Can Food Be Medicine for You?

There has been a lot of buzz lately around the term "Food is medicine." Indeed, there are clinical trials showing that assisting people in eating a certain way can have significant health benefits. Diets that reduce body weight and improve diet quality can reduce the risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes, as well as improve quality of life.¹

Of course, the challenge is in actually achieving a healthier diet! In clinical trials that demonstrate this, here is how it usually goes. First, you get access to the food you need. Sometimes that’s through grocery or food delivery, or sometimes it is through food vouchers. Then, you get advice on how to use it. Someone trained in nutrition gives you support to incorporate the foods into your diet.

Accessing food prescriptions

So, how does this translate to you in the real world? Because of the success in these trials, the government has started a Food Is Medicine initiative to support food vouchers and other access systems for anyone who qualifies for food assistance. The distribution centers are called food pharmacies. And many of those same centers have a trained professional who can assist you with how to eat those foods.²

Another way to access a food prescription is that it may be a covered benefit through your health insurance. Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Plan (CHIP), Medicare and Medicare Advantage, Indian Health Services, the Veterans Health Administration, and TRICARE are all working to offer Produce Prescription Programs.³

Is it a good fit for me?

Of course, just because food can have medicinal impacts, that does not mean you wish to use it for that purpose. Food is important for many things – like entertainment, social bonding, and comfort. So maybe for you, seeing food as an avenue to better health does not make sense.

And sometimes food access is hard to prioritize. Although we are making strides, not everyone has easy access to the right foods in the right amount, or to the guidance needed to eat well. So if eating specific foods in specific amounts isn’t a priority because it is just too costly or labor intensive, that is also a sign that maybe food as medicine is not a viable option for you.

There are many ways to achieve better health

There are many avenues to better health. Exercise, medicines, better sleep, and stress management can also have a meaningful impact on your health. So if eating differently is not a priority for you, explore other avenues that may work better for you.

There can be situations where food as medicine is a good option, however. If you have the resources or help to accomplish it, the investment in eating differently has a proven track record of benefits. And if you enjoy the idea of eating for your health, then it aligns with how you view the role of food in your life. And it is certainly worth considering as a viable and worthy route to better health!