Dr. Kara Fitzgerald

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Sandy Hook, CT
Dr. Kara Fitzgerald

Actively engaged in award-winning clinical research on epigenetics & longevity. IFM Faculty & renowned international speaker.

Director of New Frontiers Functional Medicine & Nutrition Clinic. Subscribe to get latest content at www.drkarafitzgerald.com

11/09/2025

Most people have heard of creatine monohydrate. It’s the go-to form for athletes looking to boost strength and performance.

But what’s really interesting about this new study is that it used creatine hydrochloride (HCl), a form that’s more soluble, often better tolerated, and may reduce bloating (a common complaint with monohydrate).

A randomized controlled trial found that just 1.5 g/day of creatine HCl for 8 weeks increased brain creatine levels by 17% in peri- and postmenopausal women, along with a 7% improvement in reaction time.

Participants also reported better mood and lipid profiles than those on placebo or lower doses.
While research on creatine HCl is still emerging, these results are exciting, suggesting that even low doses of this highly bioavailable form may support brain energy, cognition, and emotional balance during menopause.

💡 Key takeaway:
Creatine isn’t just for athletes. It’s a mitochondrial nutrient that supports neurological resilience, metabolic health, and healthy aging.

PMID: 40854087

11/07/2025

While brain volume and plasticity naturally decline over time, new research suggests that creativity may help slow that clock.

A study using machine learning and brain imaging found that experts in creative pursuits, like tango dancers, musicians, artists, and even gamers, had “younger” brains than their non-expert peers, in some cases by as much as 6 years.

Even short-term learning made a measurable difference, reducing the brain’s age gap by more than 3 years.

The takeaway? Creativity keeps the brain young.

Engaging in skill-based, multisensory activities strengthens neural networks, boosts BDNF (a key molecule for brain plasticity), and enhances resilience across motor, cognitive, and emotional domains.

You don’t have to be a professional. The brain doesn’t care what you practice, only that you keep learning.

🎨 Dance, play, write, create. Your brain will thank you for it.

Source: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-64173-9

11/06/2025

Functional medicine is longevity medicine. When we address the root causes of disease, we’re already slowing biological aging.

In this clinician spotlight, Dr. Darisa Espinal shares how she integrates methylation mapping, SNP interpretation, and biological age tracking into everyday practice, and how these tools help her move patients from symptom management to measurable health optimization.

Her case results are remarkable: metabolic repair, improved thyroid antibodies, reduced HbA1c, and renewed vitality, all through personalized, systems-based care.

For clinicians, this is the next frontier: using the language of longevity to validate what functional medicine already does best.

Head to https://www.drkarafitzgerald.com/2025/10/22/darisa-espinal-root-cause-longevity-medicine/ to read more.

11/05/2025

Every clinician knows that moment when the system’s demands collide with human limits.

For Dr. Stubbs, founder of Rooted Femme, it became the inflection point that led her to root-cause medicine.

In this conversation, we talk about:

⚕️ Why clinician burnout is a metabolic and mitochondrial issue as much as an emotional one
🧬 How systems medicine restores not only patient health, but practitioner vitality
💡 Practical steps for reclaiming energy, purpose, and joy in medicine

This is one of the reasons we lean on Vibrant Wellness for accurate, fast, comprehensive diagnostics that give clinicians time back so their bandwidth is spent on care… not chasing labs, data, or workflow chaos.
This is a conversation for those who love medicine but refuse to lose themselves in it.

🎧 Head to https://www.drkarafitzgerald.com/2025/11/04/sustainable-longevity/.

11/04/2025

I’m excited to share that our colleague Romilly Hodges CNS will be speaking at the upcoming ENER-G Evidence-Based Nutrition Workshop, a free, grant-funded educational event hosted by National University of Natural Medicine

Romilly will be presenting a fascinating case she and I worked on together, recently published in Case Studies in Integrative and Functional Nutrition (ed. Angela Walker).

This event is an incredible opportunity to explore the clinical applications of functional and integrative nutrition, grounded in science, shaped by collaboration, and open to all clinicians and nutrition professionals.

🗓️ November 16, 2025, at 9:10 am
🔗 Register free: nunm.edu/events/evidence-based-nutrition-workshop

11/03/2025

Your gut and lungs are in constant conversation, even if you can’t hear it.

New research reveals that changes in the gut microbiome can drive inflammation and respiratory dysfunction through what’s known as the Gut–Lung Axis, a powerful, two-way communication network connecting digestion, immunity, and lung health.

