A history of food as medicine
The idea that food can be used to heal the sick and boost vitality in the healthy dates back to the beginning of written history. The ancient Greeks ate onion for its curative qualities, traditional Chinese healers prescribed garlic for respiratory and digestive ailments, and the indigenous Aztec people drank cocoa to cure fatigue.
While many ancient remedies have been debunked by modern medicine, numerous studies have found plant-based and anti-inflammatory diets beneficial in preventing and reversing chronic disease.
Chronic disease and diet
The United States is now facing an epidemic of chronic disease The number of people suffering from diabetes increased from 1 million in 1958 to 34 million in 2018, with the condition now affecting over 25% of those aged 65 or older.
As our lifestyles and eating habits adapted during the last century, the leading causes of death shifted from infectious diseases (pneumonia, tuberculosis etc.) to lifestyle diseases (heart disease, chronic lung disease etc.). Even as the Covid-19 pandemic brought an unwelcome reminder of the power of infectious diseases, many of those who face the highest risk from Covid-19 suffer from diabetes, heart disease, obesity and other diet-related chronic illnesses.
National nutrition strategy
In September 2022, the White House released a National Strategy to end hunger, promote health and increase access to nutrition across the country by 2030. The second pillar of that strategy focuses on prioritizing the role of nutrition and food security in disease prevention and management.
In support of that goal, leading health sector organizations have committed to making nutrition education one of the foundational competencies for professional training in health-related fields and medically tailored meal providers have committed to expanding their services to those who are most in need.
Research shows that providing medically tailored meals and groceries to people suffering from chronic illnesses can result in improved clinical outcomes, fewer hospitalizations, lower healthcare costs and overall better quality of life.
The RxDiet approach
At RxDiet, we’re working to simplify access to medically tailored meals by combining the power of artificial intelligence and online grocery delivery. Our technology creates recipes and meal plans tailored to each member’s taste preferences and medical needs, and delivers groceries directly to their door each week.
Our founder and CEO, Dr. Roman Kalista, shared that "healthy diets have been the #1 step in management for the majority of chronic conditions for ages. However, not many of us have left the doctor's office with a dietary prescription for what to eat every day. We developed RxDiet to make dietary advice easy to follow by having healthy groceries delivered directly to members’ doors."
We have already worked with a group of advanced-stage diabetes patients to significantly reduce their blood sugar levels in just three months, and are now working on pilots for people with hypertension, patients undergoing cancer treatment, and women with high risk pregnancies.