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Functional medicine is taking America by storm, but why?
According to the consumer intelligence company NIQ, sales of products with food-as-medicine claims have outpaced total food and beverage sales. These claims include that food can improve metabolism support, the microbiome, inflammation, blood sugar control, acid reflux, joint support and pain control.
One of the focuses of functional medicine is disease prevention -- focusing on preventing disease by lifestyle changes and diet, instead of getting diagnosed with a disease and then treating it.
According to the CDC, six in 10 Americans have at least one chronic disease, and four in 10 have two or more. These conditions are some of the leading causes of death globally and are responsible for 70% of deaths around the world.
“Preventing disease can decrease the amount of side effects from potential medications which may be taken during the diseased treatment,” said Kelly Pavlish, a nurse practitioner who practices functional medicine in Belleview, Nebraska. “Preventing disease has been shown to be much cheaper than treating disease. Functional healthcare in general attempts at preventing disease. When a provider is preventing disease, the provider may identify why that client is at risk for the disease either by family history, environmental factors or a particular lab value.”
Some functional health practitioners believe that they can assess what diseases patients are more susceptible to and what changes patients need to make to bring those risks down by doing tests on their blood or stool. However, Sabine Zempleni, a University of Nebraska professor of Nutrition and Health Sciences disagrees.
“I know there are so many tests out there that, especially with personalized nutrition, that say, ‘Well, we can test your genome, and then we can say what you should eat or shouldn't eat.’ We are not there yet. The science is not there yet,” Zempleni said.
Zempleni said that your nutritional needs and gut health start at conception, so no number of tests can show you exactly what you need; It's not always possible to prevent disease or "fix” your gut.
If parents are obese, starving, not active or don’t have a healthy diet, this impacts the future risk of disease for the child and the grandchild of those parents. Even during the first weeks of pregnancy, unhealthy eating habits can affect the DNA of the fetus, Zempleni said.
Although she said getting these tests done and going to a personalized nutrition professional may help, these tests would not be a life changing process. It would more likely be a simple change in diet that improves someone’s quality of life.
Pavlish claims that preventing disease is much cheaper than treating disease, and that preventive medicine “would save the country’s healthcare system billions of dollars,” but Zempleni said there is no fool-proof way to do so.
“The dark side of it is that it's really used to make money and make money without conscience, promoting tiny bits of scientific information, turning them into money,” Zempleni said. “So, I am not, don't want to be lumped in with functional physician, medicine, functional nutritionist, because that's not science, okay, that's a branding.”
She said the idea of eating a balanced diet doesn’t attract the attention that functional health promises do, so promoting a balanced diet wouldn’t make the money that the brand of “Functional Health” does.
If there is no science behind functional health, why is it becoming so popular?
When users open Instagram or TikTok, they have access to thousands of sources who are not qualified to provide the information they are saying to their audience. This makes it hard to decipher who is telling the truth.
UNL student Brooklyn Marxsen said she has heard about functional health and how the gut impacts health via social media platforms TikTok and Instagram. She says that she would be open to trying tactics like lifestyle and diet changes if she could go to the doctor less and spend less money.
According to a Gallup poll, 28% of Americans do not have much confidence in the government to keep food safe, and 14% of Americans have no confidence at all. Zempleni suggests a lot of this mistrust comes from the internet.
Marxsen said she thinks American distrust in the healthcare system is “scary stuff.”
After the murder of UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson, Americans may be more on edge about this topic than ever. People are beginning to doubt American healthcare and they want to find a system that they trust.
“In a brutal way they help people who are desperate with the regular medical establishment system,” Zempleni said. “They do, and in the process, they earn a lot of money.”
Zempleni suggests that functional doctors may be preying on those who believe the American healthcare system has failed them. The more distrust Americans have in the healthcare system, the more business functional doctors receive.
This may be because they have a condition that traditional medicine isn’t helping, or because they’ve seen something online.
“Now, if you see a dietitian who does functional nutrition, it's usually because she has a private practice and she wants to carve a branded section out for herself,” Zempleni says.
