The emerging public health field of food is medicine (FIM) experienced a rapid acceleration in research and public 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.
This surge in research matters because it demonstrates the growing potential for healthcare-integrated nutrition interventions to improve health outcomes cost-effectively. As evidence mounts, government investment is following: 16 states now have approved or are considering Medicaid waivers supporting FIM programs, six states are using Medicaid managed care in lieu of services authority to provide FIM services, and federal policymakers increased FIM 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 or inpatient service use, lower emergency department use, and 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."
Among the report's most significant findings, medically tailored meals and medically tailored groceries showed particularly promising results. Researchers found growing evidence that these interventions can improve blood pressure, hemoglobin A1c, and other cardiometabolic risk factors, with stronger signals when paired with nutrition counseling, community health worker support, or other complementary services. The report states that further research is needed to understand the specific role these services may play in improving health outcomes.
"The science of food is medicine is rapidly developing," said Kevin Volpp, MD, PhD, American Heart Association's Health Care by Food scientific lead and Ralph and Beth Johnston Muller Director of the Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine and the Wharton School. "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—an essential step in continuing to increase engagement and sustained impact."
Personalized, patient-centered approaches are emerging as a key success factor. Successful programs often go beyond providing food, combining food support with services such as nutrition counseling, diabetes self-management education, motivational interviewing, community health worker support, and care navigation. Participant preferences, cultural relevance, convenience, and flexibility play critical roles in program engagement and effectiveness. Many newer interventions are designed around patient needs and preferences, reflecting a shift toward more personalized care models.
The report concludes that the field is entering a more mature phase, shifting from questions about feasibility toward optimization, implementation, financing, and sustainability. While research gaps remain, the growing body of evidence is helping healthcare leaders, policymakers, and payers make more informed decisions about integrating food-based interventions into healthcare delivery. The American Heart Association launched the Health Care by Food initiative in 2023 to improve health and reduce the burden of diet-related chronic diseases by integrating evidence-based nutrition interventions into healthcare systems. For more information, visit heart.org or stroke.org.
