Food as Medicine: Integrating Food-Medicine Homology into Foods for Special Medical Purposes for Targeted Symptom Management and Nutritional Support

Formula foods for special medical purposes (FSMPs) are specialized nutritional foods specially processed and configured to meet the special needs of people with specific disease states for nutrients or diets. Food-medicine homogeneity (FMH) is derived from the theory of Herbal Medicine, emphasizing substances that have both nutritional and therapeutic effects. Although the research on FMH is increasing, the integration of FMH into FSMPs for disease management has not been fully explored. This review synthesizes the evolutionary trajectory of FMH substances, integrating relevant literature published from 2020 to 2025. The focus is on revolutionary new processing technologies to enhance bioavailability, stability, and personalization. This review is pioneering in its expansion of FSMP raw materials to FMH, emphasizing its dual nutritional and therapeutic attributes. FMH employs multi-target synergy to transition FSMPs to multi-pathway mechanisms, thereby ensuring superior safety and efficacy in comparison to traditional therapies. Technological advances in delivery and extraction address application challenges, yet global regulations and personalization remain significant obstacles. FMH-FSMP integration has been shown to converge food and medicine, thereby transcending the concept of “food as medicine” within culturally resonant systems. This integration has the potential to unlock personalized disease management via innovation, trials, and reforms.