Food is Medicine Programs: Enhancing Diet Quality and Food Security

Food is Medicine (FIM) programs, which integrate healthy food into healthcare for individuals at risk of chronic diseases, are gaining recognition for their potential to improve diet quality and food security. A systematic review published by the American Heart Association in June 2025 highlights the promising impact of these initiatives while emphasizing the need for further research to evaluate their clinical outcomes.

According to the systematic review titled "A Systematic Review of 'Food Is Medicine' Randomized Controlled Trials for Noncommunicable Disease in the United States," the findings underscore the importance of FIM programs as a strategy to combat the growing incidence of diet-related chronic diseases. Dr. Hilary K. Seligman, M.D., M.A.S., a volunteer with the American Heart Association and a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, led this review, which examined 14 randomized controlled trials focusing on various FIM interventions, including produce prescriptions and medically tailored meals.

The review revealed that while FIM programs show promise in enhancing diet quality and food security, improvements in clinical outcomes such as hemoglobin A1c, blood pressure, and body mass index were inconsistent. Factors contributing to these inconsistencies may include small sample sizes and short study durations. As Dr. Seligman noted, "We need to treat programs that provide food to patients with diet-related chronic conditions like any other part of medical care by integrating it fundamentally into the healthcare system."

The American Heart Association has initiated the Health Care by Food program, launched in September 2023, which aims to lay a stronger foundation for the integration of nutritious food into healthcare delivery. This initiative seeks to standardize the foods and interventions used in FIM programs and calls for more rigorous and longer-term randomized controlled trials to assess their health impacts.

Dr. Kevin Volpp, M.D., Ph.D., a scientific lead for the Health Care by Food initiative and founding director of the Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics at the University of Pennsylvania, remarked, "This statement is a call to action for researchers, clinicians, and policymakers to invest in the science needed to make food is medicine a cornerstone of chronic disease prevention and treatment."

Food insecurity remains a significant issue in the United States, with approximately 47 million Americans facing challenges accessing nutritious food. This lack of access not only affects diet quality but also has far-reaching implications for health outcomes. Addressing food insecurity is crucial, especially considering that diet-related cardiometabolic diseases cost the U.S. healthcare system an estimated $50.4 billion annually.

The systematic review identifies several critical gaps in research that need to be addressed. These include the need for larger, better-designed studies that can provide clearer insights into the long-term clinical outcomes of FIM interventions. Furthermore, the review advocates for a stepwise research approach, commencing with small-scale studies that can inform larger real-world implementations.

In conclusion, the American Heart Association's findings on Food is Medicine programs represent a significant step towards understanding how the integration of healthy food into healthcare can improve the lives of individuals with chronic diseases. As the healthcare landscape continues to evolve, it is imperative that stakeholders prioritize research and innovation in this area to foster better health outcomes and reduce healthcare costs associated with diet-related diseases.