Could everyone collectively going vegan be the solution to the NHS’s woes?
Diet-related illnesses are at an all-time high, and switching to a vegan diet could save the cash-strapped NHS billions.
metro.co.uk/2022/01/06/veg…
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Diet-related illnesses are at an all-time high, and switching to a vegan diet could save the cash-strapped NHS billions.
metro.co.uk/2022/01/06/veg…
🧵👇
More than two million people in the UK are expected to take part in Veganuary this year – the highest number since the movement started in 2014.
A recent YouGov poll found 8% Brits now follow a plant-based diet – a threefold jump from 2019 when just 2% of people were thought to be vegan. 
But averting more lockdowns and climate catastrophes are not the only benefits of going vegan.
Dr Shireen Kassam, who founded the Plant Based Health Professionals network, says diet-related illnesses are at an all-time high and going vegan could save the NHS billions.💰
Dr Shireen Kassam, who founded the Plant Based Health Professionals network, says diet-related illnesses are at an all-time high and going vegan could save the NHS billions.💰
She pointed to a recent Taiwanese study which found vegetarians have a lower rate of outpatient visits to the doctor because of healthier diets, which tend to be high in fruit, veg and wholegrains.
This translates into a 15% lower total medical expenditure per person compared with those who eat meat, particularly for chronic illnesses such as high blood pressure, heart disease and depression.
The study concluded that vegetarian diets are ‘associated with significantly lower medical care expenditure and could be an effective strategy to alleviate the medical–economic burden in selected populations’.
The UK spent £225.2 billion on healthcare expenditure in 2019, equating to £3,371 per person.
‘The climate crisis really is a health crisis and we can’t detach the two,’ she told Metro.co.uk.
‘The climate crisis really is a health crisis and we can’t detach the two,’ she told Metro.co.uk.
‘Moving towards a plant-based food system is clearly one of the biggest impacts we can have [on the environment], but I think people forget it’s a personal health issue too.’
The Government is spending £6bn a year treating obesity-related ill-health, a figure that is expected to rise to £10bn a year by 2050.
The scale of the challenge has been highlighted by coronavirus, which disproportionately affects people who are overweight.
The scale of the challenge has been highlighted by coronavirus, which disproportionately affects people who are overweight.
Dr Kassam, a Consultant Haematologist and Lifestyle Physician, said there needs to be far more focus on prevention as the NHS buckles under the unprecedented pressures of the pandemic.
Research has linked vegan diets with a reduced risk of catching coronavirus, while a recent study in November found older adults on a plant-based diet required 58% fewer prescription medications than meat-eaters.
The Government has announced a £100m package to tackle the obesity crisis, which includes plans to introduce a 9pm watershed on TV and a ban on paid-for advertising online for unhealthy food and drink, as well as restrictions on the promotion of unhealthy food in shops.
Dr Kassam said it is ‘well borne out in scientific literature’ that healthy vegan diets reduce the risk of heart disease, certain cancers, high blood pressure, cholesterol, obesity, and type two diabetes.
These chronic conditions are putting a huge strain on the NHS, but the vast majority ‘need not occur’ or could be reversed.
‘Our every day work is preventable chronic illness,’ says Dr Kassam.
‘Our every day work is preventable chronic illness,’ says Dr Kassam.
‘Almost 80% of what we do is dedicated to diet and lifestyle-related illnesses that need not occur… and then you’d be left with accidents and emergencies.
‘We’re living 12 years on average in ill health, which requires use of healthcare, and social care.
‘We’re living 12 years on average in ill health, which requires use of healthcare, and social care.
‘We know that a vegan or vegetarian diet reduces the incidence of heart disease by about 25% and type two diabetes by over 50%. Vegans have a 15% reduction in cancer incidence as well.
‘You’re much more likely to have a normal cholesterol on a vegan diet.
‘You’re much more likely to have a normal cholesterol on a vegan diet.
The London-based doctor acknowledged that a societal shift towards a predominantly plant-based food system would require action ‘in every step of the chain’ from policy makers and farmers to supermarkets and advertisers.
But she said that ‘does not negate the impact of personal change’.
‘We could all have our last chicken meal, and never eat meat again and nothing [bad] would happen to us.’
‘We could all have our last chicken meal, and never eat meat again and nothing [bad] would happen to us.’
While the number of vegans in the UK is growing, not everyone is convinced of the virtues of a plant-based diet.
The subject remains contentious in the UK, where British food and farming contributes £127 billion to the economy.
The subject remains contentious in the UK, where British food and farming contributes £127 billion to the economy.
British farmers have launched a campaign to promote eating meat and dairy during Veganuary to counteract what they say is ‘misinformation and false truths’ on social media.
The Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board says it wants to ‘give farmers a voice’ amid the push to promote a vegan lifestyle.
Director of Marketing, Liam Byrne, says meat and dairy both contain vitamin B12, ‘an essential nutrient not naturally present in foods of plant origin, so adding a little meat or dairy to your vegetables will boost the number of vitamins in your meal’.
There is also concern that the mainstream shift to veganism is propping up an already damaging ultra-processed food market.
Frankie Philips, a registered dietician and spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association (BDA), says vegan diets won’t ‘necessarily always be a healthier option’ and it is important to check the nutrient labels on plant-based alternatives.
‘You can have a bad vegan diet the same way you can have a bad omnivorous diet if it is not well balanced,’ she says.
‘A vegan diet could be a bowl of chips and alternative cheese.’
‘A vegan diet could be a bowl of chips and alternative cheese.’
‘You can have a healthy diet which is vegan or flexitarian and still have some meat.'
‘It all boils down to this whole idea of balance and eating the correct portion sizes.’
‘It all boils down to this whole idea of balance and eating the correct portion sizes.’
Dr Kassam acknowledged the criticism that veganism is becoming a ‘diet of ultra-processed food’ but said that is ‘no different to the omnivore issue’.
She said: ‘A healthy vegan diet is centring your diet around whole plant foods. That’s fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, beans, nuts and seeds, mainly water for thirst but tea and coffee is fine if you enjoy it.
‘It’s also about having variety and abundance and using lots of herbs and spices.'
‘And that’s obviously in contrast to the usual sort of British way of eating, which has become a processed to ultra-processed diet.’
‘And that’s obviously in contrast to the usual sort of British way of eating, which has become a processed to ultra-processed diet.’
Anyone looking for vegan-friendly tips about nutritional planning during Veganuary and beyond can find information at the Vegan Society website: vegansociety.com/resources/nutr…
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