Tim Spector, Chris Packham, and George Monbiot are among the signatories of an open letter urging the UK National Health Service (NHS) to serve plant-based food by default. Read more: Nutritionist Responds After Bear Grylls Endorses ‘Butter And Beef’ Diet They, alongside 1,000 other health experts, advocate for animal-free food to be served as standard in hospitals, with meat, eggs, and dairy only available to those who specifically ask for them. The letter was spearheaded by the Plants First Healthcare group, a coalition of NHS professionals who are campaigning for default vegan food in hospitals for health and environmental reasons.
As reported by the Independent , it will be sent to the chief executive, lead dietitian, medical director, and sustainability director of every NHS trust in the UK. The best choice for human health and the planet The letter points out that the NHS could save £74m a year by serving default plant-based meals. Plant-based diets have been shown to reduce the risk of major killer diseases in the UK: including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers.
Despite this, the NHS continues to serve patients disease-linked animal products , including processed red meat, which is linked to colon cancer . If the NHS served plant-based food, the letter says, it could encourage healthier eating habits at home, saving the NHS even money more in the long run. “The Office of Health Economics recently estimated that if just England were to adopt a comp.