Dr. Michael Ruscio is a DC, Naturopathic Practitioner, researcher, and clinician. He serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Bridgeport and has published numerous papers in scientific journals.
Dr. Ruscio received his BS in exercise science from the University of Massachusetts, his DC from Life West, and is a board-certified Doctor of Natural Medicine through the ANMCB.
Dr. Ruscio founded the Ruscio Institute of Functional Health, a consulting practice and research clinic that helps patients heal a wide range of GI conditions. Dr. Ruscio serves as the Head of Research, rigorously researching complex gastrointestinal disorders as well as their relationship to thyroid health.
From his clinical research and experience, Dr. Ruscio authored a book Healthy Gut, Healthy You, created a Thyroid Self-Management Course, and developed the first ever over-the-counter fully elemental diet formula on the market.
Dr. Ruscio is a member of the Gastro AnP (Naturopathic Board of Gastroenterology) and ILADS (the International Lyme & Associated Diseases Society). He also lectures for the IFM (Institute for Functional Medicine) and is an instructor for the A4M (American Academy of Antiaging Medicine).
In 2016, Dr. Ruscio started the Dr. Ruscio Radio podcast, which frequently ranks in the top charts for Alternative Health podcasts.
Clinical Experience
Dr. Ruscio’s clinical experience is extensive and centers around digestive health while also exploring its connection to hypothyroidism, histamine intolerance, MCAS and chronic infections.
This includes:
Gastrointestinal
- Small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)
- Intestinal methanogen overgrowth (IMO)
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS); constipation, diarrhea, gas, bloating & abdominal pain
- Leaky gut & food sensitivities
- Candida overgrowth
- Reflux, heartburn, and stomach acid
- Crohn’s disease & ulcerative colitis
Hormonal
- Hypothyroid & Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
- Natural supports for female hormones
Cognitive, Inflammatory & infectious
- Fatigue, Brain fog
- Lyme disease & co-infections (Bartonella, Babesia)
- Histamine intolerance & MCAS
Research Experience
Dr. Ruscio feels scientific research is critical for understanding how to better help those struggling with health challenges. While staying current on the most recent clinical publications, he also performs and publishes research within his clinic.
This research has focused on:
- Herbal treatment for SIBO and SIBO biofilm
- The Gut-Thyroid and the Gut-Thyroid-Nutrient Axes
- Ancestral principles for gut health
- The scientific application of probiotics
Ongoing data collection and research involves:
- Novel uses for the elemental diet
- The utility of urinary mold testing
- Herbal treatments for Lyme, Bartonella and Babesia
- Probiotics Triple Therapy
Publications
- Ruscio, M., Guard, G., Piedrahita, G., & D’Adamo, C. R. (2022). The relationship between gastrointestinal health, micronutrient concentrations, and autoimmunity: A focus on the thyroid. Nutrients 14(17), 3572. doi:10.3390/nu14173572
- Ruscio, M., Guard, G., & Mather, J. (2022). Symptoms originally attributed to thyroid dysfunction were instead caused by suboptimal gastrointestinal health: A case series and literature review. Integrative Medicine (Encinitas), 21(3), 22–29.
- Ruscio, M. (2019). Is SIBO a real condition? Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 25 (5), 30–38.
- Ruscio, M. (2018). Healthy Gut, Healthy You: The personalized plan to transform your health from the inside out. Las Vegas, NV: The Ruscio Institute.
- Ruscio, M. (2017). Do you really want a hunter-gatherer microbiota? Journal of Evolution and Health, 2(1).
Professional Training
- International Lyme & Associated Diseases ILADs certification
- Gastro ANP (Naturopathic Gastroenterology Board)
- Institute of Functional Medicine
- Hedberg Institute, Infections Connection training
- Integrative Healthcare Symposium IHS
- American Naturopathic Medical Association
- Frontiers in Neurology and Brain Health – George Washington University School of Medicine
- SIBO Pro Course
- SIBO Symposium
- World Congress on Anti-Aging Medicine
- National Association of Nutrition Professionals
- Ancestral Health Symposium
- The Forgotten Role of Micronutrients in Gastrointestinal Health
- Integrative SIBO Conference
- International Congress on Natural Medicine
- Gut, Microbiota, and Thyroid for Practitioners
- Integrative Therapy Approaches to Treating Tick-Borne Disease
Personal Health Challenges
In his early twenties, Dr. Ruscio personally dealt with an intestinal parasite, amoeba histolytica. In his early thirties, he had mold in two consecutive homes. In his late thirties he dealt with the Lyme-family organisms of Bartonella and Babesia. While painful, he used these challenges as an opportunity to learn, research, and develop into a vastly better clinician.
