Monkeypox is a rare infection that typically manifests as a rash, which develops into fluid-filled blisters. The rash is often preceded by symptoms such as a high temperature, headaches, muscle aches, backaches, swollen glands, shivering, and/or exhaustion.

It usually takes between five and 21 days for the first symptom to appear after infection.

Monkeypox in the UK

Monkeypox is typically found in Africa, but more than 130 cases have now been discovered in 19 countries outside of the continent, cropping up in Europe, the US, Canada, and Australia.

There are now 71 confirmed cases of monkeypox in the UK – 70 in England and one in Scotland, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

Last week, on May 16, there were just seven confirmed cases in the UK.

According to news outlet i, the recent outbreak is the first time person-to-person transmission of monkeypox has occurred in the UK.

But officials have assured that while the number of cases is “unusual,” the illness is usually mild, clearing up in two to four weeks.

The government has ordered more than 20,000 vaccine doses as a precaution, i reports.

How do you catch monkeypox?

Monkeypox is predominantly spread by wild animals – namely rats, mice, and squirrels – in west and central Africa. A human can catch the disease if they are bitten by an infected animal, or if they come into contact with infected blood, body fluids, blisters, or scabs.

You can also catch monkeypox by eating undercooked meat from an infected animal, according to the NHS, or by handling infected “products” like animal skin and fur.

Touching clothing, bedding, or towels used by anyone with the monkeypox rash also raises the risk of infection. The coughs and sneezes of an infected individual can spread the disease too.

How to avoid getting monkeypox

To lower the risk of contracting monkeypox, the NHS advises people to “only eat meat that has been cooked thoroughly.” Individuals should also not eat or touch bushmeat (the flesh of wild animals).

Washing your hands regularly with soap and water, or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, can also protect against the infection.

The NHS has urged people to stay away from wild or stray animals, animals that look unwell, and dead animals.

Additionally, the organization stresses the importance of maintaining distance from people who are unwell and may have monkeypox, including not sharing bedding or towels.

Those who have monkeypox are advised to self-isolate, and stay away from pets.

Dr. Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser for the UKHSA, said: “If anyone suspects they might have rashes or lesions on any part of their body, particularly if they have recently had a new sexual partner, they should limit their contact with others and contact NHS 111 or their local sexual health service as soon as possible, though please phone ahead before attending in person.”

Visit the NHS website for more information.

The post NHS Issues Advice To Meat-Eaters Amid Outbreak Of Monkeypox appeared first on Plant Based News.

The segment, which referenced data from documentary What the Health, saw Dr. Robert Lustig, a neuroendocrinologist who advocates for low-carb diets, go head-to-head with Dr. Garth Davis, a bariatric surgeon and physician.

They discuss whether plant-based diets are healthier than animal products, whether meat is really killing us, and if industry-funded studies are just muddying the waters of medical research.

With this exclusive re-upload, watch see these doctors thrash out their arguments.

The post WATCH: Could This Be The Best Nutrition Debate Of All Time? appeared first on Plant Based News.

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Serena Williams’ vegan investments

Williams is passionate about backing game-changing products. In 2017, she invested in frozen plant-based food subscription company Daily Harvest alongside actor and Goop-founder Gwyneth Paltrow.

At the time, Daily Harvest’s CEO Rachel Drori said: “Serena and Gwyneth immediately understood our mission to provide convenient foods without nutritional compromise. Their passion for what we are building will make them instrumental members of our investment team.”

Alongside several other high-profile figures, including Bill Gates and Katy Perry, Williams is also an investor in Impossible Foods, a plant-based meat brand on a mission to transform the food system. 

According to WILE’s co-founder Gwen Floyd, Williams’ investment will make a significant difference to the company, and help it expand on its mission to help women around the world.

She said in a statement: “This investment makes it possible for us to break through the silence and get her what she needs and wants, where she wants it.”

WILE’s products will be launching in Whole Foods Markets this month. 

The post Serena Williams Invests In Vegan Menopause Supplement Brand appeared first on Plant Based News.

The letter – which was sent to the chief executive of NHS Scotland, Caroline Lamb – states that serving plant-based meals would be better for the environment, improve the health of patients, and potentially save the health service millions of pounds. 

As reported by The Times, the letter reads: “At this time of health and climate crises, we, the undersigned, urge NHS Scotland to switch to vegan menus for patients in hospitals.

“Replacing meat, eggs, and dairy with vibrant vegan foods is vital if we are to protect the health of Scottish people and the planet.

“It is a dereliction of duty that meals offered in hospitals are often far from healthy and can even include red and processed meats, which are known to be carcinogenic.”

Benefits of meat-free food

The letter compares serving meat to “distributing cigarettes in the pulmonary-care unit.”

