Preface to the Sixth International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition1,2 Michelle Wien, Sujatha Rajaram, and Joan Sabate´ amounts of protein, healthy fat, micronutrients, and phytochemicals and have historically been the cornerstone of traditional vegetarian diet patterns. In light of their ability to be a convenient replacement for meat in plant-based and vegetarian dietary patterns and their recognized health benefits, the role of nuts (19, 21, 22), soy (23, 24), and dried beans (25) in the prevention and treatment of specific conditions and diseases were included in some presentations. Third, nutrients continue to be of interest, because a societal belief persists that a well-balanced diet must feature the inclusion of some type of animal product. Thus, one session was dedicated to omega-3 (n–3) fatty acids and featured a presentation on whether plant and marine n–3 fatty acids were equivalent in the context of cardiovascular disease outcomes (20). Also included in this session were the health benefits of plant sources of a-linolenic acid (26) and ways for vegetarians to achieve an optimal n–3 fatty acid intake (27). Last, given that the question of adequacy of specific vitamins and minerals continues to remain of interest to vegetarians and health professionals, updates on the iron and zinc status of vegetarian infants and children (28) and specific nutrients for bone health in adults (11) were emphasized in other sessions. Since the Fourth ICVN in 2002, both the public and scientific communities have had an increased awareness of the environmental impact and sustainability of protein food production and the consequences of food choices on climate change. To address this dimension of plant-based diets, which is at the forefront of current issues, the sustainability of plant-based diets (29), the “cost” of protein production (30), and the global warming mitigation of vegetarian eating patterns (31) were explored at this congress. Finally, a special pre-congress session and plenary lecture showcased a temporal perspective on vegetarian nutrition and featured a discussion of vegetarian diets of the past, present, and future (32). In addition to the major sessions, short oral presentations and poster sessions were featured, which enhanced the international perspective and broadened the range of topics presented at the congress. More than 800 attendees were present at the congress, and they enjoyed networking with each other during plenary sessions, workshops, poster presentations, and social gatherings. We sincerely thank the members of the organizing and scientific planning committees, the international advisory board, the congress speakers, and the reviewers of the abstracts and 1 From the Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA. 2 Address correspondence to M Wien, Department of Nutrition, NH 1107, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92350. E-mail: [email protected]. First published online June 11, 2014; doi: 10.3945/ajcn.113.071498.
Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100(suppl):311S–2S. Printed in USA. Ó 2014 American Society for Nutrition
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The Sixth International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition (ICVN) was held February 2013 at Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA; the congress proceedings are presented in this supplement issue. The proceedings from the previous 5 congresses were also published in the Journal (1–5), and the ICVN has become the premier scientific congress on the health effects of plant-based and vegetarian dietary patterns. Professional interest in vegetarian nutrition is reaching unprecedented levels; however, scientific knowledge with regard to vegetarian dietary patterns and their effects on human health is far from complete. Every 5 y the congress convenes and brings together leading researchers who are actively studying plant-based diets and vegetarians along with health professionals who must provide sound guidance to patients and the general population who consume a vegetarian diet or those who are interested in transitioning to a plant-based diet. Since the last congress in 2008, there has been a steady increase in research and the emergence of new perspectives on vegetarian nutrition, which were highlighted during the current congress. The congress audience was multidisciplinary in nature and included epidemiologists, nutritionists, health care professionals, health educators, industry members, students, and basic scientists who came together from .10 countries to make for an exciting forum on vegetarian nutrition. The scientific program provided a very comprehensive approach, with several of the sessions dedicated to core public health issues—ie, chronic disease prevention using plant-based or vegetarian diets. A new dimension to chronic disease prevention included the exploration of the influence of meatless diets in the context of gut microbiota and cardiometabolic outcomes (6). A significant highlight was the updates from 2 of the largest continuing prospective studies on vegetarians: the UK Oxford Vegetarian Study (7, 8) and the Loma Linda University Adventist Health Study 2 (9), both of which provide the basis for addressing several of the fundamental questions regarding the vegetarian diet and health outcomes and serve as a springboard for new emerging research in this field. Furthermore, in light of the societal issue of healthy aging, which is at the forefront of public interest, the contribution of vegetarian diets in maintaining bone health (10, 11) and preventing macular degeneration (12) and cognitive decline (13) were featured in presentations at this congress. Three primary domains can be considered in the study of plantbased and vegetarian diets: food patterns, foods, and nutrients. First, in the context of food patterns, both mortality (14, 15) and disease prevention [ie, obesity (16, 17), cardiometabolic disease (6, 19, 20), and cancer (7–9, 18)] were featured and are presented in this supplement. Second, plant foods contribute significant
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manuscripts. We believe that the information presented in this supplement will expand our current knowledge in vegetarian nutrition and be a valuable resource for researchers and health professionals who interact with vegetarians and others who are considering transitioning to a plant-based dietary pattern. The authors’ responsibilities were as follows—MW: was a member of the scientific program committee; SR: was the chair of the scientific program committee; JS: was the chair of the congress; and MW, SR, and JS: wrote the preface. None of the authors had a conflict of interest.
