The statement “Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food” is often attributed to Hippocrates, an early Greek physician. Researchers have carefully examined the available records, and this statement has not been found in his writings. Hippocrates emphasized the important links between health, food, exercise, and medicine, but did not confuse their specific and combined roles.

Nutrition is one influence among numerous factors determining our health and wellness. When we consume calorie-dense, highly refined foods, disregarding portion size, and wash it all down with endless servings of sugary drinks, we set the scene for obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure (hypertension), heart disease, and even cancer.

Other factors include socioeconomic circumstances, preventive health care, the immediate environment, genetics, exercise, sleep, and avoidance of alcohol, tobacco, and other at-risk behaviors; these all contribute significantly to quality of life. The availability of healthful foods, open spaces, and the opportunity to exercise safely in the outdoors are clear factors that explain how longevity is related more to one’s zip code than to any other single factor!

We need to teach the facts and share solutions compassionately and kindly. This includes educating how to choose the healthiest options from available, affordable foods, and how to prepare tasty, nourishing meals.

Can diet cure diseases? Eliminating gluten from the diet in those who have gluten sensitivity is the current cure for this specific problem. In scurvy, which is caused by a deficiency of ascorbic acid (vitamin C), the consumption of citrus and other foods rich in vitamin C is curative. Careful nutrition and avoidance of refined carbohydrates, along with exercise, weight loss, stress management, and avoiding the shaming and blaming “you brought this on yourself” approach, can improve and may even reverse type 2 diabetes. Healthy eating is a large part of the cure, along with medicines as needed.

The short answer to your question: nutrition matters, medicines matter. We need a balance of prevention, treatment, and best medical practices when healthy or ill. We have an opportunity to demonstrate God’s love and compassion by caring, sharing, and meeting people’s needs in practical ways, as did Jesus. Then He bade them follow Him. Let’s do likewise!

Adapted article by Peter N. Landless & Zeno L. Charles-Marcel, Adventist Review, 2024