Berlin University Cafeterias Remove Meat From Menus to Reduce Climate Change

 Starting this October 1, the 34 cafeterias serving students at 20 Berlin universities will become primarily meat-free. Only one meat option will be offered on four days of the week, with Mondays being completely meatless. The menus will be 68 percent vegan, 28 percent vegetarian, and only four percent containing meat or fish.

Progress to date: The student support group Studierendenwerk spent the last one and a half years revising the cafeteria menus to respond to student demands for more climate-friendly options.

Why it is important: The livestock sector produces the major share of all man-made greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. If the world's population shifted to a plant-based diet, greenhouse gases from food production could be reduced up to 70 percent by 2050.

The Results from 2 major Trials are in: Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplements Not Beneficial for Heart Disease!

Two recent well-designed, double-blind, controlled trials showed no benefit for combined oral oral EPA (Eicosa Pentaenoic Acid) and DHA (Docosa Hexaenoic Acid) supplement (prominently found in seafood, especially fatty fish) for reducing the risk of cardiovascular events compared with corn-oil placebo.  The first trial, the STRENGTH trial, was funded by AstraZeneca and conducted Cleveland Clinic and international researchers, and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (Dec. 8, 2020).  The second trial, the OMEMI trial, was a foundation-funded trial conducted by Norwegian researchers and published in Circulation (Feb. 9, 2021).

The STRENGTH trial had 13,100 adults enrolled who had, or were at high risk of, cardiovascular disease with high triglyceride or low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and had already taken statin drugs to lower their cholesterol levels for four weeks. They assigned randomly one-half of these subjects to receive a high daily dose (4 grams) of combined EPA and DHA supplements. The other half received a corn-oil placebo.  After 3.5 years of follow-up, there was no difference in the number of serious cardiovascular events. If anything, new cases of atrial fibrillation as well as gastrointestinal adverse events were somewhat higher in the EPA-DHAA group than in the control group.

The OMEMI trial had more than 1,000 older adults enrolled who had suffered a heart attack 2 to 8 weeks before enrollment. The researchers randomly assigned half of the subjects to receive 1.8 grams of a combined EPA and DHA supplement and the other half to receive a corn-oil placebo every day. After two years of follow-up, there was no difference in the two groups in the number of serious cardiovascular events. If anything, the new-onset of atrial fibrillation was higher in the EPA-DHA group when compared to the placebo group.

The body’s requirement for Omega-3 Fatty Acids is quite low and can be easily met by relying on plant-based ALA l(Alpha-Linolenic Acid) as found in chia seeds, flaxseeds, soybeans, walnuts, and hemp seeds.  Some 15% of ALA can be converted by the liver into EPA and DHA, an amount that is sufficient to meet the body’s requirement for optimal function.

Columbus Community Hospital president benefits from healthy lifestyle program

Find out how the CEO of Columbus Community Hospital, Mike Hansen, benefited from his own hospital’s health program. Read about his life-changing experience with CHIP. https://lnkd.in/gzjszn6

When Columbus Community Hospital President and CEO Mike Hansen wanted to improve his overall well-being, he didn’t need to look far for help. 

Plant Protein Promotes Long Life

January 12, 2021

Plant-based protein reduces risk of early death from any cause, including heart disease and cancer, according to a meta-analysis published in the British Medical Journal. Comparing consumption of animal protein with plant protein in the context of mortality from cancer, cardiovascular disease, and all causes among 32 studies and in over 700,000 participants, researchers found that for each additional 3% of calories from plant protein, such as legumes, grains and soybeans, the risk of dying decreases 5%. In contrast, consuming animal proteins did not lower risk of death. For longer life: replace animal protein with plant protein.

Systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies: Dietary intake of total, animal and plant proteins and risk of all cause, cardiovascular and cancer mortality. British Medical Journal, 2020;370:m2412-29.

Red Meat Doubles Kidney Disease Risk

December 12, 2020

Consuming red and processed meat increases the risk of chronic kidney disease, according to a study published in the Journal of Renal Nutrition. Researchers tracking

protein sources and chronic kidney disease incidence rates found that those who consumed the most red and processed meat increased their risk for disease by 73% and 99%, respectively when compared with those who ate the least.

Substituting one serving of red or processed meat with a serving of a plant protein source, such as beans or grains, reduced the risk of disease by up to 30%. Possible mechanisms to explain the difference include lower dietary acid load, lower intake of AGES (Advanced Glycation End Products) and increased intake of nutrients associated with improved kidney function.

A prospective study of dietary meat intake and risk of incident chronic kidney disease. Journal of Renal Nutrition 2020;30:111-8.