Use of Medical Foods to Fight Chronic Diseases: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Chronic diseases cannot be treated completely, and therefore often require repeated treatments. This situation leads to long-term drug utilization. Medical foods are as alternative natural drugs in the management and treatment of chronic diseases. Medical foods are specially formulated food to meet the particular nutritional requirements of patients affected by certain diseases. They play an important role in nutritional support for patients in clinical applications such as deglutition, dyspepsia or eating disorders. They considerably enhance the quality of living of patients by reducing drug usage, preventing complications with overuse of drug, and reducing the expenses of treatments. The nutritive value of medical foods can be regulated and personalized depend on disease. They are not drugs, and are exempt from regulations applying to drugs. Each medical food is formulated specifically according to relevant chronic disease. There are no studies on medical foods for different specific diseases with examples from the market in the literature. The examination and compilation of medical foods in an article with examples from the market is all important in terms of both creating new products and filling the gap in the relevant literature. Therefore, the aim of this review is to explain the use of medical foods for Alzheimer, Parkinson, anxiety and sleep disorder, pain syndrome, cancer, infants, inborn errors metabolism, diabetes mellitus, drug-resistant epilepsy, hypertension and indicate why should be preferred instead of drugs. Research on new medical foods should be increased and new formulations should be created.