Review of the plant-based nutrition and lifestyle medicine news June 2026

Three important reports, more evidence on plant-rich diets, huge benefits from Food as Medicine initiative and healthy habits improve cancer outcomes.

Three important reports on food, health and climate

This month we see the release of three important report. The 2026 Global Nutrition Report brings together the evidence on food systems, nutrition and the impact on health, climate and the financial bottom line. It describes the global food system as ‘one of the defining challenges of our time’. I could not agree more.

Our current food system is harming people, the planet and the animals. 2.6 billion people can not afford a healthy diet, with most of this burden concentrated in low- and middle-income countries. We remain way off track to meet Sustainable Development Goals 2 (zero hunger) and 3 (good health and well-being). Obesity and diet-related diseases continue to rise whilst undernutrition still persists in some regions. At the same time, climate breakdown and biodiversity loss threatens our food supply. The report terms this a ‘polycrisis’.

We need a whole system approach to transforming food and farming. The report endorses the need to transition to a plant-based food system and provides recommendations for action across all sectors of society from Governments, policymakers, funders, NGO’s and the private sector. It is going to require us all to transform our food system into one that is healthy, nutritious, accessible, affordable and just. You can find more information about individual countries here.

What I did not like about the report was the promotion of animal grazing systems for the regeneration of soil health. There is no evidence that animals are required for this purpose. Under Conservation Agriculture, the food production system recommended by the Eat-Lancet Commission, animals are not required and in fact studies have shown that animal-free farming has significant advantages for meeting our climate and nature goals.

Closer to home, the flagship annual report from the Food Foundation, the Broken Plate 2026, is a stark reminder of the problems facing individuals and communities in the UK.

Some of the headline findings include:

• Healthier food remains nearly twice as expensive per calorie as less healthy food, and the gap is widening
• Households in the lowest income fifth of the population would need to spend 85% on food to afford the government-recommended healthy diet
• The price gap between healthier and less healthy food is increasing and is now the widest it has been in over a decade
• 40% of food and non-alcoholic drink promotions are on foods high in fat, salt or sugar.
• Fruit and vegetables only account for 3% of traditional advertising food and non-alcoholic drink expenditure, compared to at least 29% for unhealthy foods

The consequences are that diet quality in the UK is at an all-time low, diet-related diseases continue to rise, healthy life expectancy is in decline and our food system continues to be a major driver of climate breakdown and biodiversity loss.

In good news, the BDA (British Dietetic Association) have published their long-awaited report on reducing carbon in NHS patient menus. It is the strongest signalling we have had from the UK dietetic profession on the need to transition to a plant-rich food environment, where plant-based meals are prioritised to meet health and climate goals. There remains an undertone of caution, but the overall message signals to the profession must embrace the evidence and lead on transforming the food service in healthcare settings. I hope this will allow us to accelerate our work through the Plants First Healthcare Coalition.

More evidence supporting plant-rich diets

The consensus on diet quality has remained unchanged for decades. Healthy diets are those that emphasise the consumption of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, whilst minimising/avoiding red and processed meat and foods high in saturated fat, salt and sugar. This way of eating can be adapted to all cultural and traditional diet patterns including Mediterranean, Asian, African, flexitarian, plant-based and more.

With this in mind, a new study examines the Optimal Dietary Patterns for Lower Weight Gain and Risk of Obesity Surrounding Menopause. The study included 38, 283 women from the Nurses’ Health Study II (1989-2019) observed over a 12-year period surrounding the menopause. Diet was assessed every 4 years using validated food frequency questionnaires. The data was analysed with reference to a number of different eating patterns, including Mediterranean, plant-based, Planetary Health Diet, low-carb, high in ultraprocessed foods.

The results showed that in general, eating patterns high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds and low in red and processed meats, sodium, potatoes, and French fries supported better weight management. The two dietary patterns that seems to be most effective were the Planetary Health Diet (>87.7% plant-based) and low-insulinaemic diet. suggesting that high insulin levels may precede the onset of weight gain.

As a sidebar, the empirical dietary index for hyperinsulinemia (EDIH) is comprised of eighteen food groups; thirteen are positively associated with C-peptide – a marker of insulin production – (red meat, high energy drinks, cream soups, margarine, chicken, butter, French fries, fish, low energy drinks, tomatoes, eggs, low fat dairy) and five are inversely associated (red wine, coffee, whole fruit, high fat dairy, green leafy vegetables). I know these are an odd collection of foods and drinks, but they are ones that are associated with insulin levels (high or low) in the blood.

