Everyone who gets into medicine wants to help people get healthy and feel better. So why is it that doctors are overworked, yet chronic disease continues to be on the rise? 

There is a component that is being left out of the conversation when we think about disease prevention and management, and that component is nutrition—nutrition as medicine.

Historically, nutrition education has been underrepresented at many medical schools and residency programs. On average, medical students have reported receiving 23.9 contact hours of nutrition instruction during medical school.

According to survey results, many physicians seem to agree on the importance of nutrition in their medical practice, but do not feel comfortable and adequately prepared to provide nutrition counseling to their patients.

Although it is clear that good nutrition is integral to the overall health and well-being of an individual, it is usually an afterthought. As medical professionals, it is important to equip patients with the information they need to be an active and integral part of the healing process.

Nutrition as Medicine: How Nutrition Influences Health and Healing

Good nutrition and overall health are inextricably linked. The human body is biologically programmed to create energy from the food we eat.  so it makes sense that nutrition can be seen as medicine.

Nutrition itself has to do with how the body uses nutrients from food, and the relationship between diet, health and disease. Unfortunately, most medical students and other medical professionals continue to rate their nutrition education as inadequate. 

People have been using food as medicine for hundreds of years. Whether it be natural herbs such as ginkgo and turmeric, or foods such as broccoli and cabbage, what we consume can have a profound effect on our health and healing.

So how do you help patients understand how nutrition can impact the way they feel?

According to numerous studies, a diet rich in healthy fats, whole grains, and vegetables is linked to a reduced risk of heart disease, neurodegenerative conditions, diabetes, certain cancers, and obesity.

The Role That Nutrition Plays in a Patient’s Well-Being

Nutritious eating patterns are also tied to lower rates of depression than typical Western diets. In this study, the consumption of a Mediterranean-style dietary pattern by mid-aged women was correlated with the prevention and management of depressive symptoms.

According to research, adopting a better diet requires an understanding of how a patient’s current diet might be improved which requires detailed knowledge of the nutritional composition and role of individual foods and food groups, but also contextualized for the individual. Because of this, medical professionals need to build an understanding of how nutrition can be used in the management and prevention of disease.

What Should I Tell Patients to Eat?

Although the ideal “healthy” diet may change from individual to individual, there are some key components of good nutrition that healthcare professionals should be sharing with their patients. Unfortunately, the typical American diet is undeniably high in processed foods and low in fresh, whole foods that help to nourish the body and improve immune function. 

According to studies, a healthy dietary pattern is widely agreed to be one that is high in vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and omega-3 fatty acids. Additionally, foods high in fiber and polyphenols have been shown to help the human body in a myriad of ways.
Studies demonstrate that people whose diets are rich in polyphenol antioxidants have lower rates of depression, diabetes, dementia, and heart disease.

Fiber-Rich Diets

Rather than filling up on refined grains and sugar, patients should be encouraged to eat foods rich in fiber, such as avocados, berries, beans, legumes, and cruciferous vegetables. 

Research continues to show that fiber-rich diets are important for supporting a healthy digestive system. 
Fiber-rich diets may also help to lower cholesterol and keep blood sugar stable. According to studies, insufficient fiber intake is particularly pertinent to the high incidence rates of colon cancer in westernized societies.

Mediterranean Diet

The traditional Mediterranean diet dates back to the 1960s and set the foundation for eating habits in countries like Greece and Italy.

People living in these countries consume plenty of fresh, whole foods such as leafy greens, olive oil, nuts and seeds, fresh herbs and fish. 

The Mediterranean diet has been linked to a lower incidence of disease as well as longevity. According to a Harvard study published in 2014, Mediterranean diets were shown to help protect telomeres, which protect our chromosomes from fraying. 

Diets high in healthy fats, leafy greens, and omega-3s were also shown to help in the prevention and treatment of diabetes. In data collected from randomized control trials, it was concluded that the combination of the aforementioned foods and their nutrient profiles were found to lower body weight, hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and oxidative stress. Lower levels of all three are shown to be beneficial for the prevention and prognosis improvement of type 2 diabetes.

The Benefits of Nutrition Education for Health Professionals 

Being well versed in nutrition and the beneficial properties of food can undoubtedly help practitioners to build successful practices, but, more importantly, it helps to make a difference in a patient’s life and health. When patients trust that their healthcare practitioners not only have their best interest at heart, but are also knowledgeable and willing to explore integrative treatment plans, they are more likely to seek out care for themselves and their families. They also feel a newfound sense of autonomy and control over their health, which can help them to feel confident and safe.

Value-Based Care

Value-based care is a critical component of the patient-practitioner relationship. This type of care puts emphasis on the entire patient experience both across settings and between visits. 

When patients receive value-based care, they are getting value out of their experience both in and out of the office setting. Value-based care helps them to feel equipped with the knowledge to feel their very best healthy selves. By providing nutrition education, patients can feel empowered to make daily life choices that help them to feel their best at all times. This harmonious relationship is what contributes to the growth of a practice.

It is evident that disease prevention and management need to be looked at through a multidimensional lens. When nutrition and lifestyle choices are brought into the conversation, patients feel knowledgeable and better equipped to make healthy choices that promote healing.

Some ways to build a value-based care practice include:

• Listening to patients and getting a true understanding of their health history (including past and current lifestyle and eating habits)

• Asking questions to show you are truly invested in their health and interested in what they have to share

• Creating a safe space for patients to ask their own questions and inquire about reaching their health goals.

• Getting the full picture (perhaps sending them home to complete a food diary and helping them to analyze it at the next visit)

• Having an open mind about alternative medicine and other holistic approaches that have worked in the past for patients

For continuing education in the field of nutrition, practitioners can look into evidence-based, clinical nutrition education classes and other free resources online.

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