How Chiyo Is Bringing “Food As Medicine” To Women’s Health

Nutrition is at the forefront of many health-focused conversations today — and we’re seeing signals of this across all sectors. 

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently launched its Food is Medicine initiative. The nutrigenomics market is expected to hit $2 billion in the next decade. And we’ve seen an uptick in nutrition-focused startups like Elo Health, Heali, and Zoe.

One of the most recent companies to enter the scene is Chiyo. But rather than providing nutrition services for the general population, Chiyo is focused on a specific demographic: women and mothers. 

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What does Chiyo do?

Chiyo, which was founded by Irene Liu and Jennifer Jolorte Doro, launched in 2021 and delivers personalized meals that aim to meet the nutritional needs of women throughout their maternal health journeys — from fertility to postpartum and beyond. 

The program appears to work on a membership basis, where people complete a quiz and then receive a tailored nutrition roadmap, along with curated meals that are delivered to their homes. 

The membership also comes with the following benefits: 

• A curation of herbal broths and tonics that align with your current health journey.
• SMS concierge for check-ins at key milestones.
• Educational resources to help you better understand your body and the potential impact that nutrition can have on it. 

In a statement from Liu, she says:

"My vision for Chiyo has always been rooted in bringing food-as-medicine to the forefront and rely on it for the different life stages of a woman's health journey. I'm incredibly excited…to further build out this vision, and build the path to accessibility – while we help educate on the potential impact nutrition has on generational health.”

The importance of maternal-health focused nutrition 

Despite the fact that many women experience significant physiological, neurological, and hormonal changes throughout their lives, nutritional recommendations are rarely given through this lens. 

This likely stems from the fact that women’s health is largely understudied and research in this area often lacks funding. (1)

That’s why the rise of companies like Chiyo are sorely needed. Giving more women access to integrative nutrition may not only support their health but also contribute to better outcomes.

For example, a study found that couples who followed a preconception diet while undergoing in vitro fertilization treatment saw a 1.4x increased probability of a successful pregnancy. (2)

This type of personalized approach may become increasingly important for helping women navigate the various milestones of their health journeys. 

Looking forward

Since launching, Chiyo has served 100,000 meals and grew 300% in the last year while expanding nationally. The company has also partnered with over 100 women's health practitioners to provide more people with nutrition support throughout their maternal health journeys. 

According to a press release, the company recently raised $3 million in funding, which they plan to use to build a digital platform for personalized customer self-guided content and nutrition programs. 

Chiyo also has plans to scale its distribution through clinics and its practitioner community and invest in additional research around the effects of food as medicine.

The rise of companies like Chiyo has exciting implications. It signals that there may be a growing amount of research, funding, and education around women’s health, which will hopefully open the door to more women and mothers receiving the personalized care they deserve.