To support the Plant-based diets and cardiometabolic health e-Symposium, we’ve pulled together a list of key resources for each of the sessions. We hope you find it helpful – let us in know in the comments below. You can also check out our Cardiometabolic health webinar series
Session 1
a. Professor Bruce Griffin, The University of Surrey
Introduction – How Plant-based Diets Benefit Cardiometabolic Health
Further reading:
- Our World in Data – The Global Burden of Disease: Key finding – Cardiovascular disease is the number one global burden of disease worldwide.
- Health effects of dietary risks in 195 countries, 1990–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study The Lancet (2017): Key finding – Diet is the top risk factor for cardiovascular diseases.
- Healthful and Unhealthful Plant-Based Diets and the Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in U.S. Adults Satija et al. (2017): Key finding – Not all plant-based diets are equal in terms of health and cardiovascular risk.
b. Stephanie De Vriese – The Alpro Foundation
The Alpro Foundation and what it offers to tutors, students & health professionals
Further reading:
- The Alpro Foundation website – Offers advice on healthy sustainable plant-based eating
- The Alpro Foundation – Scientific paper award for young scientists – €2,500 Award for a published paper (in 2020) authored by a young scientist (under 36 years old).
- Plant-based eating and cardiometabolic health scientific update from the Alpro Foundation; plus our blog summarising the update
C. Dr Hana Kahleova – Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM)
How plant-based diets benefit cardiometabolic health
Further reading:
- Association Between Dietary Factors and Mortality From Heart Disease, Stroke, and Type 2 Diabetes in the United States Micha R et al. (2017): Key finding: 45.5% of cardiometabolic deaths are related to dietary factors.
- Type of Vegetarian Diet, Body Weight & Prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes Tonstad S, et al. (2009): Key finding – The more we eliminate animal products from our diet, the better our weight & the lower our diabetes risk.
- The effect of healthy Nordic diet on cardio-metabolic markers: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials Ramezani-Jolfaie N et el. (2019): Key finding – The Nordic dietary pattern improves blood pressure and some blood lipid markers.
- Relation of Vegetarian Dietary Patterns With Major Cardiovascular Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies Glenn et al. (2019): Key finding – Vegetarian dietary patterns are associated with reductions in CHD mortality and incidence.
- The effects of a low-fat, plant-based dietary intervention on body weight, metabolism, and insulin sensitivity Barnard et al. (2005): Key finding – Low-fat, vegan diets were associated with significant weight loss in overweight postmenopausal women, despite the absence of prescribed limits on portion size or energy intake.
- MyNutriWeb Fibre webinar
Practical resources:
- The National Health Service (NHS) – The Mediterranean Diet
- The British Dietetic Association (BDA) – Plant-based diets
- British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) – Plant-based diets
- Book by Dietitian Priya Tew (2020) – The DASH Diet: Lower Your Blood Pressure in Just 21 Days
Session 2: Professor David Jenkins – University of Toronto
The Portfolio Diet and Cardiometabolic Health
Further reading:
- Portfolio Dietary Pattern and Cardiovascular Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Controlled Trials: Key finding – Evidence indicates that vegetarian dietary patterns are associated with reductions in CHD mortality and incidence.
- Effects of a Dietary Portfolio of Cholesterol-Lowering Foods vs Lovastatin on Serum Lipids and C-Reactive Protein Jenkins, D. (2003): Key finding – Diversifying cholesterol-lowering components in the same dietary portfolio increased the effectiveness of diet as a treatment of hypercholesterolemia.
- Effect of a Dietary Portfolio of Cholesterol-Lowering Foods Given at 2 Levels of Intensity of Dietary Advice on Serum Lipids in Hyperlipidemia Jenkins et al. (2011): Key finding – Use of a dietary portfolio compared with the low−saturated fat dietary advice resulted in greater LDL-C lowering during six months of follow-up.
- MyNutriWeb The Truth About Soya webinar
Practical resources
- HEART UK – The Ultimate Cholesterol Lowering Plan(c) (UCLP(c) – A flexible three-step plan to help lower cholesterol.
