Nearly 500 Doctors Attend Plant-Based Nutrition Conference in DC

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Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, and research has shown that a plant-based diet can go a long way towards ending this expensive, deadly epidemic.

The good news is, The Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) is on top of the cause. In addition to its plans to open a plant-based medical center in Washington, DC,  this November, the group just concluded its third annual International Conference on Nutrition in Medicine (ICNM) last weekend.

In total, nearly 500 panelists, clinicians and medical students from across the world were in attendance.

The lineup included a whole host of events and speakers that covered the healing power of a plant-based lifestyle, including a cardio session with Beyonce’s trainer and exercise physiologist Marco Borges; healthy vegan foods (including Engine 2 burgers); presentations including “A Plant-Based Dietary Intervention in Obese Hypercholesterolemic Children and Their Parents,” “Treating and Reversing Heart Disease with Diet: A Historical Perspective,” and “Dietary Fats, Overcooked: Lots of Heat, Little Light,” and many more (presentations can be downloaded online). The event itself was led by an international panel of 21 cardiovascular disease researchers.

As part of the conference, PCRM also released its guidelines for cardiovascular disease treatment and prevention — an important guide that highlights the latest research.

“We’re offering a scientifically proven way to save lives and curb skyrocketing health care costs,” said conference host Neal Barnard, M.D., president and founder of PCRM and an adjunct associate professor of medicine with the GWSMHS, in a press release. “A dietary intervention treats both the symptoms and root cause of heart disease, which can start in utero.”

The document includes data from panelists who appeared at the conference, including info from the Bogalusa Heart Study from Gerald Berenson, M.D. (with Tulane University’s Center for Cardiovascular Health), as well as research on the effectiveness of a plant-based diet from both Kim Williams, M.D., president of the American College of Cardiology, and Caldwell Esselstyn, M.D., with the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute.

The more doctors who understand the power of plants, the better!