You'd
think that all doctors
would be experts at nutrition, but the sad fact is that medical schools
emphasize only drugs and surgery for the treatment of disease, and teach little about how important lifestyle is to good health.
And then
there's bias: Med students and doctors who grew up eating meat
and liking it aren't exactly looking for evidence that contradicts
their own lifestyle. And let's not forget that doctors used to endorse cigarettes!
Change is slow. Here's a good article explaining why doctors are generally
uninformed about nutrition. Even the food-based disciplines
aren't much better. When
I studied nutrition at the University of Texas, veganism and
vegetarianism were depicted as dangerous choices popular among only the
trendy or naïve, and what was taught about protein and micronutrients
was in stark contrast with what the science actually says.
But things are changing. More and more doctors
are waking up to the fact that drugs and surgery don't effectively
treat most degenerative disease, much less prevent it. When they
take a hard look at what the science says about diet and health, more
and more of them are supporting healthy eating centered on unrefined
plant foods.
Below is a list of vegetarian and vegan
physicians, or those who advocate vegetarian diets. I
welcome submissions to this page. Candidates should be
credentialed physicians in any country, and their credentials and
support of vegetarianism should be listed on a credible website.
I
won't list a doctor in this section based on hearsay.
Vegetarian (or
vegetarian-supporting) Medical Doctors in the U.S.
Mark Berman, M.D.(Vegan) Runs a
blog from the perspective of a "Vegan
MD". He's a corporate doctor (not in private practice), working
for a company which develops health programs for workers. source
(June 2011)
Dumrong Chiewsilp, M.D. Based on a study,
recommends that AIDS patients can
live longer, healthier lives on a vegetarian diet. source (June 2003)
Hans Diel, Dr. Hsc. Since the late 80's has
promoted vegetarian/vegan
diets in large community medicine projects where 500 to 3000 people
enroll in a 40-hour educational program designed to facilitate the
evolution of a healthier culture within the culture-at-large. source
(June 2003)
Caldwell Esselstyn, M.D.
(Vegan) Conducted
a remarkable 20-year research study by
putting patients with advanced heart disease on a low-fat vegan
diet. That's all that was necessary to reverse their
disease. Former President Clinton credits Dr. Esselstyn (and
others) with his decision to go plant-based, which contributed to his
losing extra weight and reversing his own heart disease. website (Jan.
2011)
Joel Furhman, M.D.
(South New Jersey) On the board of directors of
the National Health Association,
which
promotes the benefits of plant-based diets. Author of Eat to Live.
website (June
2003)
Michael Greger, M.D. Debated the National
Cattlemen's Beef Association
Director before the FDA and was invited as an expert witness to defend
Oprah Winfrey in the infamous "meat defamation trial." Taught part of
Dr. T. Colin Campbell's famous nutrition course at Cornell University.
Created AtkinsExposed.org
to debunk the Atkins diet, and runs NutritionFacts.org.
Coordinates the mad
cow disease
website for the Organic Consumers Association. DrGreger.org
(May 2005)
Henry Heimlich, M.D. Creator of the well-known
Heimlich Maneuver for
saving choking victims. Advisory board member of PCRM which promotes vegan diets. Bio (June
2003)
Walter E. Jacobson, M.D. In May 2011, he wrote,
"If you’re not a vegan, you’re
killing yourself with the food you’re eating." source (June 2011)
Michael Janson, M.D. (Mostly vegetarian since
1975)
Past president of the American College for
Advancement in Medicine and the American Preventive Medical
Association. source (June
2003)
Michael Klaper, M.D.
(Vegan; Northern California) Bio does not give
start
date, but given his publications looks to be since late 70's.
Director of the Institute of Nutritional Education
and Research. Author of Vegan Nutrition: Pure and Simple. source
(June 2003)
Matt Lederman, M.D. (Vegan) "Dr. Lederman is a
board-certified Internal Medicine physician with an avid interest in
the field of nutrition and lifestyle medicine....Dr. Lederman has been
seeking to change the way chronic illness is treated, with an emphasis
on medication elimination and disease reversal through diet and
lifestyle change. Dr. Lederman has participated in projects such as
lecturing for the eCornell Certificate Program in Plant Based Nutrition
and films such as Healing Cancer and Forks Over Knives. He also
coauthored the popular new book, Keep It Simple, Keep It Whole:
Your Guide to Optimum Health." source (May
2012)
John A. McDougall, M.D.
