A randomized trial found that home-delivered medically tailored groceries improved blood sugar control and food security for some Medicaid-insured adults with type 2 diabetes. The findings show how access to suitable food can support diabetes care, but they do not mean groceries replace medicines or clinical follow-up.
What are medically tailored groceries?
Medically tailored groceries are food deliveries designed around a person’s health needs, household size and food preferences. In this trial, participants received weekly deliveries of healthy foods, culturally tailored recipes and access to phone-based nutrition counseling. The program was designed to support people who had both type 2 diabetes and food or nutrition insecurity.
How was the study done?
The trial included 460 Medicaid-insured adults in Southern California who had type 2 diabetes and a history of elevated HbA1c. Participants were assigned to usual care or one of two medically tailored grocery programs for six months. The grocery programs differed in the amount of food support provided.
The study was randomized, which means participants were assigned by chance. That design helps researchers compare the intervention with usual care, although the results still apply most directly to people similar to those enrolled in the trial.
What did the researchers find?
HbA1c fell in both groups, but the reduction was greater among people receiving the grocery intervention. The average treatment difference was about 0.40 percentage points in favor of medically tailored groceries.
The intervention also improved food security. Participants receiving groceries had higher odds of reporting that they had enough food and enough nutritious food. Most participants reported eating most or all of the food provided, which suggests that the deliveries were practical for many people in the study.
The researchers did not find significant changes in body mass index or blood pressure over the six-month follow-up. The study was not designed to show whether the intervention reduces long-term complications such as kidney disease, heart attack or stroke.
Why does food access matter in diabetes?
Healthy eating advice is difficult to follow when suitable food is too expensive, unavailable nearby, or hard to store and prepare. Food insecurity can also lead people to skip meals, rely on cheaper foods, or use diabetes medicines without a consistent eating pattern.
This trial suggests that a food-based support program can improve an important part of diabetes care: the ability to obtain and eat suitable food regularly. That is different from saying that one specific diet works for everyone. Diabetes care still needs to reflect culture, preferences, budget, medicines and other health conditions.
What are the limits of the findings?
- The follow-up lasted six months, so the long-term effect is not known.
- Participants were Medicaid-insured adults in Southern California, so results may not be the same in other populations or health systems.
- The intervention included several parts, including food deliveries, recipes and optional counseling. The study cannot show that one part alone caused the benefit.
- The study did not show significant changes in BMI or blood pressure.
What can people with type 2 diabetes ask about?
- Ask your diabetes team or clinic whether medically tailored grocery, produce-prescription or food-assistance programs are available locally.
- Tell your healthcare team if cost, transport, storage or cooking makes it difficult to follow your eating plan.
- Ask for a referral to a registered dietitian or diabetes educator if you want help adapting meals to your culture, budget and medicines.
- Do not change diabetes medicines on your own because of a dietary change. Glucose levels may change when eating patterns change, so follow-up may be useful.
Bottom line
In this randomized trial, medically tailored grocery deliveries were linked with a modest improvement in HbA1c and meaningful improvements in food security among Medicaid-insured adults with type 2 diabetes. The study supports food access as part of diabetes care, not as a substitute for prescribed treatment. The most useful food plan is one that is nutritious, affordable, culturally acceptable and possible to sustain.
Sources:
- PubMed: Effects of a “Food Is Medicine” Intervention on Glucose Control Among Medicaid-Insured Patients With Type 2 Diabetes
- Circulation: randomized controlled trial report
- The George Institute for Global Health: study summary
This article is for general information and does not replace advice from a qualified healthcare professional.