‘Father of Functional Medicine’ Reflects on Health and Longevity at 79

Jeffrey Bland, widely recognized as the “father of functional medicine,” marked his 79th birthday by sharing the personal health principles that have guided his decades-long career in healthcare innovation.

Bland, who co-founded the Institute for Functional Medicine in 1990 with his wife Susan, has spent more than 30 years advancing a healthcare model focused on preventing disease by addressing its root causes. His career began in the 1980s at the Linus Pauling Institute of Science and Medicine, where he worked alongside two-time Nobel Laureate Linus Pauling to explore the role of nutrients in disease prevention.

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“Could we move to a form of healthcare where we’re spending more time worrying about and focusing on how to keep a person from being sick than just treating the sick downstream?” Bland said in an interview with CNBC Make It.

Bland now serves as founder and president of the Personalized Lifestyle Medicine Institute. Over his career, he has logged more than 6 million miles of travel to share functional medicine’s principles with global audiences.

Reflecting on his health regimen, Bland outlined five personal rules: maintaining relationships only with those he likes, avoiding degrading conversations, steering clear of unproductive environments, taking responsibility for each day, and striving to be of service to others.

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“It’s been an extraordinary 79 years,” Bland said. “At this age, you start to learn your body.”

He also emphasizes adequate rest, especially when traveling, and a mindful diet that includes Himalayan Tartary Buckwheat supplements and omega-3 fatty acids.