Small lifestyle tweak has big effect on diet-related diseases

Food is indeed medicine, according to a large new study, and a prescription for produce could be a game changer.

The study, which was conducted on 4,000 people from clinics serving low-income neighborhoods, examined the effect of produce vouchers given to people with diet-related diseases. The participants of the study had either diabetes, obesity or hypertension, and they were each given vouchers for fruits and vegetables that averaged $63 per month for up to 10 months.

Over the course of the study, researchers tracked blood sugar, blood pressure and weight and saw significant improvements in A1C levels and diastolic blood pressure. The study found that while eating a produce-heavy diet wasn’t as effective as medication, it was about half as effective — which is a big deal considering this lifestyle and diet tweak is such a simple one.

So, could vouchers like these be the future of diet-related disease prevention and management? We talked to a doctor who specializes in chronic diseases, and here’s what he had to say.

Produce as medicine

To be clear, it is not advised that people stop taking their medication if they start eating more produce. But it can be a great way to prevent and work toward reversing certain conditions.

“For those people who are able and willing to commit to progressive lifestyle changes, it’s (possible that they could reverse their conditions),” explains Dr. Ron Hunninghake, a doctor who specializes in chronic disease and the chief medical officer at the Riordan Clinic in Kansas. “For others who simply add additional produce and cut down on unhealthy processed, sugary foods, they may be able to reduce — but not eliminate — medications for markers of metabolic syndrome, such as diabetes. It certainly could help them feel much better.”

And, Hunninghake says, building community health programs like this pilot voucher program could have a significant impact on people’s health and the health of the community.

“For it to make a long-term impact, it would have to be a sustainable program. Nutritional healing is a process — I think of it as growing a garden,” he says. “You can’t just fertilize it and look out the window the next day and see plants. For cellular health, you don’t just need calories; you need the phytonutrients in produce, which support cellular function. A long-term program like this could also act as a strong impetus for making better lifestyle choices. Wellness is a lifelong journey.”

Why it makes a difference

We know a produce-rich diet is great for disease prevention (and our health in general). But why?

“A healthy diet in general, but fruits and vegetables in particular, are key to preventing and managing diseases,” Hunninghake says. “The phytonutrients in produce contribute to controlling metabolic syndrome, which is the root cause of a wide variety of diseases, including cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, dementia, mental health issues and even cancer. The list could go on and on.”

But exactly how much produce should we aim to eat? The “five a day” rule remains a good one, Hunninghake says. “The USDA introduced a program called 5ADay in the early 1990s, and it remains a good guidance today,” he explains. “I recommend at least five servings of produce daily and that people aim for five different colors on your plate. The program had measurable benefits and is a good place to start for people looking to improve their health.”

Long story short, if you’re looking to improve your health, food really can be medicine — especially if you’re loading up your plate with nutrient-rich food and veggies (and eating them instead of processed, sugary foods and heart-harming red meats).