The concept of food and medicine homology is rooted in traditional Chinese medicine, which emphasizes the significance of substances having both nutritional and therapeutic capabilities. According to these characteristics, food and medicine homology substances may offer an innovative way of treating diseases. Cancer, a global disease with high mortality rates, poses considerable hurdles due to the severe toxic side effects of chemotherapy, which significantly reduce patient quality of life. As a result, there is an urgent need to investigate cancer treatments that have low toxicity and side effects. The use of food and medicine homology substances in cancer prevention and treatment has introduced promising prospects in this domain. Resveratrol, a compound derived from edible plants, exhibits significant anti-tumor action while being less toxic and causing fewer adverse effects. This review describes the use of resveratrol in treating gastrointestinal tumors and emphasizes the significance of food and medicine homologous compounds in tumor disease research. The effect and molecular mechanism of resveratrol to inhibit esophageal, gastric, pancreatic, liver, and colorectal cancer is emphasized. Several significant clinical trials of resveratrol targeting gastrointestinal cancers were also incorporated. This review delineates the current status and future potential of food and medicine homology in tumor diseases.