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

Ever found yourself drawn to a supplement and don't know why? With brand names like Bulk, Impact, and Warrior, it's no wonder you may have asked yourself more than once whether you should be taking a daily dose. In this week's Nutshell nugget you will find our attempt to cut through the advertising to take a look at the science to date on the pros and cons of supplementing. We hope it helps you decide, as you may be surprised to learn both omnivores AND vegans alike will not be getting anywhere near the standard daily amount recommended as a supplement through diet alone.
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.
References:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37968687/
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-54249-9
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39940383/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40395689/
https://plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com/should-you-be-worried-about-creatine-on-a-plant-based-diet

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/cjdjrvr4dk5o

What children eat at school has the potential to shape their health for decades to come.
In this episode, we speak with Sophia Millar from ProVeg UK about the School Plates initiative- a programme working with schools and local authorities to support more plant-rich, nutritious, and sustainable meals for children across the UK.
For healthcare professionals concerned with prevention, childhood nutrition, and the growing burden of diet-related disease, school food represents a powerful but often overlooked lever for improving population health.
We discuss why schools are such a critical setting for shaping lifelong dietary patterns and how initiatives like School Plates are helping schools make healthier food the default.
To find out more:
https://proveg.org/uk/https://proveg.org/fsd-article/ultra-processed-foods/To join us at this years Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine Conference and for early bird 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.

This week's nugget discusses the evidence around including oil in our diets, showcasing a special interview with expert patient Sue Brewer who in recent years has been managing the cardiovascular consequences of 40 years on dialysis with an oil-free plant-based diet.
https://plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com/oil-or-no-oil-a-viewpoint
https://plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com/seed-oils-bad-pressed-myth-busting-misinformation
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/2831265
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.124.035034
https://www.dresselstyn.com/site/

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.

In this episode we explore how agricultural systems shape human and planetary health.
We are joined by Professor Amir Kassam, a globally recognised expert in conservation agriculture (CA), whose work has helped advance sustainable farming systems worldwide. Professor Kassam explains the scientific foundations of CA and how it differs from the increasingly popular concept of regenerative agriculture.
Drawing on his contributions to global food systems discussions, including work aligned with the EAT-Lancet Commission, we examine how agriculture must operate within planetary boundaries to safeguard soil, water, biodiversity, climate stability, and ultimately public health.
For healthcare professionals, this episode reframes prevention at a systems level, highlighting agriculture as an upstream determinant of health. If we are serious about sustainable diets and long-term wellbeing, we must also consider how food is grown.
To find out more: 
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Amir-Kassam
https://fable.co/author/prof-amir-kassam
https://plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com/sustainable-farming
https://www.thelancet.com/commissions-do/EAT-2025
Rockström J, Kassam A, Friedrich T, et al. Conservation agriculture: helping to return to within planetary boundaries. Global Sustainability. 2026;9:e11. doi:10.1017/sus.2025.10045
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/global-sustainability/article/conservation-agriculture-helping-to-return-to-within-planetary-boundaries/3641F08ABCEF6438590242B968C8FAD1
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.

This week on the Nutshell , Daisy and Clare discuss whether paying more for organic produce pays off in terms of health benefits. There are lots of things to think about from pesticide burden to the nutrient values in the foods themselves. But with ever rising food bills,  should you prioritise organic, or can we afford not to? 

Smith-Spangler C, Bravata DM, Hunter-Goren A, et al.
“Are organic foods safer or healthier than conventional alternatives? A systematic review.”
Annals of Internal Medicine, 2012; 157(5):348–366.
DOI: 10.7326/0003-4819-157-5-201209040-00007
Baranski M, Średnicka-Tober D, Volakakis N, et al.Higher antioxidant and lower cadmium concentrations and lower incidence of pesticide residues in organically grown crops: a systematic literature review and meta-analyses.British Journal of Nutrition. 2014;111(5):794–811.doi: 10.1017/S000711451300284X
Baudry, J., Assmann, K. E., Touvier, M., Allès, B., Seconda, L., Latino-Martel, P., Hercberg, S. (2018). Association of frequency of organic food consumption with cancer risk: Findings from the NutriNet-Santé prospective cohort study.mJAMA Internal Medicine, 178(12), 1597–1606.
https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2018.4357
https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty-dozen.php
https://www.pan-europe.info/
https://www.pan-uk.org/
https://hodmedods.co.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.