In a Nutshell: The Plant-Based Health Professionals UK Podcast

In episode 4 of season 7, we’re joined by Dr. Christopher Gardner, Professor of Medicine and Director of Nutrition Studies at Stanford University. 

Dr Gardner has spent decades researching nutrition, including leading clinical trials exploring some of the most controversial and confusing questions in nutrition science. He shares his perspective on some of the biggest questions in nutrition today, including protein, ultra-processed foods, seed oils, dietary patterns and what makes healthy eating sustainable in the real world.

The conversation also explores an important question for anyone working in nutrition and healthcare: how do we communicate the evidence clearly and effectively in an environment increasingly crowded with misinformation and conflicting nutrition messages?

In his new book, Food Sense: What to Eat and Why, Dr Gardner draws on his experience of nutrition research to offer an accessible guide to understanding the evidence, with practical advice and recipes along the way. You can order your copy here:

https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/food-sense-what-to-eat-and-why-christopher-gardner/a5544ee91d56052b

If you'd like to support our work and be part of a growing community of like-minded people working towards creating a healthier and more sustainable future please join the Plant-Based Health Professionals UK following the link below:

https://plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com/membership

You don't have to be a health care professional to join, but by doing so you’re not only supporting our work, you'll be improving your own health;  with membership starting from as little as £15 a year, join us now and be part of the change you want to see.

This week's nugget is a whistlestop tour of all the work that Plant-Based Health Professionals UK do. As a member you are supporting our work and are part of a growing community of like-minded people working towards creating a healthier and more sustainable future. If you haven't yet, please do join the Plant-Based Health Professionals UK following the link below: 

⁠⁠https://plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com/membership⁠⁠ 

You don't have to be a health care professional to join, but by doing so you’re not only supporting our work, you'll be improving your own health. With membership starting from as little as £15 a year, join us now and be part of the change you want to see.

The 21 day plant-based challenge:
https://plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com/21-day-challenge

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High blood pressure is one of the most important modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease and stroke. On this episode of In A Nutshell, we’re joined by Dr Emma Copsey, Consultant Cardiologist, to discuss what role nutrition and other non-pharmacological lifestyle approaches can play in preventing and managing hypertension.
We discuss what causes high blood pressure and how factors including diet, physical activity, weight, sleep and stress can influence risk.
Whether you’re a healthcare professional or simply interested in cardiovascular prevention and lifestyle medicine, this episode explores ways to broaden our approach to preventing and managing blood pressure for better health outcomes.
Blood pressure monitors discussed:https://bihs.org.uk/blood_pressure_technology/find_a_professional_bp_monitor.aspxStudies discussed:https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1511939https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)01028-6/abstracthttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40592949/https://nutrition.bmj.com/content/early/2026/05/04/bmjnph-2025-001449
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-of-nutrition/article/nut-consumption-and-the-risk-of-hypertension-a-systematic-review-and-dose-response-metaanalysis-of-prospective-studies/F598AFD9FD35B00A41A428C9D65F2C14
Previous nugget episode on whole grains:https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/no-grains-no-gains-the-whole-story-on-cutting/id1694154034?i=1000728175430
PBHP Resources:https://plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Hypertension-FS-240703.pdfhttps://plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com/plant-based-diets-for-the-prevention-and-treatment-of-cardiovascular-diseaseshttps://plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com/plant-power-soy-and-legumes-connected-to-lower-hypertension-risk
To buy tickets for NLMC Live:https://nlmc.org.uk/nlmc-2026/nlmc26-live/
Marry me chickpeas!https://www.noracooks.com/marry-me-chickpeas/

In this week's nugget two of our PBHP members, LJ Smith and Amy Roach, reflect on the highs and lows of trekking up Kilimanjaro and Everest Base Camp, and importantly, on how to optimise your enjoyment with plant-based fuelling.
If you'd like to support our work and be part of a growing community of like-minded people working towards creating a healthier and more sustainable future please join the Plant-Based Health Professionals UK following the link below: 
⁠⁠https://plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com/membership⁠⁠ You don't have to be a health care professional to join, but by doing so you’re not only supporting our work, you'll be improving your own health;  with membership starting from as little as £15 a year, join us now and be part of the change you want to see.

In this episode, we’re joined by Emily Angus R.D. to explore the science behind bone health and plant-based diets. Emily has a background in NHS clinical and renal dietetics and joined The Vegan Society in 2024, where she focuses on providing evidence-based nutrition information about plant based diets.
We discuss the nutrients that matter for maintaining healthy bones, as well as the important role of physical activity among other lifestyle factors.
We also tackle one of the biggest questions surrounding dietary patterns and bone health: could eating a vegan diet alter your fracture risk? We discuss the findings from the EPIC-Oxford study, why they attracted attention, and why interpreting the evidence requires a degree of nuance.
Finally, Emily shares some practical advice on what a bone-friendly plant-based diet actually looks like, and what she likes to eat for lunch!
So have a listen today - we are available on all the usual podcast platforms, and don't forget to share the episode with a friend.
Resources :
https://plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com/plant-based-diets-and-bone-health
https://plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com/is-dairy-necessary-for-good-health
https://plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com/getting-calcium-on-a-plant-based-diet-everything-you-need-to-know
https://plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com/a-guide-to-plant-based-milks-alternative-milks
https://www.vegansociety.com/resources/nutrition-and-health/bone-health
https://www.vegansociety.com/resources/nutrition-and-health/nutrients/calcium
To get NLMC tickets:
https://nlmc.org.uk/

If you'd like to support our work and be part of a growing community of like-minded people working towards creating a healthier and more sustainable future please join the Plant-Based Health Professionals UK following the link below:https://plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com/membershipYou don't have to be a health care professional to join, but by doing so you’re not only supporting our work, you'll be improving your own health;  with membership starting from as little as £15 a year, join us now and be part of the change you want to see.