It adds: “Switching to 100 percent vegan menus … would help NHS Scotland improve patient recovery, reduce costs, prevent animal suffering, and meet its commitment to reaching net-zero carbon emissions.”

The signatories go on to state that the NHS could save £30 billion a year if all meals served in the UK were vegan.  

A number of doctors signed the letter, including NHS consultant gastroenterologist Alan Desmond, and GPs Nick Browne, Miriam Maisel, Olga Morton, and Fiona Bullions.

Animal agriculture is one of the leading causes of the climate crisis, while meat consumption has been linked to a number of cancers and other diseases. 

Despite this, the letter has been criticized by some. Rachael Hamilton, the Scottish Conservative’s rural affairs spokesperson, labeled the demand “deeply irresponsible.”

Currently, Scottish government hospital guidelines state that provisions must be made for patients following vegan and vegetarian diets, and that there must be a meat-free option for every meal.

According to The Times, a spokesperson for the Scottish government said: “We expect all patients to be offered good, nutritious food in accordance with their ethical or religious requirements.

“The importance of balanced nutrition is well accepted and emphasized in our guidance on hospital food to ensure all patients get the best possible nourishment.”

The post Doctors Compare Meat To Cigarettes, Urge NHS To Serve Vegan Hospital Food appeared first on Plant Based News.

These findings are in line with previous studies that show the benefits of plant-based diets in the prevention of T2D.

The relationship between diet and diabetes

Researchers from the Department of Nutrition, at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, set out to identify any associations between dietary profiles and the risk of developing T2D. 

To do this, they analyzed the metabolite profiles associated with different plant-based diets. A metabolite is a substance that is used or produced by a living organism through the chemical process of breaking down or metabolizing foods. 

The study methodology

The study involved analyzing blood plasma samples from 10,684 adults from three different longitudinal cohort studies (Nurses’ Health Study, Nurses’ Health Study II, and Health Professionals Follow-up Study).

All participants filled out food and diet questionnaires. They were then separated into three different groups:

• Group 1 was made up of participants who ate a diet rich in healthy plant foods, such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes 
• Group 2 was made up of participants who ate a diet of unhealthy plant foods, such as refined grains, fruit juices, sugar-sweetened beverages, and sweets/desserts
• Group 3 was made up of animal foods, such as dairy, eggs, and meat, including fish

The study’s findings

The researchers found that participants who went on to develop T2D generally recorded lower consumption levels of healthy plant-based foods. Those with T2D typically had a higher average BMI and were more likely to have high blood pressure and cholesterol levels. They were also less physically active. 

Further, researchers found that participants who stuck to plant-based foods, especially those rich in polyphenols, had lower odds of developing the disease.

Plant-based diets and diabetes prevention

The authors concluded: “Our findings support the beneficial role of healthy plant-based diets in diabetes prevention and provide new insights for future investigation.

“… our findings regarding the intermediate metabolites are at the moment intriguing, but further studies are needed to confirm their causal role in the associations of plant-based diets and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.”

You can view the full study here.

The post Healthy Plant-Based Food Could Reduce Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes, New Study Discovers appeared first on Plant Based News.

The findings

The study, funded by ProVeg, found that only one-third of the vegan dogs in the study required non-routine medication. But for those on a conventional meat-based diet, it was more like half. The study also found that nine percent of vegan dogs went to the vet four or more times in one year. Seventeen percent of dogs on a conventional diet made the same amount of trips.

While the results showed that dogs on raw meat diets presented “marginally” healthier than the vegan dogs, with only eight percent visiting the vet four or more times, the study notes there were “statistically significant differences in average ages.” (In other words, the raw meat-fed dogs were younger, therefore less likely to have health issues.)

Plus, as Knight told the Guardian, “a substantial body of prior studies have also shown that raw meat diets are much more contaminated with pathogenic bacteria and parasites.”

Should dogs go vegan?

The British Veterinary Association has weighed in on the findings. It acknowledges that while they are significant, more research is needed on vegan dogs. President Justin Shotton said: “There is currently a lack of robust data mapping the health consequences of feeding a vegan diet to a large number of dogs over many years. We look forward to seeing further research on whether this can meet a dog’s dietary requirements over the long term.”

But many are already convinced that dogs on a plant-based diet can be healthy and strong. Looking at anecdotal evidence: Bramble, who once held the record for being the world’s oldest dog and lived for 25 years, was fed a vegan diet.

Moving dogs away from meat-based diets is also good for the planet. One study found that dry pet food production is responsible for emitting 106 million tonnes of CO2. To put this into context, that’s even more than the entire country of Mozambique, Africa.

More people are giving plant-based dog food a try. In 2020, the global vegan pet food industry hit a value of $9.6 billion. By 2030, it’s estimated to reach $16.3 billion.

