What Diet Should Physicians Recommend?

Michael Greger M.D. FACLM · July 16, 2014 · Volume 19

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Kaiser Permanente, the largest U.S. managed care organization, publishes patient education materials to help make plant-based diets the “new normal” for patients and physicians.

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Transcript

Below is an approximation of this video’s audio content. To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video.

In 2013, a “Nutritional Update for Physicians” was published in the official journal of Kaiser Permanente, the largest managed-care organization in the United States, which covers about nine million people with about 15,000 physicians, who were told that “[h]ealthy eating may be best achieved with a plant-based diet,…define[d] as a regimen that encourages whole, plant-based foods and discourages meat, dairy…,eggs as well as all refined and processed [junk].”

“Too often, physicians ignore the potential benefits of good nutrition and quickly prescribe medications instead of giving patients a chance to correct their disease through healthy eating and active living. Physicians should therefore consider recommending a plant-based diet to all their patients, especially those with high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or obesity.”

The major downside is that it may work a little too well. If people are on medications, their blood pressure or blood sugar could actually drop too low, so “physician[s] may need to adjust medications,” or eliminate…[them] altogether.”

“Despite the strong body of evidence favoring plant-based diets,…many physicians are not stressing the importance of plant-based diets as a first-line treatment for chronic [diseases]. This could be because of a lack of [physician] awareness…or a lack of patient education resources.”

So, Kaiser sought to change that. Want to “lose weight,…feel better,…improve, stabilize, or even reverse chronic…disease,” get off some of your medications? If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, then a plant-based eating plan may be right for you.” Side effects may include “[l]ower cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar, reversal or prevention of [our #1 killer], [a] longer life, healthier weight, lower risk of cancer [or] diabetes—may [even] slow the progression of certain types of cancer,” and improve inflammatory conditions, like “rheumatoid arthritis.” They offer “Tips to Get Started,” meal plan ideas, and, I’m honored say, a good taste in websites.

The paper ends with a familiar refrain: “Further research is needed.” In this case, though: “Further research is needed to find ways to make plant-based diets the new normal for our patients and employees.”

Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.

Sources

Acknowledgements

Below is an approximation of this video’s audio content. To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video.

In 2013, a “Nutritional Update for Physicians” was published in the official journal of Kaiser Permanente, the largest managed-care organization in the United States, which covers about nine million people with about 15,000 physicians, who were told that “[h]ealthy eating may be best achieved with a plant-based diet,…define[d] as a regimen that encourages whole, plant-based foods and discourages meat, dairy…,eggs as well as all refined and processed [junk].”

“Too often, physicians ignore the potential benefits of good nutrition and quickly prescribe medications instead of giving patients a chance to correct their disease through healthy eating and active living. Physicians should therefore consider recommending a plant-based diet to all their patients, especially those with high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or obesity.”

The major downside is that it may work a little too well. If people are on medications, their blood pressure or blood sugar could actually drop too low, so “physician[s] may need to adjust medications,” or eliminate…[them] altogether.”

“Despite the strong body of evidence favoring plant-based diets,…many physicians are not stressing the importance of plant-based diets as a first-line treatment for chronic [diseases]. This could be because of a lack of [physician] awareness…or a lack of patient education resources.”

So, Kaiser sought to change that. Want to “lose weight,…feel better,…improve, stabilize, or even reverse chronic…disease,” get off some of your medications? If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, then a plant-based eating plan may be right for you.” Side effects may include “[l]ower cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar, reversal or prevention of [our #1 killer], [a] longer life, healthier weight, lower risk of cancer [or] diabetes—may [even] slow the progression of certain types of cancer,” and improve inflammatory conditions, like “rheumatoid arthritis.” They offer “Tips to Get Started,” meal plan ideas, and, I’m honored say, a good taste in websites.

The paper ends with a familiar refrain: “Further research is needed.” In this case, though: “Further research is needed to find ways to make plant-based diets the new normal for our patients and employees.”

Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.

Doctor's Note

You can download the Plant-Based Diet PDF here.

So exciting to see the practice of lifestyle medicine. For more on this new medical specialty:

Unfortunately, much of medical training is substandard when it comes to nutrition:

But Is Vegan Food Always Healthy? Watch the video to find out.

2023 Update: In my video The Negative Effects and Benefits of Plant-Based Diets, I talk about studies comparing medical costs of vegetarians and non-vegetarians.

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