My journey into functional medicine and longevity wasn’t intentional—it was cultural. Growing up in India, wellness was a way of life. I watched my mother, aunts and grandmothers use time-honored naturopathic and Ayurvedic remedies, soaking grains, fermenting foods, and crafting meals that supported digestion and energy. We believed in treating the whole body to prevent illness. But at the same time, I grew up aware of Western medicine—hospitals, prescriptions, and interventions that had their own place in healing.
It wasn’t until I stumbled upon Dr. Michael Greger’s How Not to Die that I realized there was a name for what I had always known: lifestyle medicine. From there, I dove deep—learning about vitamins, minerals, and how unprocessing my diet could transform my health. I followed the work of Dr. Mark Hyman, Peter Attia’s longevity research, and listened to The Doctor’s Kitchen podcast by Rupy Aujla. What I found was a world of doctors, researchers, and health pioneers who were redefining medicine—not just treating disease but preventing it, optimizing energy, and extending health span.
If you're looking to follow people who can literally change your life—help you feel better, live longer, and thrive—this is the list to get started. Their books, their podcasts, their research, and their social media presence make wellness not just accessible, but exciting.
Let’s meet the game-changers of functional medicine and longevity.
Functional medicine is transforming healthcare by shifting the focus from symptom management to identifying and addressing the root causes of illness. Unlike conventional medicine, which often prescribes medications to alleviate symptoms, functional and integrative medicine emphasize nutrition, gut health, inflammation reduction, hormone balance, and longevity science to prevent and reverse chronic conditions.
In this guide, I highlight some of the world’s most influential doctors, researchers, and authors in the field of holistic wellness, functional medicine, and longevity. These experts have impacted millions through their clinical work, best-selling books, and research. Some of them challenge conventional medical wisdom, while others are pioneers in merging traditional healing systems like Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) with modern scientific discoveries.
Top Functional Medicine Experts
Dr. Mark Hyman
📍 United States
Specialty: Functional medicine, nutrition, and longevity.
🔗 Website: https://drhyman.com/
📱 Instagram: @drmarkhyman
🎥 YouTube: Dr. Mark Hyman
🎙️Podcast: The Doctor's Farmacy
🏆 Recognition: Founder and director of The UltraWellness Center; founder and senior advisor for the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine; 15-time New York Times best-selling author. Dr. Hyman has served as a medical advisor to the White House and consulted for the World Economic Forum. Check out his book: Young Forever (focuses on longevity science).
Dr. Andrew Weil
📍 United States
Specialty: Integrative medicine, mind-body wellness, and anti-inflammatory nutrition.
🔗 Website: https://www.drweil.com
🏆 Recognition: Founder of the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona; TIME 100 Most Influential People honoree; best-selling author of Spontaneous Healing and Healthy Aging + The Anti-Inflammatory Diet & Recipe Book (for readers interested in a practical nutrition guide).
Dr. Susan Blum
Specialty: Autoimmune disease, functional medicine, and chronic illness.
🔗 Website: https://blumhealthmd.com
📱 Instagram: @drsusanblum
🏆 Recognition: Founder of the Blum Center for Health; author of The Immune System Recovery Plan; senior faculty member at the Center for Mind-Body Medicine.
Dr. Jeffrey Bland
📍 United States
Specialty: Functional medicine, systems biology, and personalized nutrition.
🔗 Website: https://jeffreybland.com
📱 Instagram: @drjeffreybland
🏆 Recognition: Founder of the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM); editor of Integrative Medicine: A Clinician’s Journal; award-winning nutritional biochemist. He is also the co-founder of Metagenics, a leader in functional medicine supplements.
Dr. Elizabeth Lipski
Specialty: Clinical nutrition, digestive health, and integrative medicine.
🔗 Website: https://www.lizlipski.com/
🏆 Recognition: Director of Academic Development, Nutrition & Integrative Health at the Maryland University of Integrative Health; author of Digestive Wellness and Leaky Gut Syndrome.
