Jul 31

Conference of Mayors Votes in Favor of Plant-Based Resolution

Elected representatives for the Conference of Mayors voted recently to pass a resolution in support of initiatives that promote plant-based diets.

Titled A Plant-Based Approach has Promise to Address Chronic Disease, Environmental, and Fiscal Burdens Facing Cities Across the Nation, the resolution was given approval at the the 91st annual US Conference of Mayors. The Conference represents more than 1,400 mayors from across the United States.

“The United States Conference of Mayors supports the upstream approach to combat chronic disease, the climate crisis, and support a more sustainable fiscal trajectory similar to the City of New York utilizing a plant-based approach”, states the resolution. This includes:
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Jul 30

Report: Plant-based Meat Market Worth $5 Billion, to Grow to $14 Billion By 2030

According to a new report conducted by Verified Market Research, the plant-based meat market is expected to over double between now and 2030.

The Global Plant-based Meat Market report found that in 2021 the global plant-based meat market was valued at $4.62 billion, which grew to just over $5 billion by the end of 2022. The report predicts that the market will continue to grow at a rapid rate and reach a value of $14.17 billion by 2030. This would mark a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13% from 2022 to 2030.

“The global plant-based meat market has experienced remarkable growth in recent years, driven by a rising demand for sustainable and environmentally friendly alternatives to natural meats”, states the report. “Plant-based meat products, crafted from carefully selected plant-based ingredients, closely mimic the taste, texture, and appearance of conventional meats. This emerging trend encourages consumers to adopt healthier diets, emphasizing the consumption of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.”
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Jul 30

Study Finds Olive Oil May Reduce Risk of Fatal Dementia

According to a new study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition olive oil may reduce the risk of dying from dementia.

“Our study reinforces dietary guidelines recommending vegetable oils such as olive oil and suggests that these recommendations not only support heart health but potentially brain health, as well”, says Anne-Julie Tessier, RD, PhD, postdoctoral fellow, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “Opting for olive oil, a natural product, instead of fats such as margarine and commercial mayonnaise is a safe choice and may reduce the risk of fatal dementia.”

Tessier presented the findings at NUTRITION 2023, the flagship annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition which is held in Boston Between July 22 and July 25.
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Jun 20

Study: Greater Adherence to Healthy Plant-Based Diet Associated With Lower Risks of Total Mortality, Cancer, and Cardiovascular Disease

According to a new study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network Open, adherence to a healthy plant-based diet “was associated with lower risks of total mortality, cancer, and cardiovascular disease risk.”

healthy plant-based dietThe study was published in JAMA Network Open and was epublished by the U.S. National Library of Medicine. It was conducted by researchers from Queen’s University (UK), the University of Barcelona (Spain), the University of Zurich (Switzerland), the University of Oxford (UK), the Danish Cancer Society Research Centre, Cowan University (Australia), the International Agency for Research on Cancer (France), and the University Hospital (Germany).

“Plant-based diets have gained popularity for both environmental and health reasons, but a comprehensive assessment of their quality in relation to risk of mortality and major chronic diseases is lacking”, states the study. The objective was to “examine whether healthful vs unhealthful plant-based dietary patterns are associated with mortality and major chronic diseases among UK adults.”
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Jun 10

Study: Plant-Based Diet Associated with Improved Prostate Cancer Recovery

According to new research published by the American Society of Clinical Oncology, a plant-based diet may help men with prostate cancer improve their condition and prevent cancer recurrence.

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The forthcoming study, presented to a cancer-research symposium in February 2023, focuses on the diets of over 2,000 men with prostate cancer, also known as PC. Vivian Liu, a leading research coordinator at the University of California – San Francisco, and several other researchers report that a plant-based diet may be among the recommendations that doctors make to patients with PC.

The men involved with the study responded to questionnaires about their diets and received no prompting from the researchers as to what they should or should not consume; they “ate what they wanted to,” says Liu in an interview with The Washington Post (Cimons, 2023). Though this study does not focus on preventing PC, it presents compelling observational evidence that a plant-based diet can both slow the progression of PC and stop it from recurring in the bodies of survivors.
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May 23

New York City Mayor Eric Adams Launches “Eat Plants!” Campaign

This month, the NYC Health Department launched a new campaign to promote the consumption of plant-based products.

Image courtesy of NYC Health

These efforts, carried by public personalities such as Mayor Eric Adams, Anne Williams-Isom (Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services) and Dr. Ashwin Vasan (Health Commissioner), aim to educate more than eight million New Yorkers about the benefits of a plant-based diet.

“Plants and plant-forward diets are key to our future, as a city, as a nation, and as a planet,” stated Dr. Vasan.

The NYC Health Department also published a “Nutrition Tips” section on their website, with many resources such as nutrition guides, local initiatives to access complete plant-based meals on a budget, and various recipes. In 2022, the city also announced offering plant-based meals as a default option for hospitalized patients.
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May 18

Odd Burger Aims to Open 150 Restaurants Across India, Singapore

Vegan fast-food chain Odd Burger has announced its intention to expand out of Canada into the Asian market with 145 new locations in India and five in Singapore opening over the next 10 years.

Image courtesy of Odd Burger

Cofounder and CEO James McInnes expressed his optimism about entering the Indian market, citing the nation’s high population of vegetarians and vegans as reason for excitement. According to one of the chain’s board members, India “is craving an industry-leading brand … to provide a vision for a sustainable future and to make plant-based eating more accessible.” Odd Burger will finalize the decade-spanning deal by the end of this month, and McInnes plans to open a flagship restaurant in Mumbai by the end of 2023.
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May 14

Nigeria Welcomes International Support for Plant-Based Push

ProVeg International has opened a new office in Nigeria with the intent to spread plant-based food to the country’s “markets, streets, schools, and hospitals.”

Image courtesy of ProVeg International

Situated in Lagos, ProVeg Nigeria marks the tenth country to which the nonprofit has expanded since its inception in 2017 – another step in a goal of “reducing the global consumption of animals by 50% by 2040.” The office will begin its efforts by bringing vegan versions of Nigerian food to the people, with stands set to open in markets and schools.

Hakeem Jimo, vegan restaurateur and director of ProVeg Nigeria, is acutely aware of the prediction that Nigeria’s consumption of animal products will rise significantly alongside a spike in population; he aims to counteract this with a wave of plant-based food and awareness for the sake of animals, people, and the environment.
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