St. Charles Functional Medicine

04/06/2026

Another great testimonial from one of our wonderful patients!

04/01/2026

🚨 BIG ANNOUNCEMENT 🚨

After years of advanced testing… we’ve discovered the REAL root cause of all disease:

❌ Hydration
❌ Sleep
❌ Nutrition

It’s actually…

👉 Not drinking enough Mountain Dew and eating Pop-Tarts daily

Starting today, we are officially recommending:
✔️ 3 sodas/day
✔️ Ultra-processed everything
✔️ Zero sunlight

Results guaranteed in 3–5 days

03/30/2026

Another great testimonial by one of our amazing patients!

03/27/2026

💊SUPPLEMENT HOT SEAT: VITEX (CHASTE TREE)

The “hormone balancing” herb.

But what is it actually balancing?

Vitex can:
• Support progesterone production
• Improve PMS
• Shorten long cycles
• Help mild luteal phase defects

BUT…

🚩 If estrogen is already low → it can worsen symptoms
🚩 If cycles are irregular from stress → it won’t fix the root
🚩 If prolactin isn’t elevated → it may do nothing
🚩 If taken without cycle tracking → results are unpredictable

Vitex doesn’t contain hormones.

It works upstream — at the pituitary level — influencing LH signaling and progesterone output.

That means context matters.

Is it low progesterone?
Is it high stress suppressing ovulation?
Is it perimenopause?

Same symptom. Different mechanism.

Stop “balancing hormones.”
Start identifying which hormone is actually off.

03/23/2026

03/20/2026

💊SUPPLEMENT HOT SEAT: LICORICE ROOT

The “low cortisol” secret weapon.

But not everyone needs cortisol boosted.

Licorice root can:
• Prolong cortisol’s half-life
• Support low blood pressure
• Reduce afternoon crashes
• Help with stress resilience in true adrenal underperformance

BUT…

🚩 If blood pressure runs high → it can make it worse
🚩 If potassium is low → it can drive it lower
🚩 If cortisol is already elevated → it can increase anxiety & poor sleep
🚩 If used long-term without monitoring → it can cause fluid retention

Licorice doesn’t “stimulate” cortisol.

It slows the breakdown of the cortisol you already make.

That’s powerful…
when used correctly.

This is why testing matters.
And why adrenal support isn’t one-size-fits-all.

03/16/2026

FAQ: Can a Functional Medicine Doctor Order Labs?

Yes. Absolutely.

At St. Charles Functional Medicine, lab testing is a core part of how we uncover the root cause of symptoms.

We routinely order:

✔ Comprehensive blood chemistry panels
✔ Thyroid panels (beyond just TSH)
✔ Hormone testing
✔ GI stool analysis
✔ Nutrient testing
✔ Inflammatory markers
✔ Autoimmune markers
✔ Blood sugar & insulin markers
✔ Specialty functional labs

The difference?

We don’t just look at labs to see if you’re “diseased.”
We analyze them to see where dysfunction is beginning, often years before a diagnosis.

Most conventional labs ask:
“Is this within normal range?”

We ask:
“Is this optimal for how your body is designed to function?”

03/13/2026

💊SUPPLEMENT HOT SEAT: PHOSPHATIDYLSERINE

The “high cortisol” supplement.

But is cortisol actually high?

Phosphatidylserine (PS) can:
• Lower elevated nighttime cortisol
• Improve sleep onset
• Reduce wired-but-tired feeling
• Support stress resilience

BUT…

🚩 If cortisol is already low → it can worsen fatigue
🚩 If taken in the morning → it can blunt needed daytime drive
🚩 If brain fog is from low dopamine → it won’t fix the root

PS doesn’t “fix stress.”
It helps regulate cortisol signaling.

And cortisol has a rhythm.

The question isn’t:
“Are you stressed?”

It’s:
What is your cortisol doing… and when?

03/09/2026

03/07/2026

💊SUPPLEMENT HOT SEAT: PROBIOTICS

Everyone thinks they need one.

Not always true.

Probiotics can:
• Improve gut diversity
• Reduce diarrhea
• Support immune balance

BUT…

🚩 If you have SIBO → they can worsen bloating
🚩 If you have high histamine → certain strains can flare symptoms
🚩 If your gut lining is inflamed → they may not colonize well

More bacteria isn’t always the answer.

Sometimes you have to:
1️⃣ Kill
2️⃣ Repair
3️⃣ THEN repopulate

Sequence matters.

03/03/2026

Symptoms are just signals..follow them to find the root.

02/27/2026

💊Supplement Hot Seat: Tongkat Ali 💪🏼

Tongkat Ali is marketed as a “natural testosterone booster”…
👉 But clinically, it works more as a stress-hormone modulator than a simple T pill.

This isn’t a gym supplement.
It’s an HPA-axis influencer.

Who Tongkat Ali Helps

✔️ Low testosterone with high stress
✔️ High SHBG patterns
✔️ Fatigue with low motivation/drive
✔️ Men with cortisol-driven hormone suppression
✔️ Reduced libido under chronic stress
✔️ Overtrained or burned-out individuals

Why It Works

🧬 Lowers cortisol signaling
— reduces stress-mediated suppression of testosterone

⚖️ Improves free testosterone
— lowers SHBG → increases bioavailable T

🧠 Dopamine & motivation support
— improves drive, focus, assertiveness

⚡️ Adaptogenic effect
— improves stress tolerance without direct hormone replacement

Why It Can Backfire

❌ Can feel overstimulating
❌ Can worsen anxiety or irritability
❌ Can disrupt sleep if taken late
❌ Not appropriate in adrenal exhaustion states

How to Take It

200–400 mg daily
Best taken early in the day

Cycle:
👉 5 days on / 2 days off
or
👉 8–12 weeks on, then break

Clinical Pearls

1️⃣ Works best when cortisol is the problem — not primary hypogonadism
2️⃣ Raises free testosterone more than total
3️⃣ Not a replacement for testosterone therapy
4️⃣ Stack with magnesium & zinc cautiously
5️⃣ Less is often more

🚫 Who Should Be Cautious

⚠️ High anxiety or panic disorders
⚠️ Poor sleep or insomnia
⚠️ Adrenal exhaustion / very low cortisol
⚠️ Aggression or mood instability