
Plant-Based Canada Podcast
Welcome to the Plant-Based Canada Podcast. Join us as we talk with experts to explore the field of nutritional sciences and how our food choices impact our health and the environment. We sit down with Canadian doctors, dieticians, athletes, climate experts and others/more, to break down the evidence behind a Whole Food Plant-Based diet, and discuss the practical steps you can take in your efforts to shift toward a healthier lifestyle. The Plant-Based Canada Podcast is an initiative of the group Plant-Based Canada, which aims to educate the public and health professionals on the evidence-based benefits of plant-based whole food nutrition for individual and planetary health. To learn more about the show, visit our website www.plantbasedcanada.org and stay up to date by following us on Instagram and Facebook @plantbasedcanadaorg, and our Plant-based Canada YouTube channel. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. PBC is not responsible for any errors, omissions, or opinions related to the content stated by the guests interviewed. All information in this podcast is provided "as is", with no guarantee of completeness, accuracy, timeliness or of the conclusions obtained from the use of this information. The podcast should not be considered professional advice. Listeners should seek their own individual healthcare advice as needed.
Plant-Based Canada Podcast
Episode 95: Translating nutrition research into action for cardiovascular health with Dr. Meaghan Kavanagh
Welcome to the Plant-Based Canada Podcast. In this episode we are joined by Dr. Meaghan Kavanagh to chat about diet-disease relationships and translating nutrition knowledge into action for cardiovascular health.
Meaghan is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto and the Clinical Nutrition and Risk Factor Modification Centre at St. Michael’s Hospital, mentored by Dr. John Sievenpiper. Her research explores diet-chronic disease relationships through clinical trials, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and epidemiology. Recipient of the CIHR-MSFSS award, she visited the CDC in Atlanta as a Guest Researcher to investigate the Portfolio Diet's cardiovascular benefits in the NHANES program.
Meaghan is dedicated to translating her research into practical tools, including the PortfolioDiet.app, developed for cardiovascular disease prevention.
Before her Ph.D., Meaghan was a project manager at the University of Toronto (2016-2020), researching dietary patterns and disease prevention with Dr. David Jenkins, and Clinical Coordinator for the STOP Sugars NOW Trial at St. Michael’s Hospital (2019-2020) with Dr. John Sievenpiper. She completed her M.Sc. at the University of Guelph