It's the end of Season 3 and this week's nugget is all about why healthy carbohydrates (the mainstay of wholefood plant-based diets) are no bad thing when it comes to diabetes. We think many health professionals still need to hear that trying to focus solely on protein, to the exclusion of all the wonderful things in carbohydrate rich foods such as fruits, beans, and seeds, is hard work, seemingly unsustainable and therefore unlikely to deliver long term results.

The PBHP factsheet on diabetes:

Studies described:

Early findings from the NHS Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission Programme: a prospective evaluation of real-world implementation Valabhji, Jonathan et al.The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, Volume 12, Issue 9, 653 - 663

Did anyone ever try to make you feel guilty about eating the 'Green Gold'? Do you feel you need more avocado facts? If the answer to either of these questions is yes, then this Nutshell Nugget is for you.

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