The benefits of eating a healthy, balanced diet are well known yet many of us still struggle to get our recommended daily serves in, particularly when it comes to fresh fruit and vegetables.
So, could a fresh fruit and vegetable prescription from the doctor be the answer to keeping us on the healthy eating track?
After all, when the doctor advises us on the medications to take, we take them as prescribed.
A study published in the Journal of Nutrition reveals that a fruit and vegetable prescription
From the doctor could, in fact, be an effective way to improve the health of Australians, and in this case, particularly those with type 2 diabetes.
Researchers at The George Institute for Global Health and UNSW Sydney found that people with type 2 diabetes and high blood sugar who took part in a ‘produce prescription’ program over 12 weeks ate nearly two extra servings of fruit and vegetables a day.
They also lost 1.7kg in weight and saw a 10% drop in their LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol, which is linked to heart disease.
Participants in the study also said the program was either helpful or extremely helpful for improving their and their family’s diet, and that they’d be willing to pay to continue on the program.
“We know that eating a nutritious diet is key to maintaining health. But only one in twenty Australians eat enough fruit and vegetables with many struggling to access healthy foods, especially those from the most disadvantaged communities,” Dr Jason Wu, lead study author and Head of Nutrition Science at The George Institute and Professor at UNSW Medicine and Health’s School of Population Health said.
“Right now, unhealthy diets cause more than 20,000 premature deaths a year in Australia and untold suffering for patients and their loved ones.”
Dr Wu says that the results of this study are promising in that they reveal that prescribing healthy produce improves the health of individuals with type 2 diabetes, it’s also a very popular way to encourage fruit and vegetable intake.
“What we need next is to expand and evaluate this program in larger studies to confirm its health benefits,” Dr Wu said.
There is growing recognition that healthcare systems must do more to prevent and treat diet-related diseases, and the current model of relying mostly on drugs to manage such diseases is not enough.
In the United States, healthy food and meal prescription programs are already being integrated into healthcare. Paid for by government and healthcare providers, they are delivering promising health benefits and even reducing overall healthcare costs.
Perhaps fruit and vegetable prescriptions could be something that your pharmacy could offer, to encourage healthy diet and lifestyle habits.
Click here to learn more.