(Mostly vegan since about
1983; Northern California)
Author of several exhaustively-researched
books about the health
advantages of vegan diets, and the first credentialed physician to
endorse vegan diets, way back in 1983. source
(June 2003)
Irena Medkova, M.D. (Vegetarian) Russian
physician and author. Article
(June 2003)
Milton Mills, M.D. "Medical research shows
conclusively that a plant-based diet
reduces chronic disease risk, so that’s something I absolutely
encourage my patients to move toward." source (June
2011)
Dean Ornish, M.D. (Assumed to be mostly vegan since the
mid-80's.) Ornish was the first researcher to successfully
reverse heart disease in a study. The primary component of his
treatment was a low-fat vegetarian diet. He does recommend a
small amount of fish oil. source (June
2003)
Alona Pulde, M.D. "Alona is a
board-certified practitioner of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine and
Family Medicine Physician specializing in nutrition and lifestyle
medicine. Dr. Pulde is lead author of the book, "Keep It Simple, Keep
It Whole: Your Guide to Optimum Health." She also developed the
Lifestyle Change Program used for patients in the film Forks Over
Knives, [and formerly] in her clinic, Exsalus Health & Wellness
Center. Drs. Alona Pulde and Matthew Lederman joined Whole Foods Market
in 2010 to help found the company’s Wellness Clubs and serve as health
and wellness medical experts." source (May
2012)
John Wedderburn, M.D. (China) Founded the Hong Kong Vegan Society. source (May
2012)
Retired, Not currently practicing,
or Deceased
Charles Attwood, M.D. , 1932-98. Vegan, length of time
unknown
World-famous pediatric physician and activist. As a
result of his work the 1996 U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans
admitted for the first time that a vegetarian diet could be healthy. Dietary advice, Bio #1, Bio #2 (June 2003)
Pioneer as one of the first women physicians in the
U.S.. Bio (June 2003)
(Dr. Albert Schweitzer) Probably not vegetarian.
Though Schweitzer is the source of many pro-animal
quotes that adorn vegetarian websites, we've seen no reliable source
that claims he was actually a vegetarian, and a couple which insist
that he wasn't. For now we'll consider this similar to the myth that Hitler was a vegetarian. Bio,
article
June 2003
The most well-known pediatrician of all time. Bio (June 2003)
Jane Ward, M.D. (mostly vegan)
I attended a presentation in March 2012 in which Dr.
Ward described
herself as "mostly vegan". Her two daughters are vegetarian, and bicycled
across the U.S. in 2012
to support Safe Routes to Schools. Dr. Ward was an opthamologist
for the military, and as of March 2012 is grad student in the Physical
Activity and Public Health track at George Washington University School
of Public Health and Health Service in Washington DC. She 's also
an athlete, completing over 8 marathons, the 24 hour/50 mile Caledonian
Challenge in Scotland, and in the past four years, over ten triathlons
including a Half-Ironman. As one
bio
says, "Dr Ward feels strongly that the path to a healthier US
population is through both healthier nutrition and increased physical
activity." (March 2012)
Vegan & Vegetarian Dietitians
Most Well-Known
Brenda Davis,
R.D. Past chair of the Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice
Group of the American Dietetic Association. Inducted into the
Vegetarian Hall of Fame in July 2007. Author of seven
vegan/vegetarian books. Based in British Columbia. (May 2012)
Vesanto Melina,
M.S., R.D. (Vancouver, B.C.) Co-author of seven vegan,
vegetarian, and health books, and Vesanto coauthored the 2003 Position
of the American Dietetic Association (ADA) and Dietitians of Canada
(DC): Vegetarian diets
Other
Amanda Benham, Accredited Pracising Dietitian and Nutritionist (Australia) (May 2012)
