Healing Autoimmunity from the Inside Out, What Most Doctors Miss

The Dr. Hyman Show

Dr. Mark Hyman

Health & Fitness, Nutrition, Medicine

4.6 • 8.7K Ratings

🗓️ 9 June 2025

⏱️ 67 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Autoimmune disease is explored as a complex and rising health challenge driven largely by lifestyle and environmental factors rather than genetics alone. Conventional treatments often rely on immune-suppressing medications that manage symptoms but fail to address underlying causes like gut dysfunction, chronic infections, toxins, and stress. A functional medicine approach instead emphasizes identifying and treating these root causes—such as gluten sensitivity, dysbiosis, and nutrient deficiencies—through personalized diagnostics and anti-inflammatory diets. Case studies illustrate dramatic improvements in patients' symptoms and lab results when switching from conventional to root-cause-based care. Ultimately, this integrative model empowers individuals to reclaim health by addressing what triggers immune system dysfunction in the first place. In this episode, I discuss, along with Dr. Sunjya Schweig, Dr. Cindy Geyer, and Dr. Todd LePine the root cause approach to healing autoimmune conditions. Dr. Sunjya K. Schweig is dedicated to advancing data-driven approaches to prevent and reverse chronic illness. He is the Founder and President of the California Center for Functional Medicine (CCFM), where he and his team deliver personalized, precision care using innovative technology and a comprehensive team-based model. Since 2016, CCFM has also supported first responders through specialized wellness programs. In 2021, Dr. Schweig launched the Functional Medicine Research and Technology Center to further research, education, and innovation in chronic disease prevention. A graduate of UC Berkeley, he earned his MD from UC Irvine and completed his residency at UCSF Santa Rosa. He is board-certified in family practice and integrative and holistic medicine. Dr. Cindy Geyer received her bachelor of science and her doctor of medicine degrees, with honors, from the Ohio State University. She completed residency in internal medicine at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, N.Y. and is triple board certified in internal medicine, integrative medicine and lifestyle medicine. Dr. Todd LePine graduated from Dartmouth Medical School and is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, specializing in Integrative Functional Medicine. He is an Institute for Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner. Prior to joining The UltraWellness Center, he worked as a physician at Canyon Ranch in Lenox, MA, for 10 years. Dr. LePine’s focus at The UltraWellness Center is to help his patients achieve optimal health and vitality by restoring the natural balance to both the mind and the body. His areas of interest include optimal aging, bio-detoxification, functional gastrointestinal health, systemic inflammation, autoimmune disorders, and the neurobiology of mood and cognitive disorders. Dr. LePine enjoys skiing, kayaking, hiking, camping, and golfing in the beautiful Berkshires, and is a fitness enthusiast. This episode is brought to you by BIOptimizers. Head to bioptimizers.com/hyman and use code HYMAN10 to save 10%. Full-length episodes can be found here: Healing Autoimmune Disease Using A Functional Medicine ApproachIs An Autoimmune Condition Driving Your Raynaud's Syndrome?What Really Causes Autoimmune Disease

Transcript

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0:00.0	Coming up on this episode of the Dr. Hyman Show.
0:02.5	The biggest lever that we have to pull that can affect how our body is receiving information
0:09.1	from the outside world is through the diet.
0:13.7	I'm all about food first, but some nutrients like magnesium are nearly impossible to get enough
0:18.1	of through diet alone.
0:19.0	Our soils are depleted and things like sugar, caffeine, and stress drain our levels. Magnesium supports over 300 functions in the body. Think
0:26.3	metabolism, sleep, energy, pain, and more. That's why I recommend magnesium breakthrough by bioptimizers.
0:31.5	It's the only supplement with all seven forms of magnesium for full body support. Get 10% off at bioptimizers.com slash hymen with code
0:38.9	Hyman 10. Now before we jump into today's episode, I'd like to note that, well, I wish I could
0:44.5	help everyone by my personal practice. There's simply not enough time for me to do this at
0:48.6	scale. And that's why I've been busy building several passion projects to help you better
0:52.3	understand. Well, you. If you're looking
0:54.2	for data about your biology, check out function health for real-time lab insights. And if you're in need
0:59.5	of deepening your knowledge around your health journey, check out my membership community,
1:03.7	the Hyman Hive. And if you're looking for curated and trusted supplements and health products
1:08.1	for your health journey, visit my website at Dr.heimen.com for my website store for a summary of my favorite and thoroughly tested products.
1:16.9	Yeah, so autoimmune disease is really, you know, this idea of, I think it was like the
1:22.7	immune system gone haywire, right? And you mentioned the word inflammation. Inflammation is really one of the
1:29.0	core concepts, right? And so we think about, you know, several main factors. You know, genetics,
1:34.9	of course, are important, right? But really that's a minority. We think, you know, genetics,
1:39.6	the contribution that they have to autoimmune disease is maybe only a third of really what's going on.
1:45.5	And the other factors are, again, diet, lifestyle, environmental triggers, infections.
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