Throughout his time as a medical student, intern, resident, and fellow, it became increasingly clear to Dariush Mozaffarian, that diet was one of the top issues facing his patients. Yet, in all his training as a cardiologist, he received almost no education on nutrition.
That was a major realization for him—that the top cause of poor health was not being addressed by health care. “Then, when I read all the science to educate myself,” he explained, “I found the evidence did not support a low-fat diet, the prevailing national guidance of the time.” That was a second major realization: The available science wasn’t being translated into policy.
“These two realizations have since inspired me to advance the science and policy translation of nutrition to improve health,” he said.
Mozaffarian is now the director of the Food is Medicine Institute at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. And this is precisely where the institute comes into the equation: bringing together research, training, patient services, policy development, and community engagement around the Food is Medicine (FIM) concept.
Even before Mozaffarian launched the project, Tufts was the nation’s academic leader in FIM research, translation, and partnerships, with more than a dozen active projects and over $20 million in grant funding secured in the past two years. Now, the institute builds upon and advances the university’s leadership with additional university and external investments, serving as a catalyst to drive change, improve health, reduce health disparities, and create a more equitable and resilient health-care system that recognizes the power of nourishing food.
“For decades, people have thought about a healthy diet as a long-term benefit, requiring 10 or 20 years to make a difference,” said Mozaffarian. “What’s exciting about Food is Medicine is the development and use of additional specific interventions that have immediate impact on treatment of disease.” Examples include medically tailored meals that are nutritionally personalized to specific health conditions, such as diabetes, and prescriptions for fruits and vegetables to treat diet-related diseases or help avoid complications in high-risk pregnancies.
Among the most significant developments of Food is Medicine interventions are the joint benefits for both food security and nutrition security. These efforts address both hunger and diet-related disease, advancing health and health equity. Few innovations in health care reduce health disparities, Mozaffarian explained. “Food is Medicine is the rare case where innovation and equity come together, doing good for all and especially those who need it most.”