“Food as medicine” has been gaining attention. In 2020, a paper titled “Food as Medicine” was published by an interdisciplinary team including Harvard, Tufts, and more [1]. They analyzed how food and nutrition can be used as interventions in healthcare. The paper searched the PubMed database and found at least 32 clinical intervention studies that used certain foods as “medicines.” Many of these studies were published in peer-reviewed medical journals. The paper suggested that alongside providing patients with food as “prescription drugs” to improve chronic diseases, it is also essential to increase doctors’ knowledge of diet and nutrition as a treatment approach.
Here’s the funny thing: according to a survey by the American Dietetic Association (former name of Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics), 61% of chronic disease patients believe that doctors can provide them with the best dietary and nutritional advice [2]. However, a survey conducted by New York Medical College found that only 14% of doctors felt they had sufficient training to provide dietary and nutritional advice [3].
Let’s take most medical schools in the United States as an example: during their four years of medical training, less than 20 hours, which is less than 1% of their teaching time, is dedicated to diet and nutrition. And even then, it’s mostly basic “general” nutrition science theory typically with little connection to human diets or common diseases [2].
In 2019, a systematic review and meta-analysis published in Lancet Planet Health that doctors in any country lack sufficient training in diet and nutrition, making it challenging for them to apply nutritional therapies to patients [4].
Using food as “medicine” to improve chronic diseases is an evidence-based medical approach. The problem lies in our healthcare system’s failure to provide doctors with adequate training. We are ultimately responsible for our own health. Through self-learning, we can adopt healthy eating habits and improve our own chronic diseases. Maybe, just maybe, we can even achieve a point where medications are no longer needed through dietary interventions. This requires the public to pay more attention to the impact of evidence-based nutrition on our health.
For those who are still feeling healthy, it may seem a bit challenging to adopt the dietary approach outlined in this blog. You might even wonder why you need to eat this way. This blog is for those who have already recognized their health issues, especially those who haven’t found effective help within the current system.
From what I’ve observed, people with autoimmune diseases, who fall into the “no cure” category, are more willing to change their lifestyle and embrace healthy eating. Patients with metabolic disorders or chronic diseases, such as diabetes and gout, usually aim to stay within the limits and do the bare minimum in their diet to prevent their conditions from worsening. They haven’t considered that dietary changes can lead to complete relief of their health problems and even improve their overall well-being. As for those who haven’t experienced any symptoms yet, they are generally resistant to changing their diet. I understand all these perspectives since I used to be one of those healthy individuals without symptoms. But if we don’t stick to a healthy diet, almost all of us will eventually develop chronic diseases or other inflammation-related conditions.
So, if you’re currently “healthy” and find the dietary recommendations a bit strict, you can treat this blog as a scientific adventure. Who knows, the knowledge you gain might come in handy for you or someone you care about in the future.