REFERENCES
Downloaded from ajcn.nutrition.org by guest on November 15, 2015
1. Proceedings from the First International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition. Am J Clin Nutr 1988;48(suppl):707S–927S. 2. Second International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition: symposium proceedings. Am J Clin Nutr 1994;59(suppl):1099S–262S. 3. Third International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition: symposium proceedings. Am J Clin Nutr 1999;70(suppl):429S–634S. 4. Fourth International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition: symposium proceedings. Am J Clin Nutr 2003;78(suppl):501S–668S. 5. Fifth International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition: symposium proceedings. Am J Clin Nutr 2009;89(suppl):1541S–2S. 6. Wong JMW. Gut microbiota and cardiometabolic outcomes: influence of dietary patterns and their associated components. Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100(suppl):369S–77S. 7. Key TJ, Appleby PN, Crowe FL, Bradbury KE, Schmidt JA, Travis RC. Cancer in British vegetarians: updated analyses of 4998 incident cancers in a cohort of 32,491 meat eaters, 8612 fish eaters, 18,298 vegetarians, and 2246 vegans. Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100(suppl):378S–85S. 8. Bradbury KE, Appleby PN, Key TJ. Fruit, vegetable, and fiber intake in relation to cancer risk: findings from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100 (suppl):394S–8S. 9. Orlich MJ, Fraser GE. Vegetarian diets in the Adventist Health Study 2: a review of initial published findings. Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100(suppl): 353S–8S. 10. Tucker KL. Vegetarian diets and bone status. Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100 (suppl):329S–35S. 11. Mangels AR. Bone nutrients for vegetarians. Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100 (suppl):469S–75S. 12. Koo E, Neuringer M, SanGiovanni JP. Macular xanthophylls, lipoprotein-related genes, and age-related macular degeneration. Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100(suppl):336S–46S. 13. Pribis P, Shukitt-Hale B. Cognition: the new frontier for nuts and berries. Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100(suppl):347S–52S. 14. Jacobs DR Jr, Orlich MJ. Diet pattern and longevity: do simple rules suffice? A commentary. Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100(suppl):313S–9S.
15. Martı´nez-Gonza´lez MA, Sa´nchez-Tainta A, Corella D, Salas-Salvado´ J, Ros E, Aro´s F, Go´mez-Gracia E, Fiol M, Lamuela-Ravento´s RM, Schro¨der H, et al. A provegetarian food pattern and reduction in total mortality in the Prevencio´n con Dieta Mediterra´nea (PREDIMED) study. Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100(suppl):320S–8S. 16. Singh PN, Arthur KN, Orlich MJ, James W, Purty A, Job JS, Rajaram S, Sabate´ J. Global epidemiology of obesity, vegetarian dietary patterns, and noncommunicable disease in Asian Indians. Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100(suppl):359S–64S. 17. Farmer B. Nutritional adequacy of plant-based diets for weight management: observations from the NHANES. Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100 (suppl):365S–8S. 18. Abid Z, Cross AJ, Sinha R. Meat, dairy, and cancer. Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100(suppl):386S–93S. 19. Salas-Salvado´ J, Guasch-Ferre´ M, Bullo´ M, Sabate´ J. Nuts in the prevention and treatment of metabolic syndrome. Am J Clin Nutr 2014; 100(suppl):399S–407S. 20. Sanders TAB. Plant compared with marine n–3 fatty acid effects on cardiovascular risk factors and outcomes: what is the verdict? Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100(suppl):453S–8S. 21. Jackson CL, Hu FB. Long-term associations of nut consumption with body weight and obesity. Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100(suppl):408S–11S. 22. Tan SY, Dhillon J, Mattes RD. A review of the effects of nuts on appetite, food intake, metabolism, and body weight. Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100(suppl):412S–22S. 23. Messina M. Soy foods, isoflavones, and the health of postmenopausal women. Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100(suppl):423S–30S. 24. Pavese JM, Krishna SN, Bergan RC. Genistein inhibits human prostate cancer cell detachment, invasion, and metastasis. Am J Clin Nutr 2014; 100(suppl):431S–6S. 25. Messina V. Nutritional and health benefits of dried beans. Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100(suppl):437S–42S. 26. Rajaram S. Health benefits of plant-derived a-linolenic acid. Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100(suppl):443S–8S. 27. Harris WS. Achieving optimal n–3 fatty acid status: the vegetarian’s challenge . or not. Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100(suppl):449S–52S. 28. Gibson RS, Heath A-LM, Szymlek-Gay EA. Is iron and zinc nutrition a concern for vegetarian infants and young children in industrialized countries? Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100(suppl):459S–68S. 29. Sabate´ J, Soret S. Sustainability of plant-based diets: back to the future. Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100(suppl):476S–82S. 30. Aiking H. Protein production: planet, profit, plus people? Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100(suppl):483S–9S. 31. Soret S, Mejia A, Batech M, Jaceldo-Siegl K, Harwatt H, Sabate´ J. Climate change mitigation and health effects of varied dietary patterns in real-life settings throughout North America. Am J Clin Nutr 2014; 100(suppl):490S–5S. 32. Leitzmann C. Vegetarian nutrition: past, present, future. Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100(suppl):496S–502S.
Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100(suppl):311S–2S. Printed in USA. Ó 2014 American Society for Nutrition
311S
Downloaded from ajcn.nutrition.org by guest on November 15, 2015
The Sixth International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition (ICVN) was held February 2013 at Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA; the congress proceedings are presented in this supplement issue. The proceedings from the previous 5 congresses were also published in the Journal (1–5), and the ICVN has become the premier scientific congress on the health effects of plant-based and vegetarian dietary patterns. Professional interest in vegetarian nutrition is reaching unprecedented levels; however, scientific knowledge with regard to vegetarian dietary patterns and their effects on human health is far from complete. Every 5 y the congress convenes and brings together leading researchers who are actively studying plant-based diets and vegetarians along with health professionals who must provide sound guidance to patients and the general population who consume a vegetarian diet or those who are interested in transitioning to a plant-based diet. Since the last congress in 2008, there has been a steady increase in research and the emergence of new perspectives on vegetarian nutrition, which were highlighted during the current congress. The congress audience was multidisciplinary in nature and included epidemiologists, nutritionists, health care professionals, health educators, industry members, students, and basic scientists who came together from .10 countries to make for an exciting forum on vegetarian nutrition. The scientific program provided a very comprehensive approach, with several of the sessions dedicated to core public health issues—ie, chronic disease prevention using plant-based or vegetarian diets. A new dimension to chronic disease prevention included the exploration of the influence of meatless diets in the context of gut microbiota and cardiometabolic outcomes (6). A significant highlight was the updates from 2 of the largest continuing prospective studies on vegetarians: the UK Oxford Vegetarian Study (7, 8) and the Loma Linda University Adventist Health Study 2 (9), both of which provide the basis for addressing several of the fundamental questions regarding the vegetarian diet and health outcomes and serve as a springboard for new emerging research in this field. Furthermore, in light of the societal issue of healthy aging, which is at the forefront of public interest, the contribution of vegetarian diets in maintaining bone health (10, 11) and preventing macular degeneration (12) and cognitive decline (13) were featured in presentations at this congress. Three primary domains can be considered in the study of plantbased and vegetarian diets: food patterns, foods, and nutrients. First, in the context of food patterns, both mortality (14, 15) and disease prevention [ie, obesity (16, 17), cardiometabolic disease (6, 19, 20), and cancer (7–9, 18)] were featured and are presented in this supplement. Second, plant foods contribute significant
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manuscripts. We believe that the information presented in this supplement will expand our current knowledge in vegetarian nutrition and be a valuable resource for researchers and health professionals who interact with vegetarians and others who are considering transitioning to a plant-based dietary pattern. The authors’ responsibilities were as follows—MW: was a member of the scientific program committee; SR: was the chair of the scientific program committee; JS: was the chair of the congress; and MW, SR, and JS: wrote the preface. None of the authors had a conflict of interest.
