TULSA — It is estimated that one in eight adult Oklahomans has diabetes - ninety percent of them, Type II diabetes.

Fully one third of the adult population has pre-diabetes.

The condition is preventable, and treatable, in most cases.

A program which kicked off in north Tulsa a couple years back has logged some incredible results - and it all began with a doctor’s simple request.

He wanted to give his patients a prescription for fresh fruits and vegetables - and FreshRX Oklahoma was born.

The founder and director is Erin Martin, MSMA, a nutritionist and gerontologist.

She flew to Washington, D.C. Monday evening in preparation for testimony she’ll give before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions - chaired by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders - on Tuesday.

Martin tells KRMG there are about a thousand such programs in the U.S. funded through grants from private agencies and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

She’s advocating for more support from the government’s healthcare agencies, federal and state.

Food as medicine is producing results - her patients average a reduction in the A1C measurement of blood glucose of 2.2 points.

They’re also losing weight, and lowering their blood pressure.

To learn more, and hear Erin’s story of how she began FreshRX and her recent partnership with the Oklahoma State Department of Health, listen to our KRMG In-Depth podcast HERE, or by utilizing the player below.