Food as medicine,” however, is not an approach without flaws. Here are some of its limitations. It is not a cure-all Vegetables ‘have such a powerful effect from a health perspective, yet there is such a common perception that they’re unaffordable’, says Dr Kelly Lambert. Photograph: Diego Fedele/AAP

The point here isn’t to totally discredit nutrition. Of course a nutritious diet can positively impact your health! The Dietary Guidelines for Americans state that a healthy dietary pattern is associated with a lower risk of certain chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, bone disease, breast cancer, and colorectal cancer. But they never claim that any dietary pattern alone, like Whole 30 or paleo, can prevent or cure disease. And they never mention superfoods, because these don’t exist—no one food has the power to make or break your health. “Food can be used to prevent onset of a disease up to a certain point,” Johnson says. But again, there are no guarantees because of all the factors at play. It's refreshing knowing there's a doctor out there fighting to break down a lot of the shame-driven decisions we make, and that food holds no moral value over us. Sarah Nicole Landry (@thebirdspapaya) As outlined in Food Isn’t Medicine by nutritionist Dr. Joshua Wolrich, the vilification of individual foods can lead to unhealthy eating behaviors. Drug-nutrient interactions This book is exactly what we need right now. In a world where misinformation is spread easily online, it's brilliant to have a knowledgeable doctor like Josh cut through the scaremongering and diet culture that we see every day. It's definitely a must have! Lucy Bee (@lucybeecoconut) Today, he's a passionate advocate of health and every size and keen to bust the endless myths about what we consume and how we consume it, restrictive eating and ‘cure-all’ supplements or diets.

Both MNT and a nutritious diet can help improve health outcomes, but neither is a replacement for health care. (In fact, MNT is typically provided by a dietitian, which means that it’s a form of health care.) The best way to catch and treat potential problems early on is by scheduling regular visits with your primary-care provider. Furthermore, research also shows that carotenoids — antioxidants naturally found in some vegetables and fruits — in the diet can improve the blood metabolites of people with liver disease. At best, these claims blow small bits of evidence way out of proportion—sure, raisins contain nutrients that can contribute to healthy blood pressure, but eating them won’t magically cure hypertension. And at worst, the claims are pseudoscience. Yes, food contributes to health and plays a role in the prevention and management of certain diseases, but food isn’t medicine, and no diet can replace good health care. We Can’t Always Control Our Health The simplest approach would be to subsidise access to fresh vegetables. “[Vegetables] have such a powerful effect from a health perspective, yet there is such a common perception that they’re unaffordable – and these days they potentially are in some communities,” Lambert says. Josh's desire to educate others stands upon a foundation of compassion that we might experience more freedom and take our opportunity to question the damaging messages we so easily absorb. Anna Mathur (@annamathur)

Decades of scientific findings support the integral role of diet in health management, which should not be understated.

I love Dr Joshua Wolrich because of his no BS drive to make the world a better place. His advocacy mixed with his knowledge is wonderful. Kenzie Brenna (@kenziebrenna) If you have ever considered intermittent fasting, avoided artificial sweeteners, dairy or carbs for 'health' reasons, or struggled through diet after diet wondering why nothing seems to work, this book will be a powerful wake-up call. Medical nutrition therapy is a part of evidence-based health practice that uses diet and food to support the treatment of diseases, and it is a clear demonstration of the role that diet and food play in managing chronic disease. Clare Collins, a nutrition and dietetics professor at the University of Newcastle, says she would like to see nutrition managed care plans – similar to the mental health treatment plans currently subsidised by Medicare – that give people access to dieticians and nutritionists who can help overcome at least some of the barriers to healthy eating. It is focused on the increased consumption of a variety of whole, minimally-processed plant-based foods, and limited intakes of highly processed foods rich in added sugar, oil, and salt.

All of this disproves the notion that eating a certain way, or a certain food, can eliminate the need for health care and medicine. The fact that disease can (and almost certainly will) occur no matter what you do might be a tough pill to swallow. But Johnson explains that it can also bring relief in that you can stop blaming yourself for your health problems or micromanaging your eating habits in the name of disease prevention. Nutrition Is Just One Tool These include a variety of herbs and spices, legumes, nuts and seeds, whole grains, and fruits and vegetables.The reason why we use food as medicine is because healthcare needs to shift,” he says. “Within healthcare itself, healthy food and honestly just healthy physical activity does not get anywhere near enough attention it should get.” The “food as medicine” approach to health management challenges the construct of conventional medicine, which relies primarily on technological medical advancements to manage health and disease with pharmaceutical drugs. Thus, while “food as medicine” may support disease management by improving symptoms and slowing disease progression in some diseases, it must not be used as a stand-alone treatment, rather in conjunction with appropriate medical therapy. Fueled by misinformation

Emma was one of the study participants. “I would open up these boxes and it was things that I hadn’t eaten in a long time or things that I just didn’t think were an option,” she says. Instead of a burger for breakfast, she started eating fruit; instead of chips, she had nuts and seeds. The reasons for this are myriad, complex, and not yet well understood. Some research has shown that a diet rich in added sugars, saturated and trans fats and excess sodium may induce chronic inflammation — an underlying risk factor in the development of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, poor gut health, and other chronic diseases. According to the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the core of a healthy diet is built on high intakes of a variety of nutrient-dense foods and beverages, including: Experts think that this diet supports good health through its potential to reduce harmful risk factors of cardiovascular disease, including inflammation, elevated cholesterol, high blood pressure, and poor sleep.Social and economic factors aren’t the only health determinants that are somewhat out of an individual’s control. We all have unique genetic predispositions—some people are simply born more at risk for certain conditions, like heart disease, than others. Environmental factors also play a role. Sunlight, dust, chemicals, metal, plants, animals, and other things we’re exposed to daily can contribute to the onset of pretty much every illness, from kidney disease to infertility to skin cancer. And of course, disease can be random. A 2017 report in Science found that about two-thirds of cell mutations that lead to cancer are caused by random DNA replication errors, while only a third are caused by inherited genes, environmental factors, or behavior. (Although yes, some cancers are more directly linked to behavior; for example, smoking is the primary cause of lung cancer.) Even diseases that are more strongly linked to lifestyle, like type 2 diabetes and heart disease, can occur in people with no known lifestyle risk factors. Foods that proponents claim have medicinal properties, often due to supposed high levels of a particular micronutrient or biomolecule — sometimes referred to as functional foods — are of particular interest by people who consider food as medicine. The development of chronic diseases continues to be complex and may be attributed to non-diet-related causes, including genetic risk, exposure to environmental toxins, or autoimmune conditions. Social media can be an effective source of health promotion among health professionals and organizations.