#044. Christopher Gardner, PhD: on the intersection of taste, health, environmental sustainability + social justice

Christopher Gardner is a nutrition scientist and Professor of Medicine. For 28 years at Stanford he has studied what to consume and to avoid for optimal health, and how best to motivate individuals to achieve healthy dietary behaviors. Some of the dozens of human nutrition intervention trials he has conducted include studies of garlic, omega-3 fats, soy phytoestrogens and antioxidants. Among his most cited studies are the A TO Z (2007) and the DIETFITS (2018) weight loss diet trials. His ongoing trials involve examining the impact of dietary changes (e.g., alternative meat, ketogenic diet) on the gut microbiome and inflammation/immune function. Current research interests include collaborating with chefs and dining operators as research partners in an effort to identify strategies to optimize the intersection of taste, health, environmental sustainability and social justice in institutional food settings (e.g., universities, hospitals, worksites). Professor Gardner teaches several food and nutrition classes at Stanford, including an on-line Nutrition Science course recently launched through the Stanford Center for Health Education. Christopher is on Twitter @GardnerPhD.

Resources:
Protein study
SWAP-MEAT study
Vegan Before 6 (Mark Bittman)
Flexitarian
EAT-Lancet Commission report (summary)

Christopher’s book recommendations:
Animal, Vegetable, Junk (Bittman)
Devoured (Egan)
The Good Gut (Sonnenburg)