A medical explanation of how food-as-medicine could work
The food-as-medicine movement is gathering steam, bringing hope that growers producing healthier food will be rewarded with higher prices. Yet it remains a movement that needs more supporting data. There is not much scientific evidence that “health food” is, in fact, healthier for people or animals. For example, it seems intuitive that removing pesticides from food must make it healthier, but no studies have demonstrated a clear benefit — there is, as of yet, no evidence that food grown this way adds to lifespan or improves any measure of health.
Still, new evidence is emerging, and those active in this field will be more effective if they have some knowledge of the medical side of the equation. This article focuses on atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and how food can influence the disease process. Why ASCVD? Because it is the most common cause of death, because it turns out to be an inflammatory condition, and because, as a cardiologist, I understand it (an oncology researcher could tell a similar story about cancer!).
Heart Attack and Inflammation
ASCVD is caused by “cholesterol plaque” that blocks arteries supplying the heart (leading to heart attacks) or the brain (causing strokes). Arterial plaque develops over a lifetime; autopsy studies of young soldiers killed in three wars found developing plaque in more than half.
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