Description

A world-renowned cardiologist and expert in nutrition offers a blueprint for a nutrition revolution to mend our health, economy and planet

Food should nourish us, but instead it’s making us sick: from obesity and diabetes to heart disease, cancer, and poor mental health. As cardiologist and public health expert Dariush Mozaffarian shows, the problem isn’t how much we eat – it’s what we eat too little of: the foods that heal, protect and restore the body and mind.

Cutting through widespread confusion and misinformation, he reveals astonishing new discoveries about how food truly affects our health, our biology, and even our longevity. Harnessing the power of the right foods, he shows, can do more than prevent illness; it can treat disease, extend life, and reduce the staggering human and economic costs of ill health. Food Is Medicine maps the path forward, from transforming our own diets to reshaping what grows on our farms and reaches our stores and our plates.

Uniquely positioned on the frontlines of nutrition, medicine and public policy, Dariush Mozaffarian draws on cutting-edge research to turn complex science into a clear, actionable plan for reversing today’s health crisis. He reveals the medicinal power of ideal nutrition, breaks down widely accepted myths and false narratives driving modern choices, and introduces the innovators who are pioneering breakthrough solutions – in doctors’ offices, supermarkets, communities, and the halls of power.

Braiding storytelling, science, and practical wisdom with clarity and optimism, Food Is Medicine offers a bold new vision for a food system that can help each of us to live a longer, healthier life.

Publisher Review

Food Is Medicine reads like a thrilling detective story as one of the world’s leading experts takes us behind the scenes of the obesity crisis. Following the clues from our modern food and metabolism to the gut microbiome and brain, it reveals what has really gone wrong-and, crucially, what we can do about it — Tim Spector Drawing on three decades at the unique intersection of cardiology, nutrition, and public health, Dariush Mozaffarian makes a compelling case that the story of modern health is fundamentally the story of food. Food Is Medicine is that rare book that manages to entirely reframe a debate you probably thought you understood, while staying firmly grounded in science and the lived reality of patients — Dr. Sanjay Gupta Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian’s message is urgent, optimistic, and crucial for reclaiming our health and agency. Dr. Mozaffarian masterfully bridges the gap between cutting-edge science and the everyday behaviour changes needed to heal our bodies and minds. Food Is Medicine shows that we cannot truly thrive without reforming our approach to food — Arianna Huffington, Founder and CEO of Thrive Global Dariush Mozaffarian is my go-to voice for understanding how food fundamentally shapes human health and well-being. At a time when chronic disease defines modern life, Food Is Medicine cuts through decades of confusion with clarity, science, and wisdom-explaining the root causes of why we are getting sicker and how we can heal. Deeply grounded in science, wonderfully readable, and ultimately hopeful, this book is a roadmap for healthier people and a healthier planet — Bill Frist, M.D., former Senate majority leader A landmark and deeply researched work by a leading physician that takes readers on a sweeping journey through the history of nutrition, while challenging what we think we know about food’s central role in shaping our health — David A. Kessler, M.D., former FDA Commissioner and New York Times bestselling author of Diet, Drugs, and Dopamine Food Is Medicine gives us a deep, detailed, scientific overview of a wide range of research and policy issues dealing with diet and health — Marion Nestle, author of What to Eat Now The most compelling roadmap yet for fixing our broken food and healthcare systems. Drawing on a lifetime at the intersection of medicine, nutrition, and policy, Dariush Mozaffarian offers a practical blueprint for longer, healthier lives. With the wisdom of a physician and the clarity of a gifted teacher, he reveals how our food system lost its way-and how we can reclaim health without deprivation. Rooted in science and inspired by the lessons of the Blue Zones, this is an essential guide for anyone who wants to live better, help their family thrive, and create a healthier future — Dan Buettner, National Geographic Fellow and #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Blue Zones The phrase ‘food is medicine’ raises an eyebrow for me-it sounds joyless and clinical: function over pleasure, nutrients over flavor. But Dr. Mozaffarian’s use of it here changed my mind. With a cardiologist’s rigor and an expert’s confidence, he proves-brilliantly-that flavor is inseparable from function and nutrition. Same phrase, a whole new flavor. And in the end, the doctor sounds like a chef: enjoy your food — Dan Barber, James Beard Award-winning chef and New York Times bestselling author of The Third Plate Writing with clarity and optimism, Dr. Mozaffarian draws on years of research to show how science, nutrition, and policy can work in tandem to transform the modern food system from a source of illness into a source of healing. As the Food is Medicine movement gains momentum, this book is a timely, rigorous guide to using nutritious food to save lives and money — Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation