For three days next February, Southern California’s Loma Linda University’s School of Public Health will host more than 700 scientists, physicians, and nutritionists at the 7th International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition, an internationally recognized event that highlights scientific advances in plant-based nutrition.
“We’re pleased to be hosting The 7th International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition, which will provide a forum for a review of all the best research, concepts and applications of vegetarian dietary practices for preventing diseases and promoting health,”Joan Sabaté, MD, DrPH, director of the Center for Nutrition, Lifestyle and Disease Prevention and chair of the event, said in a statement. “It’s our goal that every congress participant acquire better understanding and skills on the effects of vegetarian diets for the health of people and the planet.”
The congress, which only meets every five years, started 35 years ago when plant-based nutrition was largely ignored, according to Sabaté. The event is now recognized as the leading platform for educating health professionals on how to best support their patients – either those who already eat a vegan diet or those looking to shift away from animal-based diets to improve their health.
2018’s event, entitled “Plant-based Nutrition for Personal, Population and Planetary Health,” should be one of the most revealing yet, with significantly more research in the last half-decade pointing to the human health and planetary benefits of adopting a vegan plant-based diet. Among the latest findings, researchers have found that plant-based protein builds the same muscle as animal-based protein, vegetarians tend to outlive meat-eaters, and increased servings of vegetables may decrease the risk or multiple sclerosis relapse in children.
Congress takes place February 26-28. Registration opens next month, and the event will kick off with a vegetarian food fair and free lectures on February 25 open to the public.
