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From Symptoms to Systems: Rethinking the Future of Health with Dr. Jeff Bland
The S2G Podcast • Ep. 32
From Symptoms to Systems: Rethinking the Future of Health with Dr. Jeff Bland
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In this episode, 
Dan Ripma, Vice President on the food and agriculture team at S2G, sits down with 
Dr. Jeff Bland, biochemist, entrepreneur, and educator who is also widely regarded as the “father of functional medicine,” to explore the past, present, and future of the medical industry.
Jeff shares his five-decade journey, from pioneering vitamin E research and leading Metagenics to launching the Institute for Functional Medicine and, most recently, Big Bold Health. He reflects on the limitations of a disease-centric system and the urgent need to prioritize function, resilience, and holistic thinking. Jeff also unpacks why the immune system may be the key to health and longevity and how new technologies are making personalized, preventative care more scalable than ever. Beyond being full of unique insights into the evolution of modern medicine and healthcare, this conversation is a crash course in spotting inflection points and taking the long view when it comes to innovation and systems change.
Key Takeaways
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Jeff shows how a system focused on predictive prevention — not just reactive care — is opening the door to a wave of new business models in diagnostics, therapeutics, and food.
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Jeff highlights how advances in technology are making personalized medical assessments more accessible and affordable — allowing us to analyze more data at lower costs. This shift is making personalized health not only scalable, but also investable. And with robust data, functional medicine has a path to becoming reimbursable.
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Jeff emphasizes that immune system resilience, not just defense, is central to long-term health and longevity. His newest endeavor, Big Bold Health, is focused on immune system rejuvenation through nutrition.
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Jeff’s career is a powerful example of anticipating where an industry is headed — often years ahead of mainstream acceptance — and having the courage to meet the future before it’s fully arrived, even when the ideas seem controversial or unconventional.
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A key theme in Jeff’s work is shifting from treating isolated symptoms to understanding the interconnected systems that drive health. By addressing root causes, functional medicine offers a more holistic and sustainable approach to well-being.