Interestingly, we also have a new study showing that diets higher in whole plant-based foods are associated with a lower risk of sepsis. Sepsis, or bloodstream infection, is not usually a condition thought to be related to diet. Yet, in this study of 180, 442 participants from the UK Biobank, adherence to a healthy plant-based diet was associated with a 16% lower risk of developing sepsis. There was a dose effect, with the more healthy plant foods consumed the lower the risk, and the impact was independent of traditional risk factors (age, alcohol and smoking, presence of chronic conditions). On further analysis the benefit came from having a lower body weight, lower levels of inflammation (lower C-reactive protein) and better metabolic health.

Interestingly, very similar results were found using data from the UK Biobank and analysing the impact of the Planetary Health Diet on risk of sepsis. Greater adherence was associated with a lower risk of sepsis, independent of genetic predisposition, and through the modulation of immune-inflammatory proteins.

Readers will already know that plant-rich diets result in a healthier gut microbiome, which in turn has a positive impact on the immune system. This leads to reduced inflammation, improved insulin sensitivity and metabolic health. These impacts are most likely to explain the reduced risk of sepsis.

Vegan versus Med diet for fibromyalgia

The Mediterranean diet (Med diet) has been extensively investigated over the years with benefits found for all aspects of physical and mental health. However, studies have shown that the health impacts are mostly due to the higher intakes of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, beans, olive oil nuts and seeds and not due to the wine or fish, as often suggested.

So, there should be no reason why a healthy plant-exclusive diet (appropriately supplemented with vitamin B12) should not be just as beneficial. Prior studies have supported this notion, including a randomised study comparing a vegan diet to the Med diet where the vegan diet was better for weight loss, improving insulin sensitivity and blood lipids, but not as good for blood pressure reduction. A lacto-ovo vegetarian diet, as tested in the Cardioveg study, may be better than the Med diet for weight loss and lowering cholesterol but not as good for lowering triglycerides. The vegetarian diet was also better for kidney health.

It is good to read this new randomised study of a Med diet versus a vegan diet for women with fibromyalgia, specifically looking at the impact on cardiometabolic health – the FIBROVEG study. The primary outcome was impact on LDL-cholesterol.

It is a very small and short study – only 11 participants in each study arm and following each diet for 6 weeks. Of note, the vegan diet includes plant-based dairy and meat alternatives and vitamin B12 supplementation.

The results showed that the vegan diet resulted in greater reduction in LDL-cholesterol than the Med diet. For secondary outcomes the vegan diet was also better for lowering triglycerides and for improving fibromyalgia-related pain. It’s worth noting that during the vegan period participants reported lower satisfaction and barriers such as perceived lack of willpower and the cost of foods associated with maintaining the dietary pattern.

This study probably doesn’t tell us anything we didn’t know already. We know a plant-exclusive diet tends to have the greatest impact on cholesterol lowering than other healthy diet patterns. Interesting the lipid lowering occurred in the absence of weight loss, demonstrating that this impact was due to dietary components, most likely fibre.

The impact on pain however is useful given the limited treatment options for fibromyalgia. We have started to recognise that diet has an impact on pain and should be considered a modifiable lifestyle factor when supporting people with pain. In fact a new analysis from the UK Biobank shows that diet patterns higher in plant-based foods, such as the healthy plant-based diet index and the Eat-Lancet Planetary Health Diet, is associated with a lower risk of chronic pain, both musculoskeletal and other types of pain.

Food is medicine

A landmark new study published in Nature Medicine provides some of the strongest, real-world evidence to date that food really can be medicine.

Researchers evaluated a large-scale Medicaid program in Massachusetts that provided medically tailored meals to food-insecure adults living with complex chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and mental health conditions. The analysis included 1,866 participants receiving meals and 1,372 matched controls across 11 health systems over a 6-month period.

The dietary plan offerings include five Core Diets: Renal, Diabetic, Cardiac, Maternal Health, General Wellness

The Core Diets were then be combined with ten potential Modifiers to meet personal dietary preferences, additional medical needs, or allergies: Mild flavour with fewer spices, soft foods for individuals with dental issues or swallowing challenges, low fibre, pescatarian, no fish, no red meat, low lactose, vegetarian, high calorie and high protein and no nuts.