Join me and Dr. Vivek Lal, founder of ResBiotic , on Nov 18 at 3 PM ET for a free, live practitioner webinar:
Supporting Lung Health Through the Microbiome: A Practitioner’s Guide to the Gut–Lung Axis 🧬

We’ll cover:
🌬 The molecular mechanisms behind gut–lung crosstalk
🦠 How leaky gut, dysbiosis & inflammation affect respiratory function
🔬 Key factors driving dysfunction in the gut–lung axis
💡 Clinical strategies to support lung health & longevity through the microbiome

Live attendees will have the chance to ask questions directly, and registrants get exclusive access to the replay.

🗓 Head to https://tinyurl.com/Gut-Lung-Webinar to register today.

🎓 Free for clinicians & health professionals

11/01/2025

In our recent Functional Medicine IS Longevity Medicine™ Masterclass, Dr. Vittorio Sebastiano shared groundbreaking work on ovarian rejuvenation and why the age at which a woman enters menopause can profoundly influence her healthspan and lifespan.

Now, new research supports a familiar tool in our functional medicine toolkit: vitamin D. A 2025 study in The Journal of Nutrition found that higher serum vitamin D levels were linked to stronger markers of ovarian reserve, suggesting vitamin D may help maintain ovarian health and fertility potential.

It’s one more reminder that foundational nutrients have far-reaching effects on longevity, reproduction, and women’s health.

Missed the Masterclass? Register for our practitioner training and get the replay! Head to https://www.drkarafitzgerald.com/trainingyyi/

10/31/2025

🎃 A Halloween treat your genes will thank you for: No-Bake Energy Bites!

🌱 Packed with sesame, sunflower, and pumpkin seeds, tiny powerhouses of methylation-supportive epinutrients, these bites fuel your cells and your healthspan.

It’s nutrient density disguised as dessert. 👇

Head to drkarafitzgerald.com/recipe/no-bake-energy-bites for the full recipe.

10/30/2025

Your muscles remember. Even years later.

When you stop working out, it *looks* like your gains disappear. But beneath the surface, your muscles are quietly remembering.

Every rep, every walk, every yoga session leaves an epigenetic imprint - a molecular “memory” - that primes your muscle cells to grow and repair faster the next time you move [PMID: 37154489].

💡 Here’s what scientists are finding:

- Exercise turns on muscle growth genes by removing methyl groups that silence their expression.

- Those changes persist for months (sometimes years), helping you regain strength faster when you return.

- Even aging or post-illness muscles can reset their epigenetic age through consistent movement.

Translation: your muscles are learning, and they don’t forget.

So if you’ve fallen out of routine… your body is already waiting to remember.

📖 Source: Bonnie Tsui, “On Muscle,” MIT Technology Review (2025)

10/29/2025

A new study from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) cohort shows that waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) significantly impacts cardiovascular risk linked to lipoprotein(a), meaning abdominal adiposity can amplify Lp(a)’s impact [PMID: 40081639].

For clinicians focused on longevity and cardiovascular health, it underscores two big takeaways: (1) measuring WHR adds nuance to Lp(a)-based risk stratification, and (2) it reminds us that targeted lifestyle and body composition interventions still matter, even in a “high genetic risk” patient.

Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0033062025000301

10/28/2025

A new multi-omics study of Maria Branyas Morera, who lived to 117, offers a rare look at what it takes to live long - and live well.

Researchers found:
✨ A younger epigenetic age. Her biological age appeared 10–15 years younger than her years.
🔥 Low inflammation and a resilient immune system, even in advanced age.
💗 Exceptional cardiovascular health: low LDL, high HDL, and stable metabolic function.
🦠 A youthful microbiome, rich in Bifidobacterium (she ate yogurt three times daily).
🧩 And surprisingly, short telomeres, reminding us that longevity isn’t about one biomarker but a complex symphony of resilience, repair, and balance.

This 117-year-old’s biology challenges what we think we know about aging—and points toward what’s possible when the body’s systems stay in harmony.

Source: DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2025.102368

10/27/2025

🎥 Missed the Longevity Masterclass?

Or want to revisit your favorite sessions with Dr. Kara Fitzgerald, Dr. Jeff Bland, Dr. Terry Wahls, Dr. Dale Bredesen, and more?

The Younger You™ Practitioner Training brings the best of the Masterclass straight to you, with on-demand access and practical tools to integrate longevity science into your clinical work.

🧬 Learn the evidence. Apply it immediately. Help patients change their biological age.

👉 Enroll now. https://www.drkarafitzgerald.com/trainingyyi/.

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http://www.drkarafitzgerald.com/

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