In a Nutshell: The Plant-Based Health Professionals UK Podcast

Ever wondered whether you can do more for your eye health than just eat carrots? Turns out a plant-based diet can protect against common diseases such as macular degeneration and cataracts.

https://plantsfirsthealthcare.com/take-action/

From what foods to eat to improve bone health and reduce the risk of hip fractures, to the calcium 'thieves' hidden in our diets, to exercise and much much more. 

Dr. Rajiv Bajekal (MS, FRCS Orth., MCh Orth., IBLM) is a Consultant Spinal Surgeon based in London with over 35 years of expertise in Orthopaedics and Spinal Surgery. Specialising in the lumbar spine, he has a deep focus on managing conditions such as sciatica, low back pain, spinal stenosis, osteoporotic fractures, and infections. Dr. Bajekal prioritizes holistic and often non-surgical solutions for patients in severe pain, combining his surgical knowledge with his expertise as a Board-Certified Lifestyle Medicine Practitioner.

A strong advocate for lifestyle medicine, Dr. Bajekal has personally experienced the transformative benefits of a whole-food, plant-based diet and incorporates these principles into his practice. 

Dr. Bajekal has contributed to the UK's first plant-based nutrition course at Winchester University, where he developed a module on bone health and osteoporosis. He also co-authored a chapter on bone health in the academic book Plant-Based Nutrition in Clinical Practice. Passionate about education, he is known for making complex spinal topics accessible and engaging.

For more information, visit www.rajivbajekal.com and follow him on Instagram @drrajivbajekal

Relevant studies:
1. Tong, T.Y.N., Appleby, P.N., Armstrong, M.E.G. et al. Vegetarian and vegan diets and risks of total and site-specific fractures: results from the prospective EPIC-Oxford study. BMC Med 18, 353 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-020-01815-3

2.     Gómez-Cabello A, Ara I, González-Agüero A, Casajús JA, Vicente-Rodríguez G. Effects of training on bone mass in older adults: a systematic review. Sports Med. 2012;1;42(4):301-25.

3.  Messina M. Soy and Health Update: Evaluation of the Clinical and Epidemiologic Literature. Nutrients. 2016;8(12):754. Published 2016 Nov 24. doi:10.3390/nu8120754

4.  Sahni S, Mangano KM, McLean RR, Hannan MT, Kiel DP. Dietary Approaches for Bone Health: Lessons from the Framingham Osteoporosis Study. Curr Osteoporos Rep. 2015;13(4):245-255. doi:10.1007/s11914-015-0272-1
 5.  Qiu, Rui & Cao, Wen-ting & Tian, Hui-yuan & He, Juan & Chen, Gengdong & Chen, Yu Ming. (2017). Greater Intake of Fruit and Vegetables Is Associated with Greater Bone Mineral Density and Lower Osteoporosis Risk in Middle-Aged and Elderly Adults. PLOS ONE. 12. e0168906. 10.1371/journal.pone.0168906.
6.  Wallace TC. Dried Plums, Prunes and Bone Health: A Comprehensive Review. Nutrients. 2017 Apr 19;9(4):401. doi: 10.3390/nu9040401. PMID: 28422064; PMCID: PMC5409740.
7.  Sahni S, Mangano KM, McLean RR, Hannan MT, Kiel DP. Dietary Approaches for Bone Health: Lessons from the Framingham Osteoporosis Study. Curr Osteoporos Rep. 2015 Aug;13(4):245-55. doi: 10.1007/s11914-015-0272-1. PMID: 26045228; PMCID: PMC4928581.
8.  Laird E, Ward M, McSorley E, Strain JJ, Wallace J. Vitamin D and bone health: potential mechanisms. Nutrients. 2010 Jul;2(7):693-724. doi: 10.3390/nu2070693. Epub 2010 Jul 5. PMID: 22254049; PMCID: PMC3257679.
9.  Bolland M J, Avenell A, Baron J A, Grey A, MacLennan G S, Gamble G D et al. Effect of calcium supplements on risk of myocardial infarction and cardiovascular events: meta-analysis BMJ 2010; 341 :c3691 doi:10.1136/bmj.c3691
10.  Bolland MJ, Grey A, Avenell A, Gamble GD, Reid IR. Calcium supplements with or without vitamin D and risk of cardiovascular events: reanalysis of the Women's Health Initiative limited access dataset and meta-analysis. BMJ. 2011 Apr 19;342:d2040. doi: 10.1136/bmj.d2040. PMID: 21505219; PMCID: PMC3079822.
11.  Li K, Kaaks R, Linseisen J, et alAssociations of dietary calcium intake and calcium supplementation with myocardial infarction and stroke risk and overall cardiovascular mortality in the Heidelberg cohort of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition study (EPIC-Heidelberg)Heart 2012;98:920-925
12.  Price CT, Langford JR, Liporace FA. Essential Nutrients for Bone Health and a Review of their Availability in the Average North American Diet. Open Orthop J. 2012;6:143-149. doi:10.2174/1874325001206010143
13.  Bawa S. The significance of soy protein and soy bioactive compounds in the prophylaxis and treatment of osteoporosis. J Osteoporos. 2010 Mar 8;2010:891058. doi: 10.4061/2010/891058. PMID: 20981338; PMCID: PMC2957241
14.  Zhang X, Shu X, Li H, et al. Prospective Cohort Study of Soy Food Consumption and Risk of Bone Fracture Among Postmenopausal Women. Arch Intern Med. 2005;165(16):1890–1895. doi:10.1001/archinte.165.16.1890
15.  Tucker KL, Morita K, Qiao N, Hannan MT, Cupples LA, Kiel DP. Colas, but not other carbonated beverages, are associated with low bone mineral density in older women: The Framingham Osteoporosis Study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2006 Oct;84(4):936-42. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/84.4.936. PMID: 17023723.