Dr. David Perlmutter
📍 United States
Specialty: Neurology, gut-brain connection, and cognitive longevity
🔗 Website: https://drperlmutter.com
📱 Instagram: @davidperlmutter
🎥 YouTube: Dr. David Perlmutter
🏆 Recognition: 5-time New York Times best-selling author of Grain Brain and Brain Maker; Linus Pauling Award recipient for groundbreaking research on the microbiome and brain health.
Dr. Sara Gottfried
📍 United States
Specialty: Women’s hormone balance, metabolic health, and longevity.
🔗 Website: https://www.saragottfriedmd.com/
📱 Instagram: @saragottfriedmd
🏆 Recognition: Harvard-trained gynecologist and hormone expert; NYT best-selling author of The Hormone Cure and Women, Food, and Hormones; Clinical Assistant Professor at Thomas Jefferson University.
Dr. Michael Greger
📍 United States
Specialty: Preventive medicine, nutrition, plant-based health.
🔗 Website: https://nutritionfacts.org
📱 Instagram: @nutrition_facts_org 🎙️Podcast: Nutrition Facts with Dr. Gregor
🏆 Recognition: Founder of NutritionFacts.org; internationally recognized public health advocate; New York Times best-selling author of How Not to Die and How Not to Diet + How Not to Age (latest book focused on longevity); member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.
Dr. Aviva Romm
Specialty: Functional medicine, women’s health, and herbal medicine.
🔗 Website: https://avivaromm.com
📱 Instagram: @dr.avivaromm
🏆 Recognition: Yale-trained MD and midwife; leading voice in women’s integrative health; bestselling author of Hormone Intelligence and The Adrenal Thyroid Revolution.
DR. ALEJANDRO JUNGER
📍 United States / Uruguay
Specialty: Cardiology, integrative medicine, and detoxification.
🔗 Website: https://www.cleanprogram.com
📱 Instagram: @dralejandrojunger
🏆 Recognition: Author of "Clean," "Clean Gut," and "Clean Eats," all of which are bestsellers focusing on detoxification and gut health; founder of the Clean Program, a popular wellness and detoxification program.
Dr. Steven Gundry
📍 United States
Specialty: Heart surgery, gut health, longevity, lectin-free nutrition.
🔗 Website: https://gundrymd.com
📱 Instagram: @drstevengundry
🎙️Podcast: The Dr. Gundry Podcast
🏆 Recognition: Former cardiothoracic surgeon with over 10,000 surgeries; author of The Plant Paradox and The Longevity Paradox; founder of Gundry MD, a supplement and wellness brand; known for his lectin-free diet approach. He also developed the Gundry Diet, a popular anti-inflammatory protocol.
Dr. Peter Attia
📍 United States
Specialty: Longevity medicine, metabolic health, precision medicine.
🔗 Website: https://peterattiamd.com
📱 Instagram: @peterattiamd
🎥 YouTube: Peter Attia MD 🎙️Podcast: The Drive
🏆 Recognition: Founder of Early Medical, a private longevity-focused medical practice; New York Times best-selling author of Outlive: The Science & Art of Longevity; former cancer researcher at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Dr. Jolene Brighten
Specialty: Hormone health, fertility, and functional endocrinology.
🔗 Website: https://drbrighten.com
📱 Instagram: @drjolenebrighten
🏆 Recognition: Best-selling author of Beyond the Pill; expert in birth control-related hormone imbalances and women’s metabolic health.
Dr. Dean Ornish
📍 United States
Specialty: Lifestyle medicine, heart disease reversal, plant-based nutrition.
🔗 Website: https://www.ornish.com/
📱 Instagram: @deanornishmd
🏆 Recognition: Founder of the Ornish Lifestyle Medicine program, the first scientifically proven program to reverse heart disease through lifestyle changes; New York Times best-selling author of Undo It! and Dr. Dean Ornish’s Program for Reversing Heart Disease; Clinical Professor at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).
DR. FRANK LIPMAN
📍 United States
Specialty: Integrative and functional medicine, focusing on holistic health and wellness.
🔗 Website: https://www.drfranklipman.com
📱 Instagram: @franklipmanmd
🎙️ Podcast: Tune into Wellness
🏆 Recognition: Author of several books, including "The New Rules of Aging Well" + Better Sleep, Better You (for sleep optimization) + "How to Be Well"; founder of Eleven Eleven Wellness Center in New York City; recognized leader in functional medicine.
