treating the actual root of the problem rather than just covering up the symptoms.