Hippocrates Was Right. Food is Medicine.

Karen Casey, MS, RDN

Some of my patients have heard me say – nutrition science is a young science! New discoveries are happening every day – changing the recommendations for which foods and nutrients we use to treat and prevent disease. 

There are entire classes of very complex metabolic diseases that are treated by restricting certain vitamins or nutrients – similar to how Type 2 diabetes is treated by restricting sugar. In the last 10 years, groundbreaking research in food science and genetics has led to treatments for rare diseases that previously had no cure. These breakthroughs change how we better understand the role of antioxidants, phytonutrients and the effects of food on the human body.

How does this relate to my patients I see in Leadville?

Every aspect of my care uses evidence-based practices and proven science. No fads, trends, or unnecessary supplements. Nutrition care is complex and individualized.   Hippocrates knew food was medicine, but we are still figuring out HOW?! One thing I strive for with every patient is to integrate each person’s needs, lifestyle, behaviors, and habits with scientific knowledge to tailor the best care plan possible!

In order to do that, I stay involved in national research institutions that continuously scan clinical trials, to find emerging nutrition science and treatments for disease through the non-profit – Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). If you would like to learn more about groundbreaking treatments in nutrition or rare disease therapies, look up ECRI Horizon Scanning, their recent posts on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ecri-org/posts/, you might see a familiar face!

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