Dr. Will Bulsiewicz
📍 United States
Specialty: Gastroenterology, gut microbiome, plant-based nutrition.
🔗 Website: https://theplantfedgut.com
📱 Instagram: @theguthealthmd
🏆 Recognition: Board-certified gastroenterologist; author of Fiber Fueled, a New York Times bestseller on gut health and microbiome science; published researcher in top gastroenterology journals; strong advocate for high-fiber, plant-rich diets for disease prevention.
Dr. Taz Bhatia
Specialty: Integrative and functional medicine, women’s health, Ayurveda.
🔗 Website: https://holplus.co/about/
🏆 Recognition: Founder of CentreSpring MD; expert in bridging Eastern and Western medicine; bestselling author of Super Woman Rx.
Dr. Rangan Chatterjee
📍 United Kingdom
Specialty: Lifestyle medicine, preventive healthcare, and holistic wellness.
🔗 Website: https://drchatterjee.com
📱 Instagram: @drchatterjee
🎥 YouTube: Dr. Rangan Chatterjee
🎙️Podcast: Feel Better, Live More
🏆 Recognition: Host of the #1 health podcast in Europe; BBC doctor from Doctor in the House; Sunday Times best-selling author of The 4 Pillar Plan and Feel Great, Lose Weight.
Prof. Tim Spector
📍 United Kingdom
Specialty: Genetic epidemiology, gut microbiome, and personalized nutrition.
🔗 Website: https://tim-spector.co.uk
📱 Instagram: @tim.spector
🐦 Twitter: @timspector 🎙️Podcast: ZOE Science and Nutrition
🏆 Recognition: Professor at King's College London; co-founder of ZOE; bestselling author of The Diet Myth, Spoon-Fed, and Food for Life; published in Nature Medicine and The Lancet.
Dr. Deepak Chopra
📍 United States / India
Specialty: Mind-body medicine, Ayurveda, and longevity.
🔗 Website: https://www.deepakchopra.com
📱 Instagram: @deepakchopra
🎥 YouTube: Deepak Chopra
🏆 Recognition: Founder of the Chopra Center and Chopra Foundation; 90+ best-selling books; TIME magazine Top 100 Heroes & Icons of the Century.
Dr. Jason Fung
📍 Canada
Specialty: Intermittent fasting, metabolic health, and type 2 diabetes reversal.
🔗 Website: https://www.thefastingmethod.com
📱 YouTube: Dr. Jason Fung
🎙️Podcast: The Fasting Method
🏆 Recognition: World expert in fasting; NYT bestselling author of The Obesity Code + The Cancer Code + The Diabetes Code; published in BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care.
DR. CLAUDIA WELCH
📍 United States
Specialty: Ayurveda, traditional Chinese medicine, and women's health.
🔗 Website: https://drclaudiawelch.com
🏆 Recognition: Author of "Balance Your Hormones, Balance Your Life," integrating Eastern and Western medical perspectives on women's health.
Dr. Gabor Maté
📍 Canada
Specialty: Trauma, stress-related illness, and addiction.
🔗 Website: https://www.drgabormate.com/
🎙️Podcast: The Wisdom of Trauma
🏆 Recognition: Leading global voice on mind-body health; bestselling author of When the Body Says No; expert in psychoneuroimmunology. Check out The Myth of Normal (one of his latest books).
DR. ANISHA DURVE
📍 United States
Specialty: Ayurveda, acupuncture, marma therapy, and meditation instruction.
Notable Work: Co-author of "Marma Points of Ayurveda: The Energy Pathways for Healing Body, Mind, and Consciousness with a Comparison to Traditional Chinese Medicine."
Recognition: Leading expert in marma point therapy.
PROF. VALTER LONGO
📍 United States / Italy
Specialty: Biogerontology, fasting-mimicking diets, and longevity research.
