These Are The Father Of Functional Medicine's 5 Go-To Plant-Based Foods

When you visualize functional medicine, images of biohacking, paleo snacking, and a fair share of avocados may come to mind. While the field of functional medicine remains complex (and there's no right path in terms of nutrition—it's all about what works for your own body), for Jeffrey S. Bland, Ph.D., FACN, CNS, the mantra is quite simple: Eat more plants.  

It only makes sense that the father of functional medicine would place such an emphasis on plant-based nutrients. "If we go back to the cultures that have respected longevity and ask what they ate, we find that they're eating very hearty plants," he tells me on this episode of the mindbodygreen podcast. (And with respect to the Blue Zones, it seems he's not wrong). 

Cruciferous veggies have long been touted for their gut-healthy properties. Rather than picking a few favorites, Bland says the cruciferous vegetable family as a whole (some key players include kale, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and broccoli) are incredibly nutrient-rich. 

"They not only have glucosinolates, but they also have interesting prebiotic fiber," he says. As with artichokes, the prebiotic fiber in cruciferous veggies can feed the "bugs" in our gut and keep it happy.

Bland loves a good bowl of oatmeal. "Oats have a lot of beta-glucan, which is a really important modulator of your microbiome," he says. (Another benefit: Beta-glucans can help lower cholesterol and improve heart health!). 

Before you check your pantry, you should know that this isn't your ordinary buckwheat. Tartary buckwheat is actually a plant crop that's actually not wheat at all. "It's called buckwheat, but it's not wheat. It has no gluten," says Bland. 

Rather, "It has 100 times higher levels of stress-fighting phytochemicals than in any other plant food," he explains.

While tartary buckwheat was common in early colonial America, there are only 20 acres of tartary buckwheat grown in the United States today. Why? "It's so high in phytochemicals that it's quite bitter." 

While red wine seems to get all the praise these days, Bland says people tend to overlook the benefits of beer. 

"Beer has hops in it," he says. "Hops are not only a bittering agent, but they are a bioactive member of the phytochemical families that stimulate insulin sensitivity and cause lipid metabolism." 

There's research to back it up, too: One review of existing medical data found that the compounds in hops can ward off some disease processes, particularly those related to metabolic syndrome.

In terms of which beer to opt for, Bland says the bitter, the better. "Go for an IPA, because you have more of those isoflavones and humulones from the hops." (Those are two of the good-for-you compounds). If you're partial to an amber, that's fine, too. Anything that has a higher IBU in it will give you those hops benefits, says Bland.  

However, he emphasizes that doesn't give you the go-ahead to start guzzling buckets of beer. "Just as with wine or with tequila, it has to do with magnitude," he says. Like many other experts in the field, the father of functional medicine is a huge proponent of balance. Very on-brand for Bland.