January FMP Essentials Mastermind Member Newsletter

In This Edition:

• How Sleep Impacts MASLD: Learn how fragmented sleep affects MASLD patients and why improving sleep quality should be a key focus in patient care.
• What’s New at FMP Essentials: Stay updated on upcoming courses, practitioner meet-ups, and exciting announcements, including our growing mastermind community and new educational content.
• Podcast Spotlight: Tune in to our latest episode on the underlying causes of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) with Dr. Jill Carnahan.
• Blog Feature: Breaking News: Eggs Are IN, Cereal Is OUT—Explore how the FDA’s updated “healthy” food guidelines validate functional medicine principles and what this means for practitioners and their patients.

Stay informed, engaged, and ahead of the curve with this month’s updates!

How Sleep Impacts MASLD: Key Insights

Recent research has revealed a compelling link between fragmented sleep and MASLD. Sleep disruptions—characterized by frequent awakenings, longer periods of wakefulness after falling asleep, and reduced sleep efficiency—are notably more prevalent in MASLD patients than in healthy controls based on objective findings in a 2024 study. These findings were further supported by self-reported data indicating poorer subjective sleep quality among MASLD patients.This highlights an important area of focus for practitioners working to optimize patient care.

Key Findings in the Study

• Nighttime Sleep Issues: MASLD patients experienced 55% more awakenings per night and stayed awake 113% longer after initially falling asleep compared to healthy controls. Sleep efficiency was also significantly reduced.
• Daytime Napping: Poor nighttime sleep resulted in more frequent and extended naps during the day.
• Stress and Sleep: Sleep diaries indicated that psychological stress contributed to sleep disturbances in 32% of MASLD patients, compared to just 6.25% of controls.

Subgroup analyses confirmed that these sleep impairments were consistent across patients with MASH, MASH with cirrhosis, and non-MASH-related cirrhosis. Interestingly, efforts to improve sleep hygiene during the study did not yield measurable improvements, suggesting the need for more robust interventions.

Takeaway

The findings suggest that sleep fragmentation is a significant characteristic of MASLD and may play a pathophysiological role in its development and progression. Disturbances in sleep-wake rhythms, including reduced sleep efficiency and increased wakefulness throughout the night, are linked to factors such as insulin resistance, inflammation, and circadian rhythm disruption, which are critical in the progression of MASLD. Although the directionality of these relationships remains unclear, addressing sleep is important for MASLD management by supporting metabolic health, reducing inflammation, and improving overall quality of life.

Practitioners can incorporate evidence-based strategies to optimize sleep as part of a comprehensive treatment plan for MASLD, recognizing that improving sleep could positively influence multiple metabolic and inflammatory pathways.

For a deeper dive into MASLD management, explore our comprehensive practitioner course, which includes the latest research and actionable strategies to support optimal patient outcomes.

What's New At FMP Essentials?

• A4M Longevity Fest Meet Up: In December, we hosted an unforgettable meet-up at the A4M Longevity Fest. Thank you to everyone who joined us—it was an incredible opportunity to connect, share insights, and collaborate. One attendee even landed a job opportunity through a connection made at the event! If you missed it, we hope to see you at our next event.

• IFM's AFMCP Europe Program: Dr. Elyaman is looking forward to serving as an instructor for IFM's Applying Functional Medicine in Clinical Practice (AFMCP) Europe program, taking place in London on April 4-5. We’re considering hosting a meet-up during this event—stay tuned for more details.

• Xymogen Experience: Save the date for April 12–13, at the JW Marriott Dallas Arts District in Dallas, TX! We’re considering hosting a meet-up during this event—fill out this form if you are going and interested in joining us. 

• Dr. Terry Wahls' Multiple Sclerosis and Autoimmune Summit: Dr. Elyaman will join Dr. Wahls and 40+ world-leading experts at her upcoming summit, running April 29 – May 5. Learn more about the event by clicking here. 

• Mastermind: We continue to work on our Silver and Gold memberships which are set to launch in 2025, offering advanced clinical content and leadership development tools. Click here to join the waitlist!

Check Out This Month's Blog Post

The FDA Redefines "Healthy"
The FDA has finally updated its "healthy" food label criteria after more than 30 years. Nutrient-dense foods like eggs now qualify, while sugar-filled cereals lose their "healthy" label. This shift represents an exciting validation of evidence-based nutrition and is a step forward in empowering consumers to make healthier choices.

Click here to view the article!

Check Out This Month's Podcast Episode

We’re excited to share this month’s podcast episode, now available for exclusive early access to our Mastermind community!

In this episode, Dr. Elyaman interviews Dr. Jill Carnahan, a leading functional medicine expert, to dive deep into the underlying causes of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Together, they explore practical strategies for identifying and addressing IBS using a functional medicine approach.

Dr. Carnahan shares her unique perspective on:

• The importance of recognizing IBS as part of a spectrum of gastrointestinal disorders rather than a siloed diagnosis.
• How tools like stool testing, organic acids testing, and breath tests can uncover the root causes of IBS.
• Advanced insights into managing complex cases of IBS, including small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), fungal overgrowth (SIFO), and immune-mediated conditions like mast cell activation syndrome.
• Why the “Rome Criteria” and red flags are essential for diagnosis, but functional medicine goes beyond to address deeper underlying imbalances.

This episode is packed with actionable insights, clinical pearls, and empowering strategies to help you better support patients with IBS. Dr. Carnahan’s passion for teaching and her personal journey with Crohn’s disease shine through, making this a must-listen for any practitioner.

How to watch/listen: Log into your account, select the Bronze Mastermind, and scroll down to the "Expert Interviews, Insights & Podcasts" section to find the episode.

Help Us Grow Our Community!

Know a colleague who would benefit from being part of this Mastermind? Feel free to invite them to join us! 

Thank you for being part of our community!

-The FMP Essentials Team