Articles

Fish and omega-3 fatty acids; the bottom lineThe role of fish in the diet continues to be a topic of scientific study and debate. So, do humans need to eat fish for health? Do I need to eat fish to be healthy? A 100% plant-based or vegan diet is one of the healthiest...

Are vegan diets deficient in choline? In the Summer of 2019, a rather controversial opinion piece about the lower choline content of plant-based diets was published in the journal BMJ Nutrition, Prevention and Health. The article suggested that there is a looming...

Oil or no oil; a viewpointThe whole food plant-based (WFPB) diet community are divided on the topic of added oils in the diet. Just to be clear, we are talking about extracted plant oils and not healthy fats found in whole plant foods. What should also be remembered...

Does diet impact the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma?Authors: Marta Lewandowska, Dagfinn Aune, Doug Bristor, Shireen Kassam. Published in www.ijdrp.org VOL. 1, NO. 1. 2019 Introduction Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is the eleventh commonest cancer globally and the sixth and...

Plant-based diets: the optimal choice for planetary healthThe Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warns us about the dire consequences of the projected global warming of 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels, which could happen in less than 12 years time....

Plant-based diets for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetesType 2 diabetes, which accounts for around 90% of cases of diabetes, is now at epidemic proportions. According to Diabetes UK, 1 in 15 people in the UK have diabetes, and this number has more than...

Plant-based diets for prevention and treatment ischaemic heart diseaseIn the UK ischaemic heart disease remains the most common cause of death and cardiovascular diseases in general are the second most common cause of premature death (after cancer). Worldwide, heart...

How do plant-based diets prevent cardiovascular diseaseThere are several ways in which plant-based diets modify the risk of cardiovascular disease and its main risk factors. At the core of cardiovascular disease is the development of atherosclerosis — the build up of...

Paleo and low-carb diets: what the science saysThere are a number of popular diet plans which promise a variety of health benefits. These include ‘low-carb’, ‘keto’ and ‘Paleo’ and are diets which all limit the consumption of carbohydrates to various degrees,...

Preventing and surviving breast cancerBreast cancer is now the commonest cancer in the UK and the most common cancer in women globally. 1in 7 women in the UK will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. Breast cancer is more common in high income countries, in part...

Is Hector Bellerin’s vegan diet to be blamed for his slow injury recovery? (A response article To James McNicholas’ "Is Hector Bellerin helped or hindered by his veganism?”) (Image may be subject to copyright) The problem with poor journalism is that it does not exist...

COVID-19: Maintaining a healthy immune system through diet and lifestyle, plus video - Pandemics: history and preventionWe are facing an unprecedented health crisis with COVID-19 now classified as a pandemic. I am unable to offer any guarantees and don’t mean to...

Plant-based diets and risk of strokeThere are two types of stroke; haemorrhagic and ischaemic. The vast majority are ischaemic and share the same risk factors as ischaemic heart disease. Stroke represents a huge burden of disease globally. The Global Burden of...

Plant-based diets for maintaining a healthy weightOverweight and obesity are at epidemic proportions and a major factor in the rise of non-communicable diseases, including cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease and...

Diet and prostate cancerThe prostate is a walnut-sized gland that sits behind the bladder and in front of the rectum and secretes fluid into semen. Prostate cancer (PC) is the most most common cancer in men in the UK. There are different stages of PC, all arising from...

How does diet and lifestyle drive chronic disease?Most chronic diseases share similar pathogenic mechanisms, even though the manifestations of these diseases may differ. The key driver is low grade chronic inflammation. Inflammation is the body’s response to any sort...

Five surprising benefits of a plant-based dietMany of the important benefits of a plant-based diet – particularly for climate health and animals – are well known. Yet despite the science being very clear, there remains confusion about the impact on human health. We...

The top 10 studies of 2019 supporting plant-based nutrition for health1. The Eat-Lancet Commission on food, planet, health. The year started with the publication of the most up to date analysis of what constitutes a healthy diet. Conducted by the Eat-Lancet...

A look back at 2019 for Plant-based health professionals UKThis is our second full year as a non-profit, volunteer-run organisation, having been founded in October 2017. You can read about our first year here. 2019 has been busy and rewarding and we hope you will join...

Why are nutrition and lifestyle so important?There is a global epidemic of chronic disease termed non-communicable diseases (NCDs). According to the World Health Organisation, 71% of all deaths globally each year (41 million people) are caused by NCDs. Four conditions...