However, Pavlish says she doesn’t think functional medicine or conventional medicine is more profit focused.
“I would say any provider practicing either conventional medicine or functional medicine can run a successfully profitable business,” Pavlish said.
While it is true that gut health, lifestyle and nutrition are extremely important to overall health. Functional Medicine may not be all that it claims to be. According to Zempleni, it may be best to keep it simple with a balanced diet, eight hours of sleep, socializing and getting sunlight.
News Release
News Release / October 9 / University of Nebraska Lincoln
Contact: Josie Sutton
Public Relations Director
University of Nebraska Lincoln
402-123-1234
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
UNL Sophomore Wins 2025 American Scholarly Genius Award
October 9, 2025
USA Today named UNL Sophomore Chloe Brady, 20, this year’s American Scholarly Genius on Oct. 6. Bradley was one of 75,000 students to write and submit their essay about their opinions on civility and the future of democracy in this country.
The contest was sponsored by philanthropic donors who support USA Today scholarships and other philanthropic efforts. USA Today first organized this scholarship in 2015, and it has been available every spring since then.
Brady is a triple major at UNL’s College of Journalism and Mass Communication, where she works to complete her three majors, advertising and public relations, broadcasting and sports media and communication.
“Being outspoken about the right things is really important to me,” said Brady.
She wrote about themes of open mindedness, and collaborative learning in her essay. Brady’s research showed her that for democracy to thrive, collaborators had to work together for a common goal, not polarized with hate.
Brady was at one of her four jobs when she got the call from USA Today. At first she didn’t answer the number, but after the third call she decided to pick up.
“I dropped a plate of food at Buffalo Wild Wings,” said Brady.
Like many college students, Brady works multiple jobs to afford school and living expenses. The grant, worth two semesters of full tuition, will allow Brady to focus more of her time on school. Without having to worry about making as much, more energy can be focused on school.
Dean of College of Journalism and Mass Communications, Dr. Shari Veil, presented the award to Brady on Oct. 8 at the USA Today event in the Nebraska Union.
“Awards like these are what allow students to thrive,” said Veil. “Without awards for hard-workers like Chloe, some students may not be able to complete their education.”
Veil said that UNL is proud to be home to the American Scholarly Genius of 2025, and that programs like USA Today are vital to the higher education system.
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Magazine Story
A Louder Voice: UNL Grant Supports Future Teachers of the Deaf
“I feel like everyone learns at a really young age that teachers in general, there aren’t enough of them,” UNL senior Brooklyn Marxsen said.
A $1.25 million grant for the Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders will fund the MPUP-LEAD Project, which stands for Mid-Plains Professional Upgrade Partnership in Leadership, Education, Advocacy and Deafness. This grant is funded by the Department of Education.
Over the next 5-10 years, three groups of 10 students will be selected to join MPUP-LEAD. They will take 18-21 credit hours in the program, and more than 75% of their tuition will be funded by the grant. They will receive specialized training to work effectively to deliver evidence-based instruction to children who are deaf or hard of hearing.
This program is open to students interested in working with individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing and plan to pursue a master’s degree in speech-language-pathology, a master’s degree and teaching endorsement in deaf education or a clinical doctorate in audiology. The deadline to apply for this program is Jan, 15, 2026.
Marxsen is a senior at University of Nebraska-Lincoln majoring in both elementary education and special education. She’s one of roughly 20 students who will be graduating with a degree in special education in May 2026.
Marxsen said that with budget cuts and unawareness of what’s going on in the education world, futures can feel bleak for students who are planning to pursue a career in this field.
“With everything that’s happening it is reassuring and heartwarming to know that people out there do care about this career,” Marxsen said.
Special education majors learn early that the field is understaffed and overworked. Marxsen said while professors don’t tell their students this, special education majors quickly see that it’s common for life-skills, or low incidence, classes lack the staff to properly teach every student.
In extreme cases, DHH students could spend most of their day in these classrooms that often do not have the needed number of staff.
“It’s just like, all hands on deck. Work wherever you can,” Marxsen said about her experience during her practicum at Elliott Elementary.