🔗 Website: https://valterlongo.com
📱 Instagram: @prof_valterlongo
🏆 Recognition: Director of the USC Longevity Institute; author of "The Longevity Diet," an international bestseller translated into multiple languages; listed among TIME magazine's 50 most influential people in health care in 2018.
DR. LIBBY WEAVER
📍 New Zealand / Australia
Specialty: Nutritional biochemistry, women's health, and stress management.
🔗 Website: https://drlibby.com
📱 Instagram: @drlibby
🏆 Recognition: Author of multiple best-selling books, including "Rushing Woman's Syndrome" and "The Beauty Guide"; renowned speaker and founder of the food-based supplement range, Bio Blends.
DR. ALESSIO FASANO
📍 United States / Italy
Specialty: Pediatric gastroenterology, celiac disease, and gluten-related disorders.
🏆 Recognition: Author of "Gluten Freedom," providing comprehensive information on celiac disease and gluten sensitivity; director of the Center for Celiac Research and Treatment at Massachusetts General Hospital; a leading researcher in the field of gluten-related disorders.
Dr. Pratima Raichur
📍 India
Specialty: Ayurveda, holistic dermatology, mind-body healing.
🏆 Recognition: Ayurvedic doctor and author of "Absolute Beauty," which merges ancient Ayurvedic skin-care wisdom with modern science. Her work emphasizes inner balance, detoxification, and herbal-based skin health. Check out her book: Absolute Beauty: Radiant Skin and Inner Harmony Through the Ancient Secrets of Ayurveda
Dr. Mao Shing Ni
📍 China / United States
Specialty: Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), longevity, preventive health.
🔗 Website: https://www.askdrmao.com/bio/index.html
🏆 Recognition: Co-founder of the Tao of Wellness clinic and the Yo San University of Traditional Chinese Medicine; expert in longevity-based nutrition, acupuncture, and Chinese herbal medicine. Author of The Tao of Nutrition
Dr. Juan Rivera
📍 Latin America
Specialty: Preventive cardiology, integrative heart health.
🔗 Website: https://drjuanrivera.com/
📱 Instagram: @drjuanjr
🏆 Recognition: A leading Latino cardiologist known for bringing preventive medicine and heart health education to Spanish-speaking audiences. Check out his book : "Mejor Salud para tu Corazón." (Better health for your heart)
Dr. Rupy Aujla
📍 United Kingdom
Specialty: Nutrition-based medicine, lifestyle medicine, affordable healthcare.
🔗 Website: https://www.thedoctorskitchen.com
📱 Instagram: @doctors_kitchen
🎙️ Podcast: The Doctor’s Kitchen.
🏆 Recognition: NHS doctor and advocate for using food as medicine; provides affordable and science-backed nutrition guidance for disease prevention. Author of The Doctor’s Kitchen: Supercharge Your Health with 100 Delicious Everyday Recipes.
Dr. Terry Wahls
📍 United States
Specialty: Autoimmune diseases, multiple sclerosis, Wahls Protocol.
🔗 Website: https://terrywahls.com
📱 Instagram: @drterrywahls
🏆 Recognition: Creator of the Wahls Protocol, a diet and lifestyle program that helped her reverse multiple sclerosis symptoms using nutrient-dense foods and functional medicine principles. Author of The Wahls Protocol: A Radical New Way to Treat All Chronic Autoimmune Conditions Using Paleo Principles
Dr. Ellen Vora
📍 United States
Specialty: Holistic psychiatry, mental health, mind-body wellness.
🔗 Website: https://ellenvora.com
📱 Instagram: @ellenvoramd
🏆 Recognition: Board-certified psychiatrist focusing on nutrition, gut-brain connection, and lifestyle strategies for mental health. Author of The Anatomy of Anxiety: Understanding and Overcoming the Body’s Fear Response
Dr. Will Cole
📍 United States
Specialty: Chronic inflammation, metabolic health, ketotarian diets.
🔗 Website: https://drwillcole.com
📱 Instagram: @drwillcole
🎙️ Podcast: "The Art of Being Well."
🏆 Recognition: Leading expert in inflammation-based diseases, creator of the Ketotarian Diet, and author of "The Inflammation Spectrum" and "Intuitive Fasting."