Functional Nutrition, or sometimes referred to as clinical nutrition, or medical nutrition therapy (MNT) is centered around the prevention, management, and treatment of disease states.  Functional nutrition differs from nutrition coaching in that it involves an in-depth nutrition assessment and nutrition diagnosis utilizing medical history, genetic evaluation, biochemical laboratory testing, dietary analysis, and a nutrition-focused physical exam.  Functional Nutrition utilizes therapeutic diets and therapeutic doses of professional-grade nutraceuticals and herbs to realign patients with their optimal health. 

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Functional nutrition is preformed by licensed nutrition professionals, such as Certified Nutrition Specialists (CNS) and Doctors of Clinical Nutrition (DCN), who are licensed as dietitian/nutritionists.  A CNS must hold a minimum of a master's degree in nutrition or a closely related field with substantial coursework in nutrition.  Typically CNSs and DCNs have been trained in functional and integrative nutrition, which places the importance in treating a patient as a whole and addressing the underlying causes of symptoms rather than just the symptoms alone.