LLUAHSC SCOPE Spring 2002 - Health and environment

Health and environment

Researchers discuss health and environmental benefits of vegetarian diets during 4th International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition

[SCOPE, Spring 2002]

Several attendees of the Fourth International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition enjoy vegetarian cuisine during the banquet on Tuesday evening, April 9, 2002.

More than 40 world-renowned nutritionists, epidemiologists, and ecologists, gathered from April 8 to 11, 2002, at the Fourth International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition to share their latest research and offer suggestions for practical applications of their findings.

The congress, which attracted more than 450 participants from around the world, was held at Wong Kerlee International Conference Center on the campus of Loma Linda University.

“Our goal was not only to provide a review of the accumulated findings on vegetarian nutrition since the last congress,” explains Joan Sabaté, MD, DrPH, chair of the department of nutrition, School of Public Health, and congress chair, “but to also introduce theoretical concepts, practical applications, and implications of vegetarian dietary practices at the individual and collective level.”

In the past 30 years, scientific research efforts in the area of vegetarian nutrition have progressively shifted from the investigation of dietary concerns held by nutritionists and other health professionals, to finding creative solutions for various medical conditions and preventive approaches toward chronic diseases.

Although professional interest in vegetarian nutrition has reached unprecedented levels, scientific knowledge regarding vegetarian diets and their positive effects on human health is far from complete.

Likewise, the previous three vegetarian congresses have shifted in their focus, becoming increasingly scientific in scope. During this fourth congress, a significant focus was to provide ideas and suggestions for applying these findings.

Sujatha Rajaram, PhD, assistant professor of nutrition, worked diligently to identify and invite a diverse group of speakers.

“Traditionally this congress focused solely on nutritional aspects of vegetarian diets,” she points out. “For this edition, we added a symposium titled ‘Nutrition Ecology: Contributions of Vegetarian Diets,’ with Claus Leitzmann, PhD, of Geissen University, providing the plenary lecture.”

Many of the innovations in congress programming were the result of comments solicited by congress planners at the previous congress held in 1997.

David Jacobs, PhD
University of Minnesota

“More than 50 percent of the attendees are not Seventh-day Adventists,” Dr. Sabaté gives an example. “In the past, attendees may have felt threatened to attend [a congress held at] Loma Linda University because Adventists have a specific reason for being vegetarian.”

This congress, he hastens to add, made a significant step forward by encouraging both sides to be respected and heard. A variety of symposia were organized, featuring a number of speakers with their own unique points of view on the specified topics.

As attendee Carol Throckmorton, a member of the Dean Ornish research team, puts it, “What is happening here at the vegetarian congress is unique.” She adds, “This congress takes a holistic approach, looking not only at personal benefits of being vegetarian, but also at environmental benefits.”

Monday, April 8, began with a plenary lecture, titled “Nutrients, Foods, and Dietary Patterns as Exposures for Research: Issues and Challenges,” given by David Jacobs, PhD, professor, division of epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota.

“It appears that consumption of a variety of plant foods…is efficacious in reducing chronic disease risk,” Dr. Jacobs relates. “Components of these plant foods are likely to act synergistically in providing protection.”

Joan Sabaté, MD, DrPH
Loma Linda University

“Study of individual phytochemicals is likely to miss synergies,” he points out. “A top-down approach to research serially examines biological outcomes in whole foods, food parts, food extracts, and individual food constituents. Such an approach is likely to enhance understanding of nutritional effects of plant foods.”

Three symposia immediately followed Dr. Jacobs’ lecture, titled “Nutrient, Food, and Dietary Patterns,” “Vegetarian Diets and Longevity/Mortality,” and “Vegetarian Diets and Bone Health.”

On Tuesday, April 9, Dr. Sabaté presented the plenary lecture, titled “The Risk-to-Benefit Ratio of Vegetarian Diets: Changing Paradigms.”

“Numerous studies show important and quantifiable benefits of the different components of vegetarian diets—namely the reduction of risk for many chronic diseases and the increase in longevity,” Dr. Sabaté asserts. “Such evidence is derived from the study of vegetarians, as well as other populations.”

The lecture by Dr. Sabaté was followed by two symposia titled “Vegetarian Diets and Cardiovascular Disease: Beyond Blood Lipids” and “Contributions of the Adventist Health Study to Nutritional Epidemiology.” The latter was specifically targeted to Seventh-day Adventist attendees but attracted a general cross-section of those in attendance.

On Wednesday, April 10, the congress program took an innovative turn. Claus Leitzmann, PhD, professor, Institute of Nutrition, Geissen University, Geissen, Germany, spoke on “Nutrition Ecology: Contribution of Vegetarian Diets.”

“Nutrition ecology includes all components of the food chain,” Dr. Leitzmann insists, “beginning with production, harvesting, and storage of food [to] transport, processing, packing, and trade, to preparation and consumption of food, and ending with disposal of the waste materials.”

He goes on, “With the beginning of industrialized agriculture and mass animal production, various negative influences became apparent.

Panel discussions were a regular part of the conference. During the symposium on “Contributions of the Adventist Health Study to Nutritional Epidemiology,” Dr. Sabaté (left), chair of the congress, shares with panel participants (from left) Synnove Knutsen, MD, PhD, professor and chair of epidemiology and biostatistics, SPH; Gary Fraser, MD, PhD, professor of epidemiology and biostatistics, SPH, and head of the Adventist Health Study team; Susanne Montgomery, PhD, professor of health promotion and education, SPH; Paul Mills, PhD, scientist at the Cancer Registry of Central California, Fresno; and Walter Willett, MD, DrPH, professor of nutrition and epidemiology, School of Public Health, Harvard University.

