photo from Freepik

by Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

Inflammation is a popular topic these days. While acute inflammation is a natural response to illness, infection, or injury, chronic systemic inflammation is linked to health risks. Chronic, systemic inflammation is inflammation that persists for weeks, months, or years and that affects the whole body. In contrast, acute inflammation goes away quickly and affects the part of the body that is injured or infected.

Chronic inflammation is a factor in a number of diseases including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, some cancers, arthritis, and Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers have developed lists of foods that are associated with higher concentrations of substances in the blood that indicate inflammation. They also have identified foods that are associated with lower blood concentrations of markers for inflammation (1). Dietary patterns that contain more foods associated with higher blood concentrations of indicators of inflammation have been associated with many diseases including heart disease (2), some cancers (3, 4), liver disease (4), type 2 diabetes (5), and severe Covid-19 (6).

Many websites associated with medical and academic institutions such as Johns Hopkins Medicine and Harvard Medical School provide details of anti-inflammatory diets. Typically, these sites recommend eating more whole, unprocessed foods without added sugar such as vegetables, nuts, seeds, fruits, whole grains, legumes, and limited amounts of olive oil.

Foods to avoid or limit on an anti-inflammatory diet include white breads and pasta, refined cereals, soda, juice, sweets, cheese, ice cream, commercial baked goods, deep fried foods, red meat, and processed and cured meats.

Clearly a vegan diet emphasizing whole foods and with few or no highly processed foods can be an anti-inflammatory diet. Studies have found that a vegan diet results in lower blood concentrations of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation (7, 8).

References

1. Tabung FK, Smith-Warner SA, Chavarro JE, et al. Development and validation of an empirical dietary inflammatory index. J Nutr. 2016;146:1560-1570.
2. Li J, Lee DH, Hu J, et al. Dietary inflammatory potential and risk of cardiovascular disease among men and women in the U.S. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2020;76:2181-2193.
3. Romanos-Nanclares A, Tabung FK, Sinnott JA, et al. Inflammatory and insulinemic dietary patterns and risk of endometrial cancer among US women. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2023;115:311-321.
4. Zhang X, Zhao L, Christopher CN, et al. Association of dietary insulinemic and inflammatory potential with risk of liver cancer and chronic liver disease mortality in postmenopausal women: a prospective cohort study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2023;118:530-537.
5. Jin Q, Shi N, Aroke D, et al. Insulinemic and inflammatory dietary patterns show enhanced predictive potential for type 2 diabetes risk in postmenopausal women. Diabetes Care. 2021;44:707-714.
6. Yue Y, Ma W, Accorsi EK, et al. Long-term diet and risk of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity. Am J Clin Nutr. 2022;116:1672-1681.

Roasted Eggplant Red Pepper Spread photo by Rissa Miller

Chef Kathleen Byrd, wrote an article titled “Heavy Lifting: Sweet and Savory Dips, Gravy, and Sauces for Winter” in a previous issue of Vegan Journal. Enjoy recipes for Lentil Walnut Paté, Cranberry Onion Jam, Roasted Garlic Dip, Roasted Carrot Sriracha Hummus, Buffalo Chickpea Dip, Roasted Eggplant Red Pepper Spread, Golden Sage Gravy, Mexican Chocolate Sauce, and Coconut Caramel Sauce.

Read the entire article here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2020issue4/2020_issue4_sweet_savory.php

To subscribe to Vegetarian Journal in the USA, see: https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

Runny yolks, long held as the holy grail for egg lovers, have been out of easy reach for vegan alternatives. Yo Egg is breaking ground on that front. Learn about this product in our Vegan Journal review here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2024issue4/2024_issue4_veggie_bits.php

To subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA only, visit: https://www.vrg.org/member/

Food is Love, written by Palak Patel, serves up vegan Indian dishes that you’ll absolutely enjoy. Read our review in Vegan Journal: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2024issue4/2024_issue4_book_reviews.php

To subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA only, visit: https://www.vrg.org/member/

soup image by KamranAydi

Tomorrow is the first day of winter. You can warm up with these vegan soups created by Chef Nancy Berkoff: Vegetable Stock; Mushroom Broth; Black and White Bean Soup; Spinach and Pasta Soup; Holiday Chowder; and Latke Soup. Find the recipes here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2015issue4/2015_issue4_holiday_soups.php

Be sure to subscribe to Vegan Journal: https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

The Vegetarian Resource Group continues to be very busy on a daily basis. Below are some examples of successes and activities. Your support through Combined Federal Charity (CFC) or your Local/State Campaign is greatly appreciated! You can also donate directly to VRG at www.vrg.org/donate

