Joel Fuhrman

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Dr. Joel Fuhrman, May 2011.
Joel Fuhrman
Other names Joel H. Fuhrman
Website https://www.drfuhrman.com/
Born 12-2-1953
New York City
Occupation Family physician, author
Known for Recommends eating nutrient-dense, non-processed foods such as fresh vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, and fruit, and some whole grains.

Joel Fuhrman, M.D., (born 1953) is an American medical doctor who advocates a plant-based diet, termed the nutritarian diet, that includes nutrient-dense, non-processed foods such as fresh vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, and fruit, and some whole grains.[1] Now semi-retired, his practice as a board-certified family physician was based on his nutrition-based approach to obesity and chronic disease, and he has documented his recommendations for health and longevity in a number of best-selling books. He also sells nutritional supplements that were developed specifically for his medical practice and tailored for people eating a plant-based, whole-food diet long term.[2] His books include the bestsellers Eat for Life (2020), Eat to Live (2011),[3] Super Immunity (2012),[4] The Eat to Live Cookbook (2013),[5] Diabetes (2013), The End of Dieting (2014)[6] and The End of Heart Disease (2016) (2016).[7][8] He now tours, writes, and gives talks about nutrition, and runs a nutritional support website and a California retreat for people wanting help beginning a plant-based diet.

Life and career

Fuhrman was born in New York City, on December 2, 1953. He was a competitor in the amateur figure skating circuit.[2] He was a member of the US World Figure Skating Team and placed second in the US National Pairs Championship in 1973. In 1973, he suffered a heel injury which prevented him from competing. Fuhrman claims that an alternative medicine therapy recommended by a naturopath helped speed his recovery, and led him to become interested in alternative medicine. He came in 3rd place at the 1976 World Professional Pairs Skating Championship in Jaca, Spain, skating with his sister, Gale Fuhrman,[9] but due to short-term massive muscle loss from fasting was unable to make the Olympic team. In 1988, he graduated from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Fuhrman is a board-certified family physician and serves as Director of Research for the Nutritional Research Foundation.[10]

Diet and health

Nutritarian diet

Fuhrman has advocated eating at least one pound of raw vegetables and another pound of cooked vegetables each day with an emphasis on green vegetables along with beans, onions, mushrooms, berries, nuts and seeds. He also recommends eating at least one cup of beans a day to benefit from the resistant starch and increased satiety.[11] The Nutritarian diet encourages whole plant foods and restricts dairy products, meat, snacks between meals, fruit juice, vegetable oils and processed foods.[2][11]

Furhman's Nutritarian diet excludes dairy and meat for six weeks, but after this period a small amount of chicken and fish can be eaten.[12] Fuhrman also allows a limited amount of low-fat dairy products, olive oil and refined carbohydrates on the diet after six weeks.[11] If animal products are not added back into the diet, Furhman recommends vitamin B12, vitamin D, omega 3 and other supplements.[11] On the Nutritarian diet, dairy products, eggs and fish are to make up less than 10% of calories whilst legumes make between 10% to 40% and raw and cooked vegetables make between 30% and 60% of calories.[1]

Nutrient density

Fuhrman popularized the notion of nutrient density in what he calls the Health Equation: Health = Nutrients/Calories (abbreviated as H = N/C).[2] Peter Lipson, a physician and writer on alternative medicine, has been heavily critical of Fuhrman's health equation, writing that since its terms cannot be quantified, it is "nothing more than a parlor trick".[13] Fuhrman created what he calls the "Aggregate Nutrient Density Index" or ANDI, a ranking of foods based on his claims of micronutrient concentration and kale is at the top of this list.[2] Whole Foods began using the scores as a marketing project and reported that the sales of high scoring foods "skyrocketed".[2]

Provenance

Some content on this page may previously have appeared on Wikipedia.

References