REFERENCES
Downloaded from ajcn.nutrition.org by guest on November 15, 2015
1. Proceedings from the First International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition. Am J Clin Nutr 1988;48(suppl):707S–927S. 2. Second International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition: symposium proceedings. Am J Clin Nutr 1994;59(suppl):1099S–262S. 3. Third International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition: symposium proceedings. Am J Clin Nutr 1999;70(suppl):429S–634S. 4. Fourth International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition: symposium proceedings. Am J Clin Nutr 2003;78(suppl):501S–668S. 5. Fifth International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition: symposium proceedings. Am J Clin Nutr 2009;89(suppl):1541S–2S. 6. Wong JMW. Gut microbiota and cardiometabolic outcomes: influence of dietary patterns and their associated components. Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100(suppl):369S–77S. 7. Key TJ, Appleby PN, Crowe FL, Bradbury KE, Schmidt JA, Travis RC. Cancer in British vegetarians: updated analyses of 4998 incident cancers in a cohort of 32,491 meat eaters, 8612 fish eaters, 18,298 vegetarians, and 2246 vegans. Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100(suppl):378S–85S. 8. Bradbury KE, Appleby PN, Key TJ. Fruit, vegetable, and fiber intake in relation to cancer risk: findings from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100 (suppl):394S–8S. 9. Orlich MJ, Fraser GE. Vegetarian diets in the Adventist Health Study 2: a review of initial published findings. Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100(suppl): 353S–8S. 10. Tucker KL. Vegetarian diets and bone status. Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100 (suppl):329S–35S. 11. Mangels AR. Bone nutrients for vegetarians. Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100 (suppl):469S–75S. 12. Koo E, Neuringer M, SanGiovanni JP. Macular xanthophylls, lipoprotein-related genes, and age-related macular degeneration. Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100(suppl):336S–46S. 13. Pribis P, Shukitt-Hale B. Cognition: the new frontier for nuts and berries. Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100(suppl):347S–52S. 14. Jacobs DR Jr, Orlich MJ. Diet pattern and longevity: do simple rules suffice? A commentary. Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100(suppl):313S–9S.
15. Martı´nez-Gonza´lez MA, Sa´nchez-Tainta A, Corella D, Salas-Salvado´ J, Ros E, Aro´s F, Go´mez-Gracia E, Fiol M, Lamuela-Ravento´s RM, Schro¨der H, et al. A provegetarian food pattern and reduction in total mortality in the Prevencio´n con Dieta Mediterra´nea (PREDIMED) study. Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100(suppl):320S–8S. 16. Singh PN, Arthur KN, Orlich MJ, James W, Purty A, Job JS, Rajaram S, Sabate´ J. Global epidemiology of obesity, vegetarian dietary patterns, and noncommunicable disease in Asian Indians. Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100(suppl):359S–64S. 17. Farmer B. Nutritional adequacy of plant-based diets for weight management: observations from the NHANES. Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100 (suppl):365S–8S. 18. Abid Z, Cross AJ, Sinha R. Meat, dairy, and cancer. Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100(suppl):386S–93S. 19. Salas-Salvado´ J, Guasch-Ferre´ M, Bullo´ M, Sabate´ J. Nuts in the prevention and treatment of metabolic syndrome. Am J Clin Nutr 2014; 100(suppl):399S–407S. 20. Sanders TAB. Plant compared with marine n–3 fatty acid effects on cardiovascular risk factors and outcomes: what is the verdict? Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100(suppl):453S–8S. 21. Jackson CL, Hu FB. Long-term associations of nut consumption with body weight and obesity. Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100(suppl):408S–11S. 22. Tan SY, Dhillon J, Mattes RD. A review of the effects of nuts on appetite, food intake, metabolism, and body weight. Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100(suppl):412S–22S. 23. Messina M. Soy foods, isoflavones, and the health of postmenopausal women. Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100(suppl):423S–30S. 24. Pavese JM, Krishna SN, Bergan RC. Genistein inhibits human prostate cancer cell detachment, invasion, and metastasis. Am J Clin Nutr 2014; 100(suppl):431S–6S. 25. Messina V. Nutritional and health benefits of dried beans. Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100(suppl):437S–42S. 26. Rajaram S. Health benefits of plant-derived a-linolenic acid. Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100(suppl):443S–8S. 27. Harris WS. Achieving optimal n–3 fatty acid status: the vegetarian’s challenge . or not. Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100(suppl):449S–52S. 28. Gibson RS, Heath A-LM, Szymlek-Gay EA. Is iron and zinc nutrition a concern for vegetarian infants and young children in industrialized countries? Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100(suppl):459S–68S. 29. Sabate´ J, Soret S. Sustainability of plant-based diets: back to the future. Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100(suppl):476S–82S. 30. Aiking H. Protein production: planet, profit, plus people? Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100(suppl):483S–9S. 31. Soret S, Mejia A, Batech M, Jaceldo-Siegl K, Harwatt H, Sabate´ J. Climate change mitigation and health effects of varied dietary patterns in real-life settings throughout North America. Am J Clin Nutr 2014; 100(suppl):490S–5S. 32. Leitzmann C. Vegetarian nutrition: past, present, future. Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100(suppl):496S–502S.