Judy Nadel, co-founder of vegan dog food brand THE PACK, told Plant Based News that she believes the new study is “game-changing.”

“It shows that plant-based dog food offers a clear solution to the health crisis impacting dogs,” she continued. “The meat-heavy dog industry is making our furry companions and the planet sick, at THE PACK our mission is to create products that not only taste fantastic but also boost dogs’ health, giving us more healthy years with our dogs.”

The post Vegan Food Is Healthier And Safer For Dogs Than Meat, Major New Study Suggests appeared first on Plant Based News.

Meat , dairy, and rheumatoid arthritis

A total of 44 participants, who were previously diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, underwent the study to investigate the health effects of eliminating meat and dairy. 

Researchers found a significant improvement in the severity of symptoms after following a low-fat vegan diet free, from calorie restriction. Participants also experienced weight loss and improved serum cholesterol levels.  

The study

At the start of the study, participants used a visual analogue scale to classify the severity of their joint pain, from “no pain” to “pain as bad as it could possibly be.”

Joint pain was also assessed using the Disease Activity Score-28 (DAS28), a pain indicator tool that measures inflammation activity in rheumatoid arthritis using clinical data. The participants were then divided into two groups for 16 weeks.

Group 1 vs group 2

One of the groups were instructed to follow a vegan diet for four weeks, followed by removing potential pain-trigger food items for three weeks. They were then re-introduced to the removed food items for the duration of the study. 

The second group followed an unrestricted diet, where they were able to eat whatever they wanted to for 16 weeks. They were also given a placebo capsule, which had no effect on the study. At the end of the 16 weeks, the two groups went on to switch diets.  

Results

The researchers noticed a significant difference in DAS28 scores between the two groups at the end of the study. They found that during the vegan diet phase of the study, DAS28 scores dropped by two points on average, indicating a greater reduction in joint pain, compared to a decrease of 0.3 points in the placebo phase. 

The average number of swollen joints also went down from 7.0 to 3.3 in the vegan phase. However, the number actually increased from 4.7 to 5 in the placebo phase. The researchers also noted that VAS ratings improved significantly in the vegan phase, compared with the placebo phase.

Additional health benefits

As well as the reduction in pain and swelling of the joints, the study also found that the vegan phase led to additional health benefits, including decreased LDL and HDL cholesterol levels.

Researchers also found that body weight decreased by about 14 pounds on average when eating plant-based, compared to a gain of about two pounds on the placebo diet. 

The research was conducted by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), a non-profit organization that focuses on preventative medicine and higher ethics standards in education and research. 

The post Fully Vegan Diet Can Halve Joint Pain, New Research Finds appeared first on Plant Based News.

But new research has found that plant-based omega-3 fatty acids are also equally beneficial to heart health and can reduce the risk of heart disease for people who don’t eat seafood.

Research published in Advances in Nutrition and reported on by Science Direct, found that consuming alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which can be found in foods like walnuts and flaxseeds was associated with a 10 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease and a 20 percent reduced risk of fatal coronary heart disease.

Omega 3 for vegans

Professor of Nutritional Sciences at Evan Pugh University Penny Kris-Etherton said the review proves there are many ways of getting the recommended amounts of omega-3 fatty acids.

“People may not want to eat seafood for a variety of reasons, but it’s still important for them to consume omega-3s to reduce the risk of heart disease and to promote overall health.

“Plant-based ALA in the form of walnuts or flaxseeds can also provide these benefits, especially when incorporated into a healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.”

Assistant teaching professor of nutrition at Evan Pugh University Jennifer Fleming said they also found evidence that seafood eaters could get additional benefits from eating plant-based omega-3s.

“When people with low levels of omega-3s in their diet ate ALA, they saw a benefit in terms of cardiovascular health.”

“But when people with high levels of omega-3s from other sources ate more ALA, they also saw a benefit. It could be that ALA works synergistically with other omega-3s.”

ALA benefits in plant-based food

ALA can reduce cholesterol, and has positive effects on blood pressure and inflammation.

This could explain ALA’s benefits to heart health, according to Emilio Ros, a researcher from Barcelona University.

“We were able to find evidence supporting current dietary guidelines that ALA should provide about 0.6%–1% of total energy in a day, which is about 1.1 grams a day for women and 1.6 grams a day for men and can be incorporated into the diet with foods such as walnuts, flaxseeds, and cooking oils such as canola and soybean oils.”

The post Plant-Based Omega-3s Reduce Risk Of Heart Disease, Study Finds appeared first on Plant Based News.

Fresh juices are a great way to hydrate and support your nutrition intake. Recent research continues to show significant health benefits for people who eat more fresh produce.

Specifically, those who ate at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day were found to have a 10 percent lower risk of death from cancer and a 35 percent lower risk of death from respiratory diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Which is obvious right?

