Sara Gottfried, M.D., is a Harvard-educated physician and board-certified gynecologist who treats the root cause of problems, not just symptoms. Sara is a three-time New York Times bestselling author of The Hormone Cure, The Hormone Reset Diet, and her newest book, Younger. After graduating from Harvard Medical School and MIT, Dr. Gottfried completed her residency at the University of California at San Francisco. Dr. Gottfried lives in Berkeley, CA with her husband and two daughters.
I practice functional medicine, but I don’t treat problems. I don’t even treat symptoms. I specialize in root cause analysis because I know – and evidence shows – that the greatest health transformations unfold when you address the root cause, not the signs. And the transformation sticks.
I treat people. I take a complete history and perform a physical exam. I look at where you are right now, and how far you’ve come.Expect to get a blood panel for next-generation biomarkers related to your health, detoxification, and aging processes. Almost always I check your stress levels and cortisol metabolism to see how you’re hormonal control center is working. Sometimes I test your genes and make recommendations for how to improve current and future gene/environment interactions. Often I assess your gut/brain axis with organic acid testing in the urine, maybe a stool test, occasionally a breath test. Sometimes I prescribe an increase in your intake of prebiotic vegetables or probiotic foods. Sometimes I prescribe supplements that fill nutritional gaps that you might have. Sometimes I prescribe a wearable that measures your heart rate variability and helps you connect to your truth. Sometimes I prescribe botanical therapies with a very low-risk profile. After a strong foundation is in place, sometimes I prescribe bio-identical hormones. Sometimes I prescribe high-intensity interval training. Many times I prescribe all of the above. With every patient I see, I consider your unique context, physiology, and preferences… and then invent a treatment plan to promote maximum health and happiness. It’s not one method fits all. It’s not fix-’em-up-and-send-’em-home. It’s a mission.
My mission at the Gottfried Institute – and in life – is to help people feel vital and balanced from their cells to their souls. That means lengthening your healthspan, the period of time you feel in your prime and free of chronic disease.