Food is medicine (FIM) programs have the potential to improve diet quality and food security for individuals with chronic diseases or at high risk, but further research is necessary to fully understand their clinical impact. A systematic review of randomized controlled trials in the U.S. conducted by the American Heart Association highlights the importance of addressing gaps in research to enhance the long-term outcomes of FIM initiatives.

The American Heart Association recently published a scientific statement in its journal Circulation, presenting findings from a review of 14 randomized controlled trials focused on FIM interventions such as produce prescriptions and medically tailored groceries. While these programs showed promise in enhancing diet quality and food security, the impact on clinical outcomes like hemoglobin A1c, blood pressure, and body mass index varied across studies due to factors like sample size and study duration. This underscores the need for larger, more robust studies to evaluate the effectiveness of FIM programs.

Research indicates that integrating healthy food into healthcare can help address the increasing prevalence and costs of cardiometabolic diseases and other chronic conditions linked to poor dietary habits. By conducting more rigorous studies on food as medicine, experts aim to better understand how to design and implement these programs to benefit individuals with chronic illnesses and those at risk.

According to Dr. Hilary K. Seligman, a volunteer with the American Heart Association and professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, addressing gaps in research through comprehensive studies on food is medicine is crucial for improving the health outcomes of individuals with chronic diseases.

Currently, 47 million Americans experience food insecurity, impacting their diet quality and overall health. Treating diet-related cardiometabolic diseases costs the U.S. approximately $50.4 billion annually.

The scientific statement recommends:

• Conducting more rigorous and long-term randomized controlled trials to assess the impact of food is medicine programs on health outcomes.
• Standardizing the foods and interventions allowed in FIM initiatives.
• Adopting a stepwise research approach, beginning with small-scale studies and progressing to real-world implementation.

The Health Care by Food initiative, launched by the American Heart Association in September 2023, focuses on establishing a strong evidence base for integrating nutritious food into healthcare delivery. By investing in systematic approaches to bridge research gaps and scale effective interventions, the initiative aims to make food is medicine a fundamental component of chronic disease prevention and treatment.

Dr. Kevin Volpp, a volunteer with the American Heart Association and scientific lead for the Health Care by Food initiative, emphasizes the importance of treating programs that provide food to individuals with chronic conditions as an integral part of healthcare. He calls for collaboration among researchers, clinicians, and policymakers to advance the science supporting food is medicine initiatives.

The Health Care by Food initiative follows a strategic research approach that involves funding small-scale studies to inform larger trials focused on implementation science and behavioral economics. These efforts aim to enhance engagement, translate evidence into practice, and facilitate widespread implementation and insurance coverage.

By outlining the necessary research to advance food is medicine programs, including intervention design, target populations, and long-term impacts, the scientific statement serves as a foundation for developing evidence that can guide healthcare practices and policies to improve health outcomes and reduce healthcare costs.