The results were remarkable:

• 31% fewer hospitalisations among participants receiving medically tailored meals
• 20% fewer emergency department visits
• US$3,433 lower healthcare costs per person during the intervention period
• Healthcare savings offset 98% of the program costs within a 7-month period
• No reduction in primary care visits, suggesting participants remained engaged with routine healthcare while requiring less acute care
• The greatest benefits were seen among those with the highest disease burden
• Cardiovascular disease: healthcare costs reduced by US$10,450 per person
• Chronic kidney disease: healthcare costs reduced by US$12,312 per person
• Healthcare costs fell by nearly US$9,700 per person amongst the most medical complex patients

This reinforces some key concepts. Addressing the root cause of chronic conditions is not only possible but essential.

Healthy lifestyle habits after a cancer diagnosis.

This important new study from the UK Biobank is the first study to investigate associations between adherence to the 2018 WCRF/AICR Cancer Prevention Recommendations, assessed using an abbreviated version of the 2018 WCRF/AICR score, and all‐cause mortality in people with cancer in the United Kingdom.

Using data from more than 28,500 people who developed cancer during follow-up, the researchers examined adherence to five key recommendations relating to maintaining a healthy weight, being physically active, eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and fibre, limiting red and processed meat, and limiting alcohol intake.

Individuals who adhered more closely to these recommendations had a significantly lower risk of death from any cause after a cancer diagnosis. For every one-point increase in the adherence score, equivalent to fully meeting one additional recommendation, the risk of death was reduced by around 8%, after accounting for factors such as age, sex, education and smoking status. Those with the highest adherence scores experienced a 16% lower risk of death compared with those with the lowest scores. Importantly, these associations were consistent regardless of smoking status and whether cancer was diagnosed relatively soon after lifestyle assessment or many years later. The reduction in mortality was apparent for early onset cancers, <50 years old, as well as those occurring in people >50 years old.

When the researchers examined individual cancer types, higher adherence scores were associated with significantly better survival among people diagnosed with prostate, breast, lung, oesophageal and liver cancers. The reduction in mortality risk ranged from around 5% to 14% for every additional point on the lifestyle score. There was also a trend towards improved survival in colorectal cancer, although this did not quite reach statistical significance.

Overall adherence to the recommendations was only low to moderate, with particularly poor adherence to recommendations on limiting red and processed meat and alcohol consumption, especially among men. In contrast, adherence to recommendations on fruit and vegetable intake, physical activity and healthy body weight was generally better. These findings suggest clear opportunities for targeted lifestyle support among people living with and beyond cancer.

Although the study could not account for important clinical factors such as cancer stage and treatment, which may also influence survival, the consistency of the findings across multiple analyses strengthens confidence in the results.

Overall, this research provides compelling support for the WCRF/AICR recommendation that people should continue to follow healthy lifestyle guidance after a cancer diagnosis whenever possible. It reinforces a growing body of evidence showing that lifestyle medicine has an important role not only in cancer prevention but also in improving outcomes for those living with cancer.

We have a useful factsheet for people living with and beyond a cancer diagnosis. Listen to the In a Nutshell podcast episode to hear more about this study

Slovenia’s new dietary guideline and the ensuing controversy

Nutrition professionals in Slovenia have been working on their food-based dietary guidelines for the last 4 years (I have been told the work was conducted free of charge). They have brought together the best available evidence on health and sustainability and devised a brilliant three plate model that allows protein sources to be varied based on preference. Three-quarters of the plate remains constant and composed of fruit, vegetables and whole grains. The remaining one quarter for protein can be akin to the Mediterranean diet, a vegetarian diet or fully plant-based. It is very much in line with the Eat Lancet Planetary Health Diet and was endorsed by its lead author Dr Walter Willet.

The global community celebrated this evidence-based guide, which would be a template for other countries yet to align with the Planetary Health Diet. However, rather alarmingly, two weeks after publication, the new Slovenian government have decided to disassociate themselves from this guidance and removed it from the government website. Instead, they have decided to reevaluate the evidence.

Please support Prof Natasa Fidler as she now navigates this situation and help her to call out what can only be the meat and dairy lobby discrediting evidence-based recommendations.

See you back in July.

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