A recent randomised controlled trial led by Foodsmart reveals that integrating nutrition counselling, medically tailored groceries and digital support can effectively lower blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes on Medicaid, highlighting the growing role of food-based interventions in chronic disease management.
Foodsmart said a randomised controlled trial has found that a package of nutrition counselling, home-delivered medically tailored groceries and digital support was linked to better blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes on Medicaid. The findings, published in the American Heart Association journal Circulation, come from research involving Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Tufts University and The George Institute for Global Health.
The study enrolled 460 adults whose blood sugar remained elevated despite usual care, and about two-thirds were using insulin, according to the paper indexed on PubMed. Participants were assigned either to standard care or to the Foodsmart-backed intervention for six months. The trial found that the group receiving the food-based support had a larger fall in HbA1c, a measure of average blood glucose, than those receiving usual care alone.
The George Institute said the intervention also improved food and nutrition security, alongside diabetes control. The report said the programme included weekly deliveries of medically tailored groceries, culturally tailored recipes and access to phone-based nutrition counselling. Foodsmart said adherence was high, with most participants accepting deliveries and reporting satisfaction with the service.
The results add to a wider body of research suggesting that food-based support can help people with diabetes, especially those facing food insecurity. A separate trial presented in Diabetes on medically tailored meals also found improved HbA1c levels in adults with type 2 diabetes and food insecurity, underscoring growing interest in so-called “Food is Medicine” programmes as state Medicaid schemes expand nutrition benefits.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
