The emerging public health field of food is medicine (FIM) experienced a rapid acceleration in research and policy progress, according to a new report from the American Heart Association's Health Care by Food(TM) initiative. The annual report, Advances in the Food Is Medicine Field 2026, reviewed 57 research studies published between July 2025 and June 2026, representing a 68% increase from the previous year. Notably, the number of randomized controlled trials quadrupled in just one year, signaling a rapidly expanding scientific evidence base.
As evidence of FIM's public health impact grows, so does government investment. Sixteen states now have approved or are considering Medicaid waivers supporting food is medicine programs, and six states are using Medicaid managed care in lieu of services (ILOS) authority to provide FIM services. Federal policymakers increased food is medicine funding by $24 million in the FY2026 spending bill, a more than fourfold increase since FY2024. State Medicaid evaluations found that FIM programs were associated with lower hospitalization and emergency department use, as well as reductions in healthcare costs.
"Food is medicine science has moved beyond the question of whether these interventions are feasible and effective to how they can be most beneficial for individual patients and communities," said Nancy Brown, Chief Executive Officer of the American Heart Association. "Today's evidence is helping answer which interventions work best, for whom, under what circumstances, and how healthcare systems can implement them effectively to meaningfully improve health cost effectively."
The report highlights that medically tailored meals (MTMs) and medically tailored groceries (MTGs) showed particularly promising results, improving blood pressure, hemoglobin A1c, and other cardiometabolic risk factors. Stronger outcomes were observed when these interventions were paired with nutrition counseling, community health worker support, or other complementary services. "The science of food is medicine is rapidly developing," said Kevin Volpp, MD, PhD, American Heart Association's Health Care by Food scientific lead. "The next phase of research will focus on matching the type and design of a food is medicine intervention to a patient's needs, preferences and circumstances."
Successful programs often go beyond providing food, incorporating services such as diabetes self-management education, motivational interviewing, and care navigation. Participant preferences, cultural relevance, convenience, and flexibility play critical roles in engagement and effectiveness. The report concludes that the field is entering a more mature phase, shifting from questions of feasibility toward optimization, implementation, financing, and sustainability.
Launched in 2023, the Health Care by Food initiative works to integrate evidence-based nutrition interventions into healthcare systems. For more information on the American Heart Association's efforts, visit heart.org or stroke.org. The original release is available at www.newmediawire.com.