“The quality of our food is determined among others by the quality of the environment,” Dr. Leitzmann details. “Research data and calculations of various aspects document that vegetarian diets are best suited to protect our environment, to reduce pollution, and global climate changes.”

The lecture by Dr. Leitzmann was followed by symposia on “Vegetarian Diets for All: A Solution to the Environmental Crisis?” “Vegetarian Diets and Risk of Cancer,” “Safety of Plant and Animal Food,” and “Food’s Broader Context: Ethics, Ecology, and Spirituality.”

The latter session was moderated by James Walters, PhD, professor of religion, LLU Faculty of Religion, and co-hosted by the LLU Center for Spiritual Life & Wholeness and the LLU Center for Christian Bioethics.

On the final day, Thursday, April 11, the plenary lecture was presented by David Jenkins, MD, PhD, DSc, professor, department of nutritional sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, and titled “Diabetes Prevention and Management: Role of Plant-Based Diets.”

“The ultimate goal of my research team is to elucidate the potential of diet to prevent and treat chronic diseases—primarily heart disease, cancer, and diabetes,” Dr. Jenkins shares. “Our research is clinically based, and dietary trials allow us to also assess mechanisms in vivo by which diet and/or its components alter risk for disease.”

He concludes, “We work in collaboration with the food industry on a diverse spectrum of food products and food components ranging from macronutrients to phytochemicals.”

His remarks were followed by symposia titled “Vegetarian Diets in the Management of Type I and Type II Diabetes” and “Vegetarian Diets in Public Health.”

In addition to plenary lectures and symposia, panel discussions provided an important forum for experts to share their ideas in more detail, as well as respond to questions and comments by fellow experts and members of the audience.

Claus Leitzmann, PhD
Geissen University

Each session was also followed by a short question-and-answer period, where those attending had the opportunity to “step up to the microphone” and ask the expert to clarify a statement or express an opinion on a related subject.

Prior to the official start of the Fourth International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition, a pre-congress session titled “Nutrition Outreach Initiatives” was held on Saturday, April 6.

Lively presentations and panel discussions regarding how Seventh-day Adventists are impacting the world on nutritional issues—publishing books, food production, and innovative research, to name a few—took place at Linda Hall, part of the Campus Hill Church of Seventh-day Adventists. Dr. Sabaté served as moderator for the session.

On Monday evening, April 8, congress attendees and their guests were treated to a poolside reception at LLU Drayson Center. The outdoor event featured contemporary live music and refreshments.

On Tuesday evening, April 9, the congress banquet was held at Wong Kerlee International Conference Center. Congress attendees and their guests enjoyed a wide variety of internationally inspired vegetarian dishes.

Dinner music during the banquet was provided by harpist Emerald Wawaroendeng. Several special musical numbers were also presented by the duo, “Especially Musical,” consisting of husband-and-wife musicians Per and Monica DeLange.

When all was said and done, Dr. Sabaté expressed his delight in the success of the Fourth International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition—particularly in light of September 11, thought to be a major reason for reduced attendance at professional conferences across the country.

Congress participants seemed pleased with the event. Dr. Jenkins, one of the plenary speakers, rated the congress as excellent because “it brought a wide range of complementary views together, focusing on plant-based diets.”

George Guimareas, a specialist in vegetarianism in his native country, felt that vegetarianism is slowly increasing in Brazil, but there are no experts to counsel the new vegetarians. He found the best part of the conference to be “the networking that can happen.”

A consensus among attendees and presenters was reached that the congress should take place more often than every five years to keep up with rapid advances in research and knowledge about nutrition.

As with any major conference, the efforts of many individuals are needed to make it a success.

David Jenkins, MD, PhD, DSc (right), professor, department of nutritional sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, speaks with Danelle Taylor, a master’s degree student studying English at La Sierra University, following his plenary lecture.

The international program advisory board for the congress included Winston Craig, PhD, RD, Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan; Johana Dwyer, DSc, RD, Frances Stern Nutrition Center, Boston; Marcel Hebbelinck, PhD, University of Brussels, Brussels, Belgium; David Jenkins, MD, PhD, DSc, University of Toronto; Patricia Johnston, DrPH, MS, RD, Loma Linda University; Claus Leitzmann, PhD, University of Gessen; Jim Mann, PhD, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand; Ron McDermott, PhD, Kelloggs Corporation; Mark Messina, PhD, nutrition consultant, Port Townsend, Washington; Linda Nebeling, PhD, MPH, RD, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health; and Walter Willett, MD, DrPH, Harvard University, Boston.

The local organizing committee was comprised of Dr. Sabaté; Glen Blix, DrPH, MPH, assistant dean, School of Public Health; Jack Brown, graduate assistant, School of Public Health department of nutrition; Kenneth Burke, PhD, professor of nutrition and dietetics, School of Allied Health Professions; Diane Butler, MS, RD, MBA, director of continuing professional education and distance learning, School of Public Health; Ella Haddad, DrPH, MPH, associate professor of nutrition, School of Public Health; and Sujatha Rajaram, PhD, assistant professor of nutrition, School of Public Health.

[SCOPE, Spring 2002]