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“Food is Medicine Act” defies Big Pharma model and allows doctors to PRESCRIBE FOOD as medicine

By sdwells // 2025-05-19

Over a century ago, the Pure Food and Drug Act was signed into law by President Theodore Roosevelt, as legislation aimed at ending all natural remedies as “medicine” and a launch of chemicalized drugs as the holy grail of prescription medications. This was the beginning of federal regulation of all food and drugs in the United States, and every natural healer was labeled a “quack.” Now, 120 years later, “Food as Medicine” is finally having its day in court, in Oklahoma. That’s right, doctors there can now PRESCRIBE CARROTS instead of costly, dangerous prescription drugs that always carry horrific side effects that require more drugs. The vicious cycle could be seeing the beginning of the end. Is the organic produce section at the grocery store the new “pharmacy?” Relabel it “Farmacy.”

Oklahoma Makes History: Doctors Can Now Prescribe Fresh Food as Medicaid-Covered Medicine

Oklahoma has become the first state to legally recognize food as medicine in a groundbreaking move that could reshape healthcare nationwide. On May 10, Governor Kevin Stitt signed Senate Bill 806, the Food is Medicine Act, allowing doctors to prescribe fresh, locally grown produce to Medicaid patients as a preventive and therapeutic measure. The law, which takes effect July 1, challenges the pharmaceutical-dominated healthcare model by prioritizing nutrition over costly medications for chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease. The legislation marks a radical shift in how Medicaid funds are used, redirecting dollars from prescription drugs to whole foods. Republican Senator Adam Pugh, the bill’s architect, framed it as a fiscal and moral imperative: “Giving someone an insurance card doesn’t make them healthy, it just changes who pays the bill.” Oklahoma ranks among the worst states for preventable chronic illnesses, with soaring rates of diabetes and obesity. Yet, until now, Medicaid would cover expensive pharmaceuticals while ignoring the nutritional interventions proven to address root causes. The new law mandates coverage for:

• Nutrition counseling and meal programs
• Grocery provisions and pantry stocking
• Prescriptions for fresh, locally sourced food
• Case management to ensure adherence

Critically, the bill prioritizes partnerships with local farmers, cutting out corporate agribusiness. Erin Martin, founder of Fresh RX Oklahoma, noted that nutrient-dense, locally grown produce has already shown dramatic health improvements in pilot programs. “Growing local food maintains more nutrients, and when you grow it well, it has even more nutrients, which means it truly is medicine,” she said. The law includes an emergency clause, reflecting Oklahoma’s urgent need to curb Medicaid spending on preventable diseases. Studies show food-as-medicine programs reduce hospitalizations and medication dependence, saving billions long-term. Jenna Moore of OKC Food Hub cautioned, however, that success depends on sustained funding: “If Medicaid doesn’t have enough dollars to buy local foods, that could affect the scale and ability for it to be effective.” For farmers and local economies, the law is a lifeline. By funneling Medicaid dollars to small-scale growers, it strengthens regional food systems while improving public health. Advocates hope private insurers will follow suit if the model proves cost-effective. Oklahoma’s experiment could catalyze a nationwide reckoning with healthcare’s reliance on pharmaceuticals. The Food is Medicine Act revives an ancient truth—that diet is foundational to health—while offering a blueprint for systemic change. As Martin put it, “You can really affect change by investing your dollar.” If successful, this policy may prove that the best prescriptions don’t come from a pill bottle, but from the soil. Tune your internet dial to NaturalMedicine.news for more tips on how to use natural remedies and organic food for preventative medicine and for healing, instead of succumbing to Big Pharma products that cause, spread, and exacerbate disease and disorder. Sources for this article include: NaturalNews.com NaturalHealth365.com      

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