The Benefits of Plant-Based Nutrition for Health and the Planet
When and Where
Speakers
Description
The Benefits of Plant-Based Nutrition for Health and the Planet
Dr. Zahra Kassam
In-person event
This event is part of the course HPS403H1 – Vegetarianism and Veganism: Science, Technology, Human Health, Animal Welfare, and the Environment, taught by Professor Mark Solovey. This semester, the class will welcome interested members of the University of Toronto community to attend special presentations.
Abstract
Dietary risk factors are now the leading cause of ill health globally, surpassing tobacco, and are a major contributor to Canada’s top causes of death: cardiovascular disease and cancer. Yet fewer than 23% of Canadians meet recommended fruit and vegetable intakes, while red meat and dairy consumption remain more than double recommended levels. Strong evidence shows that diets centred on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds reduce chronic disease risk, promote longevity, and support health across all ages and stages of life. Beyond chronic disease, meat-heavy diets fuel antibiotic resistance, pandemic risk, climate change, ecological breakdown, and contribute to social and environmental injustice, further undermining health. National and international authorities are calling for change: the Canada Food Guide promotes a plant-based plate; the EAT-Lancet Commission shows plant-predominant diets could save 11 million lives annually while safeguarding planetary health; and the Lancet Countdown Canada Report, in collaboration with the Canadian Medical Association, identifies dietary shifts as a top priority for climate-health action. Taken together, these connections show that no human activity has broader and deeper impact on human and planetary health than our food system. We have a moral imperative to advocate for plant-based nutrition for the health of our communities and the planet.
About Dr. Zahara Kassam
Dr. Zahra Kassam is a radiation oncologist at the Stronach Regional Cancer Centre and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Toronto, specialising in gastrointestinal and breast cancers. She received her medical degree in 1995 and completed specialist training in Clinical Oncology in the UK, followed by fellowships at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and a Master’s in Clinical Epidemiology at the University of Toronto.
Zahra is board certified in Lifestyle Medicine through the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine and serves as co-chair of the Canadian Lifestyle Medicine Interest Group within the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. In 2019, she co-founded Plant-Based Canada, a nonprofit organization that provides evidence-based education on the benefits of whole food plant-based nutrition for health, sustainability, and planetary well-being. She is co-author of *Eating Plant-Based: Scientific Answers to Your Nutrition Questions* (2022), written with her sister Shireen, and co-editor of the academic textbook *Plant-Based Nutrition in Clinical Practice* (2022).
Zahra promotes sustainable nutrition through her roles in healthcare organisations including as food advisor to the Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care, the National Advisory Committee on Planetary Health for the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, and the Climate and Sustainability Group of the Canadian Association of Radiation Oncologists.
Thursday, Sept. 25 | 5:00 p.m.| Victoria College (91 Charles Street West) Room VC304
Event organized by Professor Mark Solovey