What Is Functional Medicine

A Doctor-Led Approach to the Root Causes of Illness

Functional Medicine is a science-based, personalised model of care that looks beyond symptoms to understand why you’re unwell.


By exploring how your genetics, lifestyle, nutrition, hormones, and environment interact, we uncover the root causes of imbalance and design a clear, evidence-based plan for lasting health.

At Lantern Clinic, we combine trusted medical expertise with Functional and Integrative Medicine to bridge the gap between conventional care and whole-person wellbeing.


If you’ve been searching for answers, this approach is designed to help you move from uncertainty to clarity and from short-term fixes to long-term vitality and longevity.

Dr Margarita Kitova-John reviewing Functional Medicine test results with a patient, representing Lantern Clinic’s collaborative, doctor-led approach to personalised healthcare.

Doctor-Led Care That Looks at the Whole Person

How Functional Medicine Practitioners Work

Functional medicine clinicians are often trained in primary or family care and use an integrative framework combining conventional diagnostics with nutrition and lifestyle medicine to identify and address root causes rather than only managing disease progression.

Longer, relationship‑based appointments enable personalised plans and measurable change.

  • Our doctors are NHS-trained and have studied with the Institute of Functional Medicine. We blend medical insight with deep system-based understanding to create truly personalised care.

  • We combine the rigour of conventional diagnostics with evidence-based nutrition, movement, sleep, and stress-management strategies.

  • We take time to listen, understand, and connect the dots, building trust and enabling detailed, individualised health plans.

A Systems Biology Approach

Your Body’s Systems Are Connected

  • Gut & Digestion

    Your gut influences everything from nutrient absorption to hormones and immunity. When it’s imbalanced, inflammation can spread and disrupt other key systems.

  • Hormones & Endocrine

    Hormones regulate mood, metabolism, and energy. Stress, gut imbalance, and toxins can all throw them off, affecting detoxification and vitality.

  • Detoxification

    Your detox pathways clear waste, toxins, and excess hormones. When sluggish, they place strain on immunity and fuel inflammation.

  • Immune System

    A balanced immune system depends on gut and detox health. When compromised, it drives inflammation causing autoimmunity, cancer and chronic disease.

  • Cardiovascular & Metabolic

    Your heart and metabolism reflect the state of every system from hormones to digestion. When balance is restored, vitality returns.

At the heart of Functional Medicine lies a systems biology perspective: understanding that when one system falters, it can trigger a cascade of dysfunction that leads to chronic illness.


By mapping these interactions, our doctors can diagnose and treat conditions such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, autoimmune disorders, chronic fatigue, hormonal imbalances and a whole range of other conditions often driven by interconnected root causes.

Instead of simply prescribing a medication, we assess your diet, stress, sleep, environment, and genetics to uncover the deeper imbalances behind illness.


This is healthcare designed to help the body heal itself from within, improving energy, resilience, and long-term wellbeing.

What Makes Functional Medicine Different?

From symptom management to root‑cause care.

Functional medicine doesn’t reject conventional care, it builds upon it to help patients develop resilience and long‑term vitality.

Focus on managing symptoms

Conventional Medicine

Functional Medicine

Seeks to uncover root causes of illness

Looks at the whole person and interconnected systems

Treats organs in isolation

Medication as primary intervention

Nutrition, lifestyle, and mind-body therapies integrated with medical insight

Longer, collaborative appointments

Often 10-minute consultations

Group of healthy young women laughing together, representing Lantern Clinic’s flexible, modern Functional Medicine and private GP care designed to fit real life.

The Patient Centered Experience

Care That Fits Your Life

What truly distinguishes the Functional Medicine model is its partnership approach. Appointments are longer, conversations deeper, and collaboration central to care.


By exploring your medical history, lifestyle, and environment, we uncover the upstream causes of illness not just the downstream symptoms. From this foundation, we design a personalised plan that may include:

  • Nutritional and lifestyle therapy

  • Gut repair and digestive support

  • Hormone balance and detoxification

  • Stress reduction and sleep optimisation

  • Targeted supplements or therapies when appropriate

The goal isn’t quick fixes it’s sustainable, evidence-based change that supports energy, balance, and long-term wellbeing.

Evidence and Outcomes

Measurable Improvements That Matter

A growing body of evidence to support this approach shows that functional medicine may lead to improved outcomes and patient satisfaction. A Cleveland Clinic study demonstrated significant improvement in patients with chronic symptoms when compared with traditional care.

Study highlight: Patients treated in a functional medicine setting demonstrated significantly greater improvements in patient‑reported outcomes versus standard care.

Integrative and Functional Care at Lantern Clinic

Care That Combines Science,
Compassion and Clarity

At Lantern Clinic, we apply the Functional Medicine model with compassion, science, and precision.
Our doctors, nutritionists, and health coaches work together to uncover what’s really driving your symptoms and create a personalised plan to help you feel well again.

We support people living with fatigue, hormonal changes, digestive issues, autoimmune and metabolic disorders as well as those wanting to take a proactive approach to their long-term health.

Using advanced diagnostics and a whole-person framework, we empower you to understand your body, make meaningful changes, and maintain lasting wellbeing.

If you’re ready to move beyond short-term fixes and find clarity in your health journey, this is where it begins.

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