Can Integrative, complementary alternative medicine, and integrative and functional nutrition practices have a place in nutrition management?

Abstract

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the attitudes of dietitians and dietitian candidates about integrative complementary and alternative medicine and integrative and functional nutrition. Methods: This descriptive research was conducted with a self-reported online survey on dietitians and candidates (n = 390). Various questions were asked to evaluate the approach to functional medicine and nutrition, including the terms integrative and functional medicine nutrition therapy radial, medical history, and treatments used to treat chronic disease. The Attitude Towards Holistic Complementary and Alternative Medicine Scale evaluated participants' attitudes toward integrative complementary and alternative medicine. Results: The majority of the participants know the terms functional medicine (95.4%) and integrative and functional nutrition (85.4%). The attitudes of dietitians towards complementary and alternative medicine were significantly more optimistic when compared to dietitian candidates (38.3±0.53 versus 34.5 ± 0.67, p = 0.002). When the application of the integrative and functional medicine nutrition therapy radial was examined, it was found that the majority of them always consider lifestyle (84.1%), allergens/intolerance (84.1%), negative thoughts and beliefs (80.0%), and system signs and symptoms (71.3%). Dietitians question digestive system health (94.9%), sleep and physical activity (94.4%), stress (93.4%), medication and supplement use (93.9%), and mood variability (86.9%) when taking the individual's anamnesis. The supplements that dietitians found beneficial were probiotic-prebiotic (91.4%), multivitamin-mineral (84.8%), and herbal (75.8%). Dietitian-approved diets were elimination diet (85.4%), FODMAP (80.8%), autoimmune protocol diet (72.2%), GAPS diet (70.7%), and ketogenic diet (69.2%), respectively. Conclusion: It has been found that dietitians have positive attitudes toward integrative, complementary medicine, and functional nutrition.