16.  Chen L, Liu R, Zhao Y, Shi Z. High Consumption of Soft Drinks Is Associated with an Increased Risk of Fracture: A 7-Year Follow-Up Study. Nutrients. 2020;12(2):530. Published 2020 Feb 19. doi:10.3390/nu12020530
17.  Cheraghi Z, Doosti-Irani A, Almasi-Hashiani A, Baigi V, Mansournia N, Etminan M, Mansournia MA. The effect of alcohol on osteoporosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2019 Apr 1;197:197-202. doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2019.01.025. Epub 2019 Feb 27. PMID: 30844616.
18.  Chang HC, Hsieh CF, Lin YC, Tantoh DM, Ko PC, Kung YY, Wang MC, Hsu SY, Liaw YC, Liaw YP. Does coffee drinking have beneficial effects on bone health of Taiwanese adults? A longitudinal study. BMC Public Health. 2018 Nov 20;18(1):1273. doi: 10.1186/s12889-018-6168-0. PMID: 30453911; PMCID: PMC6245613.
19.  Benedetti, Maria Grazia & Furlini, Giulia & Zati, Alessandro & Letizia Mauro, Giulia. (2018). The Effectiveness of Physical Exercise on Bone Density in Osteoporotic Patients. BioMed Research International. 2018. 1-10. 10.1155/2018/4840531.

Often touted as a health food, and a common ingredient of cakes, biscuits and plant-based cheeses, we ask whether we should be favouring, or avoiding, products made with coconut oil.

This week we are discussing chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) with Dr Tila Kansagra. Dr Kansagra is a UK based GP of British South Asian heritage who’s Board certified in lifestyle medicine and has a certificate in plant based nutrition as well as lifestyle medicine for cancer prevention and survivorship. She practices as a GP specialist in ME/ CFS and fibromyalgia. She is a passionate advocate for plant-based nutrition and other lifestyle factors in the prevention and treatment of chronic disease. She enjoys sharing her love of plant -based nutrition through recipes on her website and now a YouTube channel with her mum. Tila goes by the name of Plant Promoting Doctor.
To contact Tila:
Instagram: @plant_promoting_doctor
Website: www.plantpromotingdoctor.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCknRthoJOWoTxuyOf2nzh4A

This week in the Nutshell we have the honour of welcoming back our first ever guest, founder of Plant-Based Health Professionals U.K. and Consultant Haematologist, Dr Shireen Kassam.

This episode is released on World Food Day to highlight the problem with poor diets globally and how our current food system is at the intersection of the health and climate crises. 

