American College of Lifestyle Medicine announces publication of unique 23-article special issue of Frontiers in Nutrition focused on food as medicine

The American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) has announced the publication of a comprehensive 23-article special edition of Frontiers in Nutrition focused on the evidence that supports the use of food as medicine to treat lifestyle-related chronic disease. An ebook of the publication is available for complimentary download.

The role of good nutrition to optimize health is well established, but this special issue uniquely compiles and synthesizes a vast array of evidence showcasing nutrition as a modality of medical care. The evidence includes case reports, observational studies, innovative clinical models and clinical trials. ACLM edited the publication that covers subjects such as healthy plant-based diet indices, effective nutrition-based interventions, the impact of nutrition education, innovative clinical practices like shared medical appointments, as well as tools such as the ACLM Diet Screener to capture patients’ consumption of whole plant food and water through a brief assessment.

By addressing these topics through original research, the publication intends to help advance practical strategies for implementing nutrition-based solutions in health care settings and communities, said Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto and editor for the special issue Andrea Boggild, BSc, MSc, MD, DTMH, FRCPC, DipABLM. It also highlights avenues for future research that are essential to further advancing food as medicine. Articles in the special issue have already been downloaded 14,000 times.

“Health leaders, health systems, policymakers and even some payors are increasingly recognizing the potential of food as medicine to treat and prevent chronic disease,” Dr. Boggild said. “This special issue is a timely compilation of a variety of scientific approaches that demonstrate the potential of culturally tailored dietary changes to improve health metrics for individuals facing chronic illnesses.”

Among the article topics are the adoption and implementation of produce prescriptions for under-resourced populations, a remotely accessible plant-based culinary intervention for Latino adults at risk for diabetes and implementation of a virtual, shared medical appointment program that focuses on food as medicine principles in a population with obesity. There are also articles examining the change in cardiometabolic risk factors in a pilot safety net plant-based lifestyle medicine program and a whole-food, plant-based program in an African American faith-based population.

Food as medicine has long been a crucial element of lifestyle medicine as optimal nutrition is one of the medical specialty’s six pillars, which also include physical activity, stress management, restorative sleep, positive social connections and avoidance of risky substances. ACLM provides clinicians with comprehensive food as medicine knowledge and practical tools grounded in rigorous scientific research. ACLM offers a multipart course series in food as medicine that features topics such as nutrition for achieving remission in type 2 diabetes, nutrition for prevention and longevity, nutrition for treatment and risk reduction, calorie density, and nutrition for preconception, pregnancy and postpartum.

More than 50,000 clinicians have registered for ACLM’s complimentary 5.5-hour CME/CE “Lifestyle Medicine and Food as Medicine Essentials” course, which was highlighted at the 2022 White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health.

“The idea that food as medicine as a modality of medical care could be foundational in traditional medical treatments is emerging, and the wide range of evidence across different study designs and perspectives captured in the special issue is exciting,” said Micaela Karlsen, PhD, MSPH, ACLM senior director of research and co-editor of the special issue. “ACLM has championed food as medicine since 2004. Our hope is that this special issue on food as medicine will further advance food as medicine and lifestyle medicine worldwide.”

About ACLM^®

Serving as a transformation catalyst, disruptor of the status quo, and a galvanized force for change, the American College of Lifestyle Medicine is the nation’s medical professional society advancing the field of lifestyle medicine as the foundation of a redesigned, value-based and equitable healthcare delivery system, essential to achieving the Quintuple Aim and whole person health. ACLM educates, equips and supports its members through quality, evidence-based education, certification and research to identify and eradicate the root cause of chronic disease, with the clinical outcome goal of health restoration as opposed to lifelong disease management.