Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine

Eating habits are set in early childhood. Choosing a?plant-based diet?can give your child—and your whole family—the opportunity to learn to enjoy a variety of nutritious foods. Check out our web resource on nutrition for kids! https://lnkd.in/gbUUhztN

The New York City Health + Hospitals’ plant-based meals satisfy patients, save money, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions,?according to a new paper?published in?the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine! The program is based on research showing the benefits of plant-based diets in chronic disease prevention, management, and in some cases, reversal. Because dietary choices contribute significantly to health and may influence the likelihood of hospital readmissions, prioritizing plant-based meals and nutrition education during the hospital stay may help improve patient outcomes. In 2021, New York City Health + Hospitals began making plant-based meals the primary lunch and dinner options for patients at its 11 hospitals. Since then, the plant-based meals have been well received, with patient acceptance over 95% and patient satisfaction above 90%. The Physicians Committee’s Healthy Hospital Program,?https://lnkd.in/eRc7h5Su, offers inpatient education tools, a free plant-based recipe book for patients, and other resources to support hospitals in providing patients with plant-based meals. The program also features the Healthy Hospitals on Demand video series!

On November 20 I had the privilege of hosting a ‘Lunch and Learn’ session at PSG INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL SCIENCES & RESEARCH (Inst. Code - 012) in Coimbatore. The session was attended by an enthusiastic audience of over 300 participants, including medical students, interns, postgraduate students, and faculty members. I shared insights into how simple, mindful lifestyle changes can play a pivotal role in managing, and even reversing non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular conditions. To my pleasant surprise, the PSG Dietary Department has been incorporating plant-based diets and lifestyle medicine into patient care within the cardiology department for the past two years. It was heartening to witness such progressive approaches being adopted in medical institutions as part of disease treatment protocols. Following the session, we enjoyed a delicious and wholesome meal featuring whole wheat chapatis, rice, chana masala (chickpeas), rainbow vegetable salad, peanut curd buttermilk, and date-and-nut brownies. The peanut curd buttermilk and brownies without any added sugar, milk or oil were the show stealers! These unique and refreshing delicacies, were an instant hit with the attendees! On behalf of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to @ Dr. T. M. SubbaRao (Principal PSGIMSR), Sudha Ramalingam of the Community Medicine Department, PSGIMSR), and @Saranya Rajamanickam (Department of Community Medicine, PSGIMSR) for their warm hospitality and for giving me the opportunity to educate and interact with such a dynamic group of students and faculty. I applaud the cardiology department's ongoing efforts to treat patients through dietary interventions and lifestyle medicine and wish them continued success. I look forward to further collaboration, confident that together we can transform lives by promoting simple yet impactful dietary and lifestyle changes. #PlantBasedNutrition #PreventiveNutrition #PCRM #PhysiciansCommitteeforResponsibleMedicine #HealthyEating #PSGInstituteofMedicalSciences&Research

With inspiring work from leaders like Dr. Nicole Kleinstreuer, we’re advancing toward a future of more predictive, nonanimal testing methods that enhance human health outcomes. As a keynote speaker at our most recent Summer Immersion on Innovative Approaches in Science, Dr. Kleinstreuer delivered a thought-provoking presentation, "Revolutionizing the Regulatory Landscape: Human-Based Methods for Chemical Safety Testing and Pharmaceutical Development." Her dedication to advancing nonanimal methods in regulatory testing is invaluable, and we’re grateful for her leadership and vision in transforming science!

338 physicians, scientists, and advocates came together with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine to urge NIH Director Dr. Monica M. Bertagnolli to prioritize human-centered research in the upcoming NIH-Wide Strategic Plan for 2026-2030. The Strategic Plan is a great opportunity to build on great progress toward the broader use of human-centered methods.?By focusing on?these nonanimal?approaches, we can better translate research into patient benefits and move away from animal testing! https://lnkd.in/eKunyhMJ

Join our friends at the Youth Steering Committee for an informative webinar on Organizing to Take Legislative Action for Healthier Kids' Meals in Restaurants. ?? Date: November 21, 2024 ?? Time: 6 - 7 PM ET. Stay until 7:30 PM for a Q and A session ? Register at: https://lnkd.in/g4ifGmz9 In this webinar, you'll learn how to organize within your local communities, give powerful public testimony, and take action in support of Bill Int. 0641 to advocate for healthier restaurant meals for all NYC children! This bill will require that at least two meals on a restaurant's children’s menu meet certain nutrition standards by increasing access to fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and legumes, encouraging restaurants to offer nutrient-dense plant-based milk and healthy plant-based proteins such as tofu and tempeh, and limiting sodium and added sugars in kids' meals and drinks, such as fruit juice.

A human muscle-on-a-chip was sent to the International Space Station to study the negative effects of microgravity exposure, like muscle atrophy. Due to the limited number of people exposed to the conditions of space travel, research in this area has been slow. Luckily, small, portable models that can successfully mimic the effects of microgravity, like the muscle-on-a-chip, are a feasible platform to test drugs that counter these effects in astronauts.

California’s bird flu outbreak is exposing serious public health risks tied to intensive animal farming. In her thought-provoking op-ed for CalMatters, Physicians Committee member Dr. Seema Policepatil advocates for a critical reassessment of our food production systems to prevent future health crises. Read her full thoughts here: https://lnkd.in/eUx6CZW4.

A new human-specific model of drug-induced?liver injury is highly predictive of human outcomes and holds promise to replace countless animal tests. https://lnkd.in/eu8-n6eW

We are one week out from this awesome event, the first in a series of workshops for early career researchers interested in animal-free approaches! Register here and share with the early career researchers in your networks: https://lnkd.in/ewJkE6bh