Buying juice – specifically green juice – can be expensive though and home juicers are often clunky, hard-to-clean, and take up extra time in the kitchen. That’s exactly why I recommend NAMA’s new J2 cold press juicer. Check out the video below where you can get a behind the scenes preview of PBN co-founder and I filming with it!

Philosophy

As you might be aware, Plant Based News is insanely mission-focused. When it was launched as a social media platform back in 2015, its sole purpose was to raise awareness about the beneficial effects of a plant-based diet. I’m now regularly out on the streets debating people about how you don’t need to consume animal protein for example.

And this is why everyone at PBN loves NAMA. Dan, the founder of the company, is someone who walks the talk. You can read his transformative health story here.

Robbie – my partner-in-crime at PBN – has been recommending NAMA for years. And I’ve only recently started using their new J2 model, which we are proud to offer our readers an exclusive $55 off over the next month with Code: PBNReview.

It’s designed to make juicing at home as easy and hassle-free as possible. It’s truly a game-changer that allows you to make delicious, vibrant juice in just minutes.

The large “hopper” canister allows you to load a whole apple, celery sticks, a big bunch of kale leaves, or whatever your recipe calls for! That’s right, the juicer cuts and loads produce for you, so you don’t have to stand around feeding one ingredient in at a time. It is an almost hands-free experience. 

The Nama J2 is also extremely easy to clean and takes no more than three minutes. You don’t have to dig dry juice pulp of out of every nook of the machine. It has specific features for fast and effortless cleaning, which we truly appreciate. 

Options

You can also use this juicer to make smoothies, soups, sauces, and plant-based milks. I love these options for helping reduce the number of appliances in my kitchen. 

If you have little ones in your house, the J2 is equipped with safety features so children can enjoy juicing. We know how healthy habits can begin when you are young, so this machine is a perfect way to introduce children to juicing. In fact, many of the plant-based doctors we collaborate with rave about it!

This model is already available in the U.S. and Canada (click here to get access with $55 off using discount code PBNReview) with European, Australian, and United Kingdom international plug options coming soon serving over 200 countries. (Sign up to get notified.)   

Nama has an array of products, but the J2 happens to be my favourite (as well as my business partner Robbie’s). Our second favourite is the Vitality 5800. Whether you’ve been juicing for years or want to get started, we are super confident it will do the job for you! Plus they offer a 15 year guarantee with the product so it will last for decades!

Money well spent: get $55 off with Code: PBNReview

*This is a paid-for advertorial.

The post Here’s Why The Nama J2 Cold Press Juicer Is The Best On The Market appeared first on Plant Based News.

Vegan and professional athlete Alex Lenghel joined the latest season of MasterChef, as the show’s first-ever vegan contestant.

Cooking challenge

In the latest episode, the contests were teamed up in pairs to create a dish for the judges for the first challenge. Lenghel, along with fellow contestant Andrei Klabacs, worked together on a dish using a recipe that Klabacs put forward.

However, once the food was presented to the judges for the final taste test, the judges decided to send Lenghel and Klabacs to the elimination round, along with several other contestants for a final cook-off.

At the start of the elimination round, the contestants were presented with beef, and the judges explained that they needed to recreate a meat dish following the cooking instructions provided by guest chef David Contant.

Refusal to cook meat

The challenge began with tying a piece of string around the meat and it’s visibly clear that Lenghel wasn’t going to follow. 

One of the judges goes on to say “come on Alex,” as a way of urging him to begin the challenge. However, Lenghel explains that he doesn’t wish to cook meat and that he has no intentions of compromising on his ethical principles. 

In response, the chef goes on to say that he doesn’t have to eat the meat, he only needs to cook it for the judges. Lenghel explains that he doesn’t want to cook the meat, reminding the judges that he didn’t join the competition to cook meat as a vegan contestant.

After being questioned by the judges at his cooking counter, one judge probes, “I’d like to ask you again Alex, are you going to cook the meat, or are you going to go home?”, without offering Alex any other meat-free alternatives for the challenge.

Having been vegan for over three years, Langhel decided to remove his chef apron and leave the show.

Wrong to kill animals for pleasure

Speaking to Plant Based News, Lenghel explained that cooking meat went against his ethical beliefs. 

“I can’t cook meat when I believe that it is not normal to kill animals just for our pleasure,” he explained. 

He hopes that food shows, such as MasterChef, will see the need to adapt to the increasing plant-based demand. The show has been criticized in the past for its high meat content.

“They need to be more flexible with ingredients offered in the show, as there are lots of vegan substitutes for everything,” Lenghel noted.

To read more on this story, go here for our exclusive interview with Alex Lenghel.

The post Vegan Chef Quits Romanian MasterChef After Being Ordered To Cook Meat appeared first on Plant Based News.