Here’s a sampling of some of our accomplishments and outreach:

• The Vegetarian Resource Group Nutrition Advisor Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, was interviewed for an article for Contemporary Pediatrics about nutritional benefits and/or drawbacks of veganism and vegetarianism in adolescents. The aim of this article is to provide general practice pediatricians with guidance and nutritional information that they can share with their patients who may want to pursue either of these diets. Reed was also interviewed in The New York Times about nutrition for new vegetarians or those transitioning to a vegetarian diet.
• The Dental Hygienist’s Guide to Nutritional Care textbook asked to reprint VRG’s My Vegan Plate. One of our VRG interns separately said, “This visual was also a resource my supervisor, the registered dietitian I worked with during my peer nutrition coach internship, recommended for vegan clients.”
• Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, spoke for the Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group Spotlight session at the annual FNCE meeting of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The session was based on two systematic reviews of topics in vegetarian nutrition, namely, Vegetarian Nutrition for Disease Management and Vegetarian Nutrition for Disease Prevention, that were conducted for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Evidence Analysis Library. The session is titled Exploring the Rewards and Challenges of Vegetarian Diets: A Fresh Look at the Academy’s Position.
• Charles Stahler and Debra Wasserman coordinated a booth at the Animal Vegan Summit in Alexandria, Virginia, while Elsa Spencer, PhD, staffed a VRG booth at Charlottesville VegFest in Virginia, Phil Becker staffed a booth at World VegFest in San Francisco, California, and Heather Francis coordinated VRG’s booth at the Boston Veg Food Fest in Massachusetts.
• VRG sent 600 of VRG’s I Love Animals and Broccoli Coloring Books plus El arco iris vegetariano coloring books to PG County Maryland WIC. A nutritionist from a county health department in New Jersey asked to reprint our My Vegan Plate. We sent 400 Vegan Journals for grab bags for the Columbia, South Carolina VegFest and also Sarasota, Florida VegFest, and we sent a box of brochures for tabling at a Black Family Wellness Expo in AL. We also shipped a box of Vegan Journals to be distributed at Texas VegFest in Austin, Texas.
• VRG continues to host interns/volunteers throughout the year.

This is just a small sampling of what we are doing at VRG every day. Thank you so much! We couldn’t do this without your support.

You can donate directly to VRG at www.vrg.org/donate You can also mail donations to The Vegetarian Resource Group, PO Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203 or call in your donation to (410) 366-8343 Monday through Friday 9am to 5pm EST.

photo from Freepik

The latest Vegan Cooking Tips column in Vegan Journal features lentils and split peas, two ingredients that are quite cost-effective. Chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RD, offers numerous ideas on how to use lentils and split peas in your meals here https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2024issue4/2024_issue4_cooking_tips.php

To subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA only, visit: https://www.vrg.org/member/

Thanks to generous donors, in 2025 The Vegetarian Resource Group will be awarding $50,000 in college scholarships! Deadline is FEBRUARY 20, 2025.

We will accept applications postmarked on or before FEBRUARY 20, 2025. Early submission is encouraged.

Applicants will be judged on having shown compassion, courage, and a strong commitment to promoting a peaceful world through a vegan diet/lifestyle. Payment will be made to the student’s college (U.S. based only). Winners of the scholarships give permission to release their names to the media. Applications and essays become property of The Vegetarian Resource Group. We may ask finalists for more information. Scholarship winners are contacted by e-mail or telephone. Please look at your e-mail.

If you would like to donate to additional scholarships or internships, go to www.vrg.org/donate

Applications

Please click here to download a PDF of the application. However, applicants are not required to use an application form. A neatly typed document containing the information below will also be accepted as a valid application.

However, applicants are not required to use an application form. A neatly typed document containing the information below will also be accepted as a valid application.

Please send application and attachments to [email protected] (Scholarship application and your name in subject line) or mail to The Vegetarian Resource Group, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203.

If emailing, please put your essay in a separate attachment with your first name and last initial. A PDF or Word document is preferred, but if you send a Google document, make sure permission is given so readers can access it. For more information call (410) 366-8343 or email [email protected].

Hodo is known for their tofu; however, they have now unleashed a new line of soybean-based dips to shake up your snacking and dining routine. Read about their new dips that come in several flavors here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2024issue4/2024_issue4_veggie_bits.php

To subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA only, visit: https://www.vrg.org/member/

Parents searching for a vegan-friendly book for their child will absolutely enjoy I Dance and I Eat Plants. Read our review in Vegan Journal: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2024issue4/2024_issue4_book_reviews.php

To subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA only, visit: https://www.vrg.org/member/