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Home > Global Health Matters July/August 2025 > Nutrition research explores food as medicine—globally and in the U.S. Print

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Nutrition research explores food as medicine—globally and in the U.S.

July/August 2025 | Volume 24 Number 4

Image of grilled fish plated along side cuts of tomatoes, bell peppers, couscous, greens and limePublic DomainAn example of a culturally-tailored meal in Benin. 

Good nutrition is crucial for maintaining health. A balanced diet not only fuels the body, it also lowers the risk of illness, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and infectious diseases.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) crafted a plan for ending chronic disease in the U.S. The Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) initiative aims to ensure that all Americans live longer, healthier lives, supported by systems that prioritize prevention, wellbeing, and resilience.

In particular, the HHS’ report, Make Our Children Healthy Again: Assessment, summarizes the decline in children’s health. It notes that over 40% of the roughly 73 million children under age 17 in the U.S. have at least one chronic health condition. The document also identifies four potential drivers of rising disease where progress is most likely.

First among these is “poor diet.”

(Environmental chemicals, lack of physical activity and stress, and overmedicalization are the others.)

In light of the MAHA agenda, this issue’s FOCUS: Nutrition spotlights two Fogarty projects centered on using food as medicine—one seeking to improve the health of patients with type 2 diabetes in Benin, the other aiming to prevent and treat tuberculosis in Tanzania.

The researchers believe that these nutritional studies, despite their far-off locations, have direct implications for Americans.


Updated August 20, 2025


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