What you probably already know: The food as medicine movement is no longer a fringe idea restricted to wellness circles. The latest proof? Epicured’s acquisition of Chiyo, a move the New York City-based company frames as a way to both “strengthen and scale” its focus on women’s health. Epicured, founded in 2015, says it was the first meal service in the United States focused on digestive health at every stage of a woman’s life, while Chiyo — a women’s nutrition company — has been working to “redefine what care looks like” through an integrative, food is medicine approach rooted in Eastern therapy. “During the reproductive years, nutrients can maintain healthy ovulation and reverse hormonal imbalances,” Epicured says in a news release. “For women who get pregnant, food is essential for fetal growth and maternal health. And as women transition through perimenopause and menopause, what they eat can make all the difference in regulating metabolism and preventing chronic illnesses.”
Why it matters: Sure, your mother always urged you to eat your vegetables using starving kids in distant countries as motivation, but good health has always begun on a plate rather than in a pill. The American Medical Women’s Association notes that increasing evidence proves that diet influences microbiome diversity and helps prevent obesity, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disorders and mental health issues that all “support a more comprehensive understanding of how nutrition and microbiome health contribute to women’s well-being across the lifespan.” The Food as Medicine movement dates to Hippocrates but began to gain steam about four decades ago and has now become a way to reframe health equity.
What it means: Educational campaigns are rampant. The National Library of Medicine has launched a pilot program focusing on improving dietary quality among rural perinatal patients, noting that food security and other unmet social needs lead to negative outcomes for mothers and newborns. The federal Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion’s educational “Food is Medicine” website dispenses tips and tools to manage and treat diet-related diseases. On her website, holistic health coach Gabriela Bocante notes that many “power” foods can lower the risk of certain health conditions common among women, including omega-3 rich foods, spinach and other green leafy vegetables and broccoli. The MAHA movement (Make American Healthy Again) has emphasized food as a preventative health tool and RealFood.gov just released its 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, though nutritionists disagree with many of its recommendations.
What happens next: Several states, including Louisiana, Texas and West Virginia, have passed laws banning certain ingredients or mandating new warning labels on food products, though advocacy group Americans for Ingredient Transparency says “patchwork” state laws will only drive up grocery prices. It is advocating for national food and beverage standards instead. The American Medical Women’s Association has launched a Healthy Lifestyle Revolution storytelling campaign inviting women to share specific lifestyle tips on its social channels. As Chiyo CEO and co-founder Irene Liu (who will assume the role of senior vice president of women’s health at Epicured) puts it, “The missing piece has always been accessibility: how to bring clinically informed, stage-specific nutrition to more people, not just those who can afford it out of pocket.”
