Saturday VegMed talks
Welcome and overview of plant-based diets in clinical practice
- Dr Shireen Kassam
- Wendy Walrabenstein
The conference will open with an overview of the work of Plant-Based Health Professionals UK and Physicians Association for Nutrition. Dr Kassam will then bring the audience up to date on the current status of plant-based nutrition as applied to clinical practice, setting the stage for a weekend of science, research and practical application.
If you already watched Shireen’s introduction, please skip to 21:17 for Wendy’s.
Taking control of metabolic risk factors
- Claire Lynch RD (Chair)
- Dr Sundhya Raman
- Joshua Gibbs
Risk factor modification is key to preventing long term chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and dementia. This session will discuss the evidence around how a plant-based diet can positively impact common metabolic risk factors, including the latest research around the potential role of plant-based meat alternatives. The session will also discuss ethnic disparities in risks and outcomes and dispel some common myths around foods and dietary patterns that can help or hinder disease risk and management.
Optimising a plant-based diet for the whole family
- Rohini Bajekal (Chair)
- Dr Miriam Martinez-Biarge
- Ailsa McHardy, RD
Can plant-based diets support healthy living across all ages and stages of life? Can we safely raise our children on just plants? This session will give you the confidence you need to support yourselves, your families, and your patients, to thrive on plants. Three experts will discuss the evidence to support this way of eating, along with nutrient requirements, nutrients of focus, and those of abundance. They will then take a practical look at how these can be incorporated into our everyday diets.
Plant-based diets in autoimmune and rheumatic diseases
- Karen Lee (Chair)
- Wendy Walrabenstein, RD
- Dr Carlijn Wagenaar
- Samantha Josephs
Coming all the way from the Netherlands, two pioneers in the field of plant-based nutrition, Wendy and Carlijn, will bring you new data from their groundbreaking research on treating people who are living with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis with a plant-based lifestyle approach. This session will also discuss the work of the Overcoming MS programme, and their long-standing dietary approach to supporting people living with MS. This will include an inspiring patient story from someone who is successfully managing their multiple sclerosis using this lifestyle.
Addressing planetary health through plant-based diets
- Rosie Martin, RD (Chair)
- Dr Laura Freeman
- Anna-Lena Klapp
- Dr Amir Kassam
A transition to a plant-based food system is now considered essential to address the climate and ecological crises. This session will discuss the key components of a sustainable diet – what does this look like, and why? Recent research that has highlighted the changes needed to country-based dietary guidelines to support this transition will be shared; and an expert in the field of sustainable agriculture will take a practical look at what a farming system for a plant-based future entails.
Plant-based diets: from nutritional status and omics to long-term health
Dr Tammy Tong will provide an update on the health outcomes of vegetarians and vegans from the EPIC-Oxford and UK biobank studies, including nutritional status and biomarker findings.
Bonus – award presentation
Supporting behaviour change – from precision nutrition to general practice.
- Claire Lynch (Chair)
- Dr Emily Leeming (recorded)
- Dr Gemma Newman
- Julie Stewart
Supporting people to make positive changes to their dietary and lifestyle habits is crucial when putting knowledge into practice and truly effecting a change in the trajectory of people’s health.
In this session a research expert will cover the latest science and give us practical advice regarding the impact of diet on the gut microbiome. This will include findings from the famous PREDICT study which looks at people’s personal responses to food. We will then hear how two expert clinicians support their patients to overcome barriers and regain their health using personalised approaches. They will share some action points that we can take into our own personal lives and clinics.
Dietary interventions for improving cancer outcomes
- Dr Shireen Kassam (Chair)
- Dr Aryan Tavakkoli
- Dr Urvi Shah (zoom)
With the rising global burden of cancer, understanding dietary interventions for prevention and living well after a cancer diagnosis are key. Nutrition is also crucial in supporting treatment, recovery and remission. This session will cover the role of nutrition and lifestyle factors in solid and haematological cancers, the emerging knowledge around the health of the gut microbiome for improving cancer outcomes and explore the role of integrative oncology.