- The Portfolio Diet for Cardiovascular Disease Risk Reduction: An Evidence Based Approach to Lower Cholesterol Through Plant Food Consumption Book by Caroline Brydson et al. (2019)
- The BDA – Food Facts – Cholesterol
- The BDA – Food Facts – Soya foods
- The BDA – Food Facts – Stanols and sterols https://www.bda.uk.com/resource/food-facts-plant-stanols-and-sterols.html
- The BDA – Food Facts – Heart health
Session 3: Dr Bridgette Wilson – King’s College London
Plant-based Eating and The Gut Brain Axis
Further reading:
- Gut microbiota in human metabolic health and disease Fan et al. (2020): Key finding – A review that highlights examples of microbiota-targeted interventions aiming to optimise metabolic health.
- An obesity-associated gut microbiome with increased capacity for energy harvest Turnbaugh et al. (2006): Key finding – Gut microbiota was found to be an additional contributing factor to the pathophysiology of obesity.
- Genetic comorbidity between major depression and cardio‐metabolic traits, stratified by age at onset of major depression Hagenaars et al. (2020): Key finding – Meta-analysis showed depression increased the risk of coronary artery disease by 80%.
- The SMILES trial (Supporting the Modification of Lifestyle in Lowered Emotional States) Jacka et al.(2017): Key finding: 32% remission of depression in the diet group.
- MyNutriWeb IBS webinar
- MyNutriWeb Gut microbiome webinar
Practical resources:
- Kings College London – FODMAPS resources for health care professionals Education booklets available for registered dietitians.
- The BDA – Food Facts – Probiotics
- The BDA – Food Facts – Food & Mood
- The BDA – Food Facts – Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Session 4:
a. Jo Lewis, The British Dietetic Association (BDA)
Initiatives driving healthy, sustainable eating policies and consumer habits
Further reading
- The BDA – The One Blue Dot Campaign: The BDA’s Environmentally Sustainable Diet Project. Our One Blue Dot webinar explains more
- The BDA – Sustainable September
Practical resources –
- The BDA – Food facts – Eat Well Spend Less
- The BDA – Sustainable Hacks: Practical tools on how to make sustainable and healthy switches
- The BDA – Sustainable Baskets: Work between the BDA and Aldi to help consumers achieve sustainable shopping baskets.
- The Vegetarian Society – Seasonal fruit and vegetables in the UK: Guide to seasonal fruit and vegetables month by month.
- Food for Thought Podcast (2020) – Is it time to stop eating meat? with Rhiannon Lambert and Tanya Haffner. Plus Tanya’s follow-up blog on sustainable farming
b. Lynne Garton – Heart UK
Achieving a healthy plant-based diet
Further reading:
- The Alpro Foundation – What is plant-based eating? Definition of plant-based eating.
- EAT Lancet (2019) – Food, Planet, Health Report
- World Wide Fund for Nature (2020) – Bending The Curve – The Restorative Power of Plant-based Diets
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2019) – Sustainable Healthy Diets Guiding Principles
- Health impacts and environmental footprints of diets that meet the Eatwell Guide recommendations: analyses of multiple UK studies Scheelbeek P. et al (2020): Key finding – Less than 0.1% of the NDNS sample adhere to all nine Eatwell Guide recommendations and 30.6% adhere to at least five recommendations.
- The Effect of Coconut Oil Consumption on Cardiovascular Risk Factors Neelakantan et al. (2020): Key finding – Coconut oil consumption results in significantly higher LDL-cholesterol than nontropical vegetable oils.
Practical resources –
- The Vegan Society – Vegan and Thriving – A campaign with healthy vegan recipes and tips.
- The BDA – Food Facts – Plant-based Diets
- Public Health England – The Eatwell Guide
- The Vegetarian Society – The Vegetarian Eatwell Guide
- The Vegan Society – The Vegan Eatwell Guide https://www.vegansociety.com/sites/default/files/uploads/downloads/The%20Vegan%20Eatwell%20Guide_1.pdf
- Quorn Nutrition – Information on the consumption of mycoprotein in the diet
- The British Nutrition Foundation – Coconut oil factsheet – The BNF answer some common questions on coconut oil.
- Book by Dietitian Azmina Govindji – Vegan Savvy (released 10th December 2020). The Expert’s Guide to Nutrition on a Plant-based Diet.
- HEART UK – UCLP Step 1 Let’s Get Motivated
- HEART UK – UCLP Food & Drink Diary
- HEART UK – UCLP How Well Are You Doing Already?
All websites accessed 22/11/2020
