To mark the release of our first of 3 factsheets on plant-based diets and chronic kidney disease, I summarise recent data on the benefits of eating more plants. — Until recently the dogma has been that plant-based diets are not suitable for patients with kidney disease. This is now changing. Evidence suggests that predominately plant-based diets are not only associated with a lower risk of developing chronic kidney disease (CKD), but also may slow the progression of already established…

This month I cover the emerging role of plant-based lifestyle medicine for haematological cancers. This coincides with my preparation for the annual British Society of Haematology conference in April, where I will lead two sessions on lifestyle medicine along with fellow plant-based haematologists, Drs. Urvi Shah and Manmit Kaur. — We have known for decades that healthy habits can lower the risk of developing chronic conditions by around 80%. A seminal study titled ‘healthy living is the best revenge’ analysed data from 23,153 German participants aged 35 to 65 years from the European Prospective Investigation Into Cancer and Nutrition-Potsdam study…

After more than 3 years of writing a weekly review I am moving to a monthly offering. This month I focus on the power of healthy lifestyle habits. I am excited to be leading two sessions on plant-based lifestyle medicine at the British Society of Haematology annual conference in April 2023. — Last month the Times Health Commission report recognised the huge contribution that unhealthy diets and lifestyles are making to the national health crisis. The symptoms of this crisis are the rising rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes in both children and adults, but the report clearly states that ‘diet…

This week I focus on diet patterns and foods that promote longevity. No surprises, it’s all the healthy plant foods. — This week the Time Health Commission reports on the rising level of chronic ill health in the UK. Not only is this negatively impacting quality of life, but is rapidly becoming unaffordable for a health service and economy that are both near or at breaking point. A third of middle…

This week I focus on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a condition that is at pandemic proportion, the commonest cause of liver disease globally and the fastest growing indication for liver transplantation. So what can we do about it? —

Happy new year to you all. Welcome to the 10th anniversary of the Veganuary campaign and the international year of millets. I start the year with a reminder that plant-based diets are front and centre of clinical guidelines for prevention and management of chronic conditions. — It may seem that a vegan or plant-based diet is not the ‘go to’ dietary recommendation for the medical community. Yet, all health-promoting diets share in common a handful of key features that are entirely compatible and consistent with a 100% plant-based diet. These common features include an emphasis on…

Extract from the book Eating Plant-Based, Scientific Answers to Your Nutrition Questions (updated version Jan 2023) By Dr Shireen Kassam and Dr Zahra Kassam — Yes, this is correct. The Mediterranean diet is a healthy diet pattern, which is why for 6 years in a row it has been voted the ‘best diet overall’ by a panel of experts for the US World and News Report on best diets (2023). There are a few things…

It has been a challenging year for a number of reasons. Despite this, we have had a busy and productive year furthering our mission to promote whole food plant-based nutrition for individual and planetary health. OUR MEMBERS: We had the opportunity to conduct a research survey of our members. This…

This past year the world has been in turmoil. This has affected food security globally. Diet quality has significantly deteriorated, yet the evidence supporting plant-based diets for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer and obesity management has only strengthened. Here are my highlights. —