Before the “Mr.,” before the “Dr.,” he was just Todd Pesek. A little boy growing up in rural Pennsylvania. He was raised around sustainable farms and Appalachian root doctors. The passion for plants was inevitable.

Todd’s curiosity about healing and plants expanded in college. He studied biochemistry to learn the intricate details of the plants used by herbalists in his neighborhood. The quest for knowledge continued at the Ohio State University. Professors and doctors in medical school challenged his thinking. They asked him to reconsider the powerful potential of plants, but Todd stuck to his roots. He studied the concept with a plant-based paradigm and found evidence supporting what he learned back home. He arrived at medical school a young root doctor, and he graduated as a medical doctor.

Dr. Pesek started his career seeking a deeper understanding of longevity and disease prevention.

He traveled the world. Jungles replaced classrooms Conversations with shamans replaced lectures. Studious observations replaced textbooks. He found the lessons from his childhood were promoting health and wellness in the most unexpected corners of the world, and thanks to his medical training, he understood how and why their health was thriving.

Dr. Pesek returned to Cleveland, Ohio. Instead of treating illness like he was trained in medical school, he believed nutrition and nature could help stop issues before they needed to be treated. He opened a private practice rooted in choosing plant-based whole foods and natural alternatives to common pharmaceuticals. One happy patient quickly turned into hundreds. His schedule was overwhelmed. He started Nutritional Roots to expand his reach beyond his practice while he continued to see patients.

The evidence was clear. Dr. Pesek needed all his patients to transition towards a plant-based whole-foods diet. As his patients started eating more plants and fewer animal products, Dr. Pesek observed patterns across the blood work of all his patients. Reoccurring nutrient insufficiencies and deficiencies. Over and over, he found himself recommending the same vitamins and supplements to address the needs.

Our first task at Nutritional Roots was to simplify all these needs into a few products that Dr. Pesek could use at his practice. It seemed like a simple request, but the vitamin industry is a tough space to navigate. Since these supplements were intended for clinical use, Dr. Pesek refused to compromise on purity, potency or quality. We traveled the world researching plants and agricultural practices. We talked to nutrition experts about nutrient forms, digestion and absorption. We met with suppliers and small-batch vitamin makers.

After 6 years, our Key 3 were finally ready.

Now, we’re taking our discoveries and plant-powered vitamins beyond Dr. Pesek’s practice. While he’s busy running his practice, we are heading to retail shelves around the Midwest and Southeast.

Digestion is key. Like roots absorbing nutrients for plants, our digestive system absorbs nutrients for all aspects of our health. Our goal is to help you restore your Nutritional Roots. We developed all the Key 3 products (Multivitamin+, Probiotics+ and Plant-Based Vitamin D3+K2) with a focus on plant-based digestible nutrients.

Our world travels continue. We’re developing our Foraged Formula products to capture the knowledge and expertise we discover on our travels.  Everything we learn comes to life in our products.

We obsess over the details, so you don’t have to. We distill the nutritional complexity into practical simplicity, so you can easily prioritize your health while juggling the demands of your to-do list.