Can a healthy diet treat disease? Why some argue food is medicine

A shopper holds fresh produce at Northgate Gonzalez Market before a press conference there where the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health announced new data on food insecurity in Los Angeles County in 2017.

Jesse Steinmetz was the producer for Under the Radar with Callie Crossley.

February 03, 2023

Updated August 07, 2023

This week on Under the Radar with Callie Crossley:

From heart disease to diabetes, chronic illness is the leading cause of death in the United States, and chronic disease is a major reason why the nation spends more than $4 trillion on health care every year.

But a growing movement believes reexamining our relationship with food is key to both improving our health and saving money. Food is medicine, they argue, and access to high quality food is essential to a longer, healthier life.

We speak with organizations leading the crusade in Boston and beyond to understand how food can assist, and sometimes even replace medication.