Food as medicine: Going beyond basic nutrition

Food as Medicine: Going Beyond Basic Nutrition

Researchers at Georgia State are unlocking the science behind functional foods, and why they could be the key to better health.

By Noelle Toumey Reetz

A growing body of research finds that the key to improving health won’t necessarily be found in a pill, but in the foods we can choose to eat every day.

That’s the philosophy behind studies underway at Georgia State, where Associate Professor of Nutrition Rafaela Feresin is working to understand how certain foods work to improve our health and well-being.

Feresin and her team are focused on uncovering what gives some foods both medicinal and preventative properties. Known as “functional foods,” these are foods that go beyond basic nutrition — not only supplying vital nutrients but also other health-promoting compounds that support overall well-being.

“One of the main goals of our research is to understand the role of foods, including berries and nuts, in preventing and improving disease outcomes — particularly for conditions such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes and obesity,” Feresin says. “We also want to understand how these foods work on a molecular level. What are the mechanisms underlying the health benefits we observe?”

This is a branch of study known as molecular nutrition.

At the molecular level, Feresin says, many foods contain bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols, that offer important health benefits beyond being fuel for the body. These compounds, found in plant-based foods, have been shown to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, both of which are behind many chronic conditions.

Recent research has shown that polyphenols in berries, for example, scavenge free radicals and influence antioxidant enzymes and other molecular pathways that contribute to health. In a study now underway, Feresin’s team demonstrated that combining blackberries and raspberries in the diet produced a greater reduction in blood pressure than consuming either berry alone.

“The benefits of polyphenols go beyond simply reducing free radicals. They interact with molecular targets at the cellular level to support bodily functions. For example, they can increase the bioavailability of nitric oxide, a powerful vasodilator that lowers blood pressure and improves endothelial function,” Feresin says.

She adds that polyphenols can also increase insulin sensitivity, which enhances blood glucose regulation and promotes general metabolic health.

Polyphenols are produced by plants in response to stressors like sunlight exposure, drought, pollutants or pest attacks. These plant compounds, especially those found in berries — like blueberries, blackberries and raspberries — are well known for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. But Feresin’s research dives deeper into how polyphenols interact with targets in the body at the molecular level.

All This From a Peanut?

Peanuts are also a research focus in Feresin’s work for their potential cardio-metabolic benefits. They serve as a rich source of healthy fats, fiber, protein and a wide array of bioactive compounds, such polyphenols and phytosterols. Her team is exploring how these legumes can impact blood sugar control and even improve brain function.

“We want to identify safe complementary or even alternative nutritional strategies that individuals can use to prevent and even improve disease,” she explains. To do that, she works with a team that includes approximately 20 graduate and undergraduate students conducting research in the lab.

Feresin says this mentorship is a crucial part of her mission. Inspired by her own mentor, who recently retired from Florida State University, she now wants to pay it forward.

In 2024, Feresin received the first-ever Outstanding Mentor Award from the Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions, as well as the Center for the Advancement of Students and Alumni (CASA) Mentor Award.

“Your success is my success, and my success is your success. Research is a team effort, and their dedication helps make it all possible,” Feresin says, reflecting on her work with student researchers. “I am very passionate about mentoring students and working with them to discover their full potential. Watching them accomplish something beyond what they thought was possible is what motivates me every day.”

Jessica P. Danh is a Ph.D. candidate in chemistry with a focus on nutritional sciences. She works as a graduate research assistant in Feresin’s lab. She is studying how polyphenols found in berries may help gut health and improve blood pressure.

Danh’s research — which has earned several awards — aims to further uncover the processes at work when humans eat these functional foods.

“When we tease out the mechanisms of how berries, or any other food for that matter, can promote health or prevent disease and relay that to the public, we give them the tools and confidence to make better-informed decisions about their health,” Danh says.

Rami Najjar is one of Feresin’s former Ph.D. students. He is now a working as a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) postdoctoral fellow at Georgia State’s Institute for Biomedical Sciences. He has published more than a dozen papers and his research focus is on plant-based diets and their effects on cardiovascular disease.

“Since cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death, finding ways to prevent, treat and even reverse it is of critical importance,” Najjar says.

Najjar is working alongside Regents’ Professor and Distinguished University Professor Andrew Gewirtz, and their work is helping bridge nutrition science with the broader study of immune and gut health to improve the prevention of cardiovascular disease.

Feresin is also working with an interdisciplinary team to investigate how functional foods, particularly blueberries and peanuts, impact cardio-metabolic, intestinal and brain health as well as general well-being. She has gathered researchers in a number of fields, including experts in microbiome, cognitive function, neuroimaging, microvascular function and statistics.

With mounting evidence showing that berries, peanuts and other foods can significantly improve health and fend off disease, this research is laying the groundwork for new food-based interventions that could one day replace the pill bottle.

“It’s not just about eating more of one food or another,” Feresin says. “It’s about eating a variety of natural, minimally processed foods. A balanced diet is the foundation of good health, and it’s not just about nutrients. It’s also all the plant-based bioactive compounds that work together to support health.”

Photography by Carolyn Richardson; Top image by William Davis