Shireen talks us through the last six years since founding the Plant-Based Health Professionals U.K.

We hear how the organisation is involved in ongoing education, including the provision of courses in medical schools, conducting research projects as well as  spearheading campaigns working towards changing the food system within the NHS.

We discuss the 'Plants First Healthcare' campaign, which is calling on all NHS hospitals and organisations across the UK to adopt a 'plant-based by default' food menu, to improve health outcomes, reduce pandemic risk, limit antibiotic resistance and decrease food costs.

We cover so much in this interview- including how, as individuals, we can all get involved - whether we are healthcare professionals or not.

And of course we finish off with hearing what Shireen is eating for her delicious plant-based dinner tonight!

Don't miss this motivating interview with such an inspiring person. 

Plants First Healthcare website

https://plantsfirsthealthcare.com

BMJ leader article

 https://blogs.bmj.com/bmjleader/2024/10/01/plants-first-healthcare-normalising-plant-based-meals-in-healthcare-by-dr-laura-jane-smith-and-dr-shireen-kassam/

Food in Healthcare Reporthttps://tinyurl.com/4ctyzsnm

There's something missing from what we learned in school about eggs. Hopefully Daisy and Clare have it covered in this nugget. Evidence based, of course. See below:

For the scrambled tofu:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zacmh6nk8Ps

This week in the Nutshell we have a real first for you - a plant-based dentist, Dr Keval Shah. 

In this fascinating discussion we covered all sorts of topics related to the health of teeth and gums, including whether fruit is bad for our teeth and how our oral microbiome and dental health may affect our overall health.

But there is so much more to this episode than a reminder to floss!

Keval is a passionate climate and vegan activist and we had a really inspiring discussion about how we can extend compassion to all on this planet - human and non-human animals alike, and how our actions make a difference to the climate crises including some tips on ethical investing!

We delved into why Keval rescues farm animals, volunteers in animal sanctuaries, and spends his holidays providing free dental care to the people of Sierra Leone. 

Don't miss this one if you want to be truly inspired by this remarkable and compassionate human being. 

To connect with Keval, and check out his podcast:

 https://www.kevalashah.com/s-projects-side-by-side

And if you haven't already, health professionals please add your signature to

https://plantsfirsthealthcare.com/

The closest we will ever get to producing a chicken nugget is this mini-episode to evaluate whether chicken has earned its place as a healthier choice ingredient.

https://plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com/eating-eggs-an-extract-from-the-book-eating-plant-based-scientific-answers-to-your-nutrition-questions

In charts: how chicken went from luxury to staple - https://www.ft.com/content/3802180c-a60d-4de9-9449-ac3943637892

https://www.thevegspace.co.uk/recipes/

https://schoolnightvegan.com/home/tofu-fajitas/

In this episode we take a deep dive into Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS),  a complex yet common condition. We discuss how the diagnosis is made, what symptoms to look out for, how to manage IBS and how to tackle FODMAPs on a plant-based diet, as well as the all important gut microbiome and gut-brain axis. 

Hazel started her dietetic career as a Research Dietitian at Kings’ College London, where she worked on two published research papers on inflammatory bowel disease.

She then went on to develop her clinical gastroenterology experience at Imperial Trust, London, later working at Manchester Royal Infirmary and then Royal Liverpool Trust. 

Hazel became a fully trained FODMAP dietitian, completing her training at Kings’ College London. This training equipped her with comprehensive knowledge and skills in implementing the low FODMAP diet effectively, giving her the ability to empower clients to achieve lasting relief from their IBS symptoms.

Hazel founded her private consultancy business in 2022. HC Dietetics specialises in gastroenterology conditions, such as IBS and IBD. Additionally she has a special interest in plant-based diets and their connection with gut health and overall health.

To connect with Hazel: www.HCDietetics.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/HCDietetics 

Don't forget the Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine Conferences!

Link for the 9th November virtual NLMC 2024:

https://nlmc.org.uk/nlmc-the-nutrition-and-lifestyle-medicine-conference/nlmc-day-two/

And for the early bird tickets for NLMC 2025

https://nlmc.org.uk/tc-events/nlmc-2025/