Physicians Committee urges industry to focus on “prevention over pills” to boost nutrition knowledge

01 Jun 2022 --- A new commentary by the US-based Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine sheds light on the lack of training physicians obtain in terms of nutrition – as not all physicians are aware of the benefits of a plant-based diet for six health conditions.

The health conditions include weight loss and maintenance, cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and COVID-19.

“Regrettably, the average medical student receives less than 20 hours of nutrition education over four years. This may be because there are few incentives to change it,” Saray Stancic, director of medical education for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, tells NutritionInsight.

Although not all physicians must be nutrition experts, the commentary suggests that they should have a basic understanding of the benefits of a plant-based diet for these six illnesses.

“If medicine focused on prevention over pills, we’d have healthier populations and lower health care costs,” details Stancic. “The scientific literature tells us time and time again that we could prevent 80% of chronic diseases with the adoption of an optimal lifestyle.”

Insufficient training on the nutrition-health link
The curriculum is primarily tailored to prepare students for standardized testing, Stancic explains.

“These exams do not include questions on diet and other important preventive measures like exercise, stress management and sleep hygiene. Also, our current health insurance reimbursement model does not value preventive measures.”

According to the research, the field of medicine invests little to promote healthy lifestyle choices.“The findings that we reference in our commentary and the countless other studies that show the benefits of a plant-based diet and optimal lifestyle should encourage more medical schools to require more hours dedicated to nutrition education and for that education to focus on why patients should eat a plant-based diet,” she continues.

According to the research, the field of medicine invests little to promote healthy lifestyle choices.

“The medical industry is set up to profit from treating sick patients. The health insurance model reimburses primarily on ‘service fee,’ so the financial incentive is absent,” adds Stancic. “But many chronic diseases can be prevented, treated, and even reversed with a plant-based diet and optimal lifestyle.”

More studies on plant-based diets needed
Despite the ever-growing body of research showing the benefits of a plant-based diet, more clinical research on plant-based diets needs to be conducted for all health conditions, Stancic explains.

“The more physicians see studies on plant-based diets in peer-reviewed journals, the more likely they are to recommend plant-based diets to patients.”

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine has conducted studies that examine the effects of diet on weight, cardiovascular risk, cancer prevention and survival and other health issues. The commentary is published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine.

The commentary suggests that physicians should have a basic understanding of the benefits of a plant-based diet for health conditions.Within the weight loss and maintenance research, the Committee states a survey of 70,000 adults found that those who ate a vegan diet lost roughly nine pounds compared to those who did not. A study on Alzheimer’s disease and a plant-based diet unveiled that those who ate a primarily plant-based Mediterranean-DASH Diet Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay diet had a 60% lower disease risk.

In diabetes, the Committee adds that in a Harvard study involving participants from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, Nurses’ Health Study and Nurses’ Health Study II, individuals who ate a plant-based diet had a 34% lower incidence of Type 2 diabetes.

“Research like ours also helps counter meat-and-dairy-industry-funded research, which can come to conclusions that lead physicians to make recommendations that do not benefit patient health,” adds Stancic. “Nutrition policy – such as the dietary guidelines that many countries produce – also needs to recommend plant-based diets, since it can influence medical practice.”

Dietary impact on cardiovascular health and cancer
According to Harvard’s smartphone-based COVID-19 study, those who ate a primarily plant-based diet had a 41% lower chance of severe COVID-19 illness and a 9% lower risk of infection.

Saray Stancic, director of medical education for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.Meanwhile, saturated fat and cholesterol, both of which are significant contributors to cardiovascular disease, are abundant in animal products for cardiovascular health. According to another study, vegetarians have a 24% lower rate of heart disease mortality than omnivores.

Lastly, cancer research unveiled that breast cancer risk can be reduced by 50-70% by adopting healthy behaviors such as staying physically active and eating a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Diets strong in fiber and soy have also been shown to lower the incidence of breast cancer.

A prevalent issue
NutritionInsight previously reported on the “systemic deficiency” in medical education in understanding the link between nutrition, health, and sustainability. A separate Lancet study revealed that most physicians and medical professionals receive only a few hours of clinical nutrition education during their formal training.

The food as medicine approach is becoming tainted by a plethora of incorrect dietary information. This is according to a report by the Center for Food As Medicine and the Hunter College NYC Food Policy Center.

By Nicole Kerr