It can be discouraging for special education majors to see the apparent issues in their future field, and this can cast doubt in young speech-language-pathology graduate students. However, grants and programs like MPUP-LEAD can inspire students to continue to pursue desperately needed careers like speech pathologists.
“During the 2022-23 school year, 21% of schools reported at least one vacancy in special education and 55% of schools reported it was difficult to fill special education teacher positions,” according to the Learning Disabilities Association of America.
This is because of the high turnover rates of special education teachers and a declining number of special education teachers graduating each year from teaching programs. According to the LDA, this pattern of declining special education teachers is a threat to students with disabilities, and a threat to their access to the services they need to succeed in school.
Programs such as MPUP-LEAD provide training to students that will better set them up for success in their careers, which could lead to a lower turnover rate of special education teachers who specialize in working with deaf or hard of hearing individuals. Teachers who have specialized training with these individuals could better assure access to the services needed by these students.
“We are excited to offer this unique training to prepare interprofessional leaders who will be change agents in their respective fields,” said Anne Thomas, an associate professor of practice in SECD and coordinator of the deaf education program.
Thomas said that interprofessional collaboration and leadership skills are critical in order to ensure effective service delivery for children who are deaf and hard of hearing.
MPUP-LEAD is giving students at UNL the opportunity to learn these critical skills that they can use to provide deaf and hard of hearing individuals with the best education possible. In addition, programs like this can affirm students with an interest in this field that UNL’s Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders is growing and receiving support.
“Even though I’m graduating, I’m really excited that UNL got this grant and that more students will get to learn how to really support these kids while they’re in school,” Marxsen said.
Blog Post
9 Excuses To Play Boardgames With Your Buddies at Mana Games
By Josie Sutton - Tuesday, Oct. 28
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Life can be stressful, and it’s important to let off some steam. However, sometimes it is hard to set aside time without feeling like you’re wasting yours. Let us show you why this isn’t the case when it comes to boardgames.
1. Playing board games increases brain function.
You may feel like you’re missing out on homework, but you are still strengthening your mind. Playing games makes you think, and exercises your brain. Talk about fun and games (and brain power!). We even have learn to play days, where players can go specifically to learn.
2. Playing board games teaches goals and patience.
Your childhood Monopoly games may have ended in fits of rage, but it doesn’t have to be like that. Playing at this Lincoln game cafe can help strengthen your sense of patience. Strategic games push you to form goals and have discipline, another plus.
3. Playing board games can reduce stress.
Focusing on a game can be a healthy escape from daily worries like homework, groceries, or bills. Did you know playing board games can release those same “feel-good” chemicals as exercise? Like we said, a workout for your brain, but also a study break right by UNL.
4. Playing board games can help you meet new people.
Playing games creates a fun and pressure-free environment to build new relationships. With a no-judgement mindset and end goal of fun, friendships spark easily. Mana Games has weekly events, so you can grow and expand your circle almost any day.
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5. Playing board games can strengthen relationships.
As well as making new connections, playing boardgames can strengthen the ones you already have. Spend quality time with your loved ones while playing games. What better way to bond with your sister than teaming up on your dad?
6. Playing board games can enhance creativity.
Board games often force you to think outside the box and practice adaptability. The best part is, you can do that in a low-stakes environment. Build tools to your toolbox for real life while enjoying your time in the world of games.
7. Playing board games can improve memory.
Not only memory, but studies have shown board game players actually were less likely to have dementia! By working your brain like a muscle, you can set yourself up for success in the future. Why not have some fun now, and thank yourself down the road?
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8. Playing board games can build logic and reasoning skills.
Many games require intense knowledge of strategy and skills. Again, another skill from games to apply to your real life. Learn how to think on your feet in a safe environment.
9. Brain fuel on tap.
What more can we say? Mochas, espresso, matcha, you name it. Even snacks and smoothies to fuel your game play. Head up to the cafe to grab your fuel.
In conclusion, you deserve some time for fun. The great news is, you don’t need to worry about not making the most of your time playing boardgames because there are tons of benefits. Take a break and come on into Mana Games!
