Roots Food Group + Food is Medicine

The Medically Tailored Meals & ‘Food Is Medicine’ Company Is Currently Raising Its Series A Round

DALLAS, TEXAS, UNITED STATES, June 8, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- After concluding Mental Health Awareness Month, Roots Food Group announces professional basketball player and mental health advocate Kevin Love as an investor. Roots Food Group makes and distributes Medically Tailored Meals and ‘Food is Medicine’ products, prescribed by doctors as a covered benefit to treat various conditions and chronic diseases. Roots Food Group is currently raising its Series A round to provide growth equity to execute on contracts with health insurance companies, hospitals, and self-insured employer programs.

“You have probably heard the expression, ‘you are what you eat.’ This time and time again has proven to be true especially with those suffering from chronic disease and mental health disorders,” said Robert T. Jones, Founder and CEO of Roots Food Group. “The food choices we make have an impact on the way we feel. The brain is the platform for our mind and therefore the platform for our mental health. Today, we are seeing compelling research that describes the connection between our gut and brain. The clearest example of this is the role of nutrition and food in relation to mental health.”

Love has used his platform as an elite professional basketball player to continuously bring awareness to mental health. He often notes he's not an expert on the subject, but his personal battles give him a perspective to share that might help others dealing with similar issues. To Love, the tools include things like access to healthy food, therapy, and mental health education, which includes helping communities often without access to those resources.

Improved, innovative strategies are needed for the prevention and promotion of recovery from mental illness as these disorders are the leading cause of disability worldwide. Evidence linking dietary pattern to brain-based illnesses and provide an overview of the mechanisms that underlie the association between brain health and the food we eat. Considerations for dietary intervention will be discussed including encouraging a shift towards a traditional or a whole foods dietary pattern.1

Several nutritional deficiencies, such as vitamin B12, B9 (folate), and zinc, can cause symptoms of depression and dementia such as low mood, fatigue, cognitive decline, and irritability.2 - 3 The evidence linking diet to mental illness has evolved from a focus on specific nutrient deficiencies to an emphasis on overall dietary pattern. Dietary patterns high in processed foods, or a “western dietary pattern,” are strongly correlated with an increased risk of developing depression, mild cognitive impairment, and ADHD. Food insecurity, or inadequate access to sufficient nutritious and culturally appropriate food, is also independently associated with mood and anxiety disorders. On the other hand, a “whole foods,” and traditional diet have been found to be protective against developing depression among other mental illnesses. 4 - 5

For instance, a prospective cohort study of over 10,000 university students over 4.4 years of follow up, found that students who most closely adhered to certain dietary plans had a 42% reduced risk of developing depression. This research has taken into account several potential confounders including socioeconomic status. 6

In addition, Roots Food Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Roots Food Group, will be working with the Kevin Love Fund to donate Food is Medicine products to underserved communities and individuals in need of healthy unprocessed foods.

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Roots Food Group manufactures and distributes Food is Medicine products to patients. Roots contracts with Health Companies and Systems to address the epidemic of chronic disease and other conditions. Doctors prescribe healthy unprocessed foods to patients that are delivered Direct to the Consumer.

Roots Food Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Roots Food Group, for every 10 meals sold Roots Food Foundation donates meals and food to underserved communities and programs assisting those in need. Roots Food Foundation focuses on policy, education and giving an integral part of the mission of Roots Food Group.

Kevin Love Fund strives to inspire people to live their healthiest lives while providing the tools to achieve physical and emotional well-being. For more information and to donate visit KevinLoveFund.org. All donations are tax-deductible through Kevin Love Fund’s 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor, the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF). EIF is a Charity Navigator 4 Star Charity and meets all 20 BBB Charity Standards.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Nikki Pesusich
Roots Food Group
Email: nikki@rootsfoodgroup.com

Laura Kovacovich
Roots Food Foundation
Email: laura@rootsfoodfoundation.org

References:

Citation 1
Physical activity, diet, and risk of Alzheimer disease.
Scarmeas N, Luchsinger JA, Schupf N, Brickman AM, Cosentino S, Tang MX, Stern Y
JAMA. 2009 Aug 12; 302(6):627-37.
Sánchez-Villegas A, Delgado-Rodríguez M, Alonso A, Schlatter J, Lahortiga F, Serra Majem L, Martínez-González MA
Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2009 Oct; 66(10):1090-8.

Citation 2
Sensi S, Paoletti P, Koh J, Aizenman E, Bush A, Hershfinkel M. The Neurophysiology and Pathology of Brain Zinc The Journal of Neuroscience. 2011;31(45):16076–85.

Citation 3
Longitudinal association of vitamin B-6, folate, and vitamin B-12 with depressive symptoms among older adults over time.
Skarupski KA, Tangney C, Li H, Ouyang B, Evans DA, Morris MC
Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Aug; 92(2):330-5.

Citation 4
A systematic review and meta-analysis of dietary patterns and depression in community-dwelling adults.
Lai JS, Hiles S, Bisquera A, Hure AJ, McEvoy M, Attia J
Am J Clin Nutr. 2014 Jan; 99(1):181-97.

Citation 5
A prospective study of diet quality and mental health in adolescents.
Jacka FN, Kremer PJ, Berk M, de Silva-Sanigorski AM, Moodie M, Leslie ER, Pasco JA, Swinburn BA
PLoS One. 2011; 6(9):e24805.

Citation 6
Association of the Mediterranean dietary pattern with the incidence of depression: the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra/University of Navarra follow-up (SUN) cohort.

Nikki Pesusich
Roots Food Group
nikki@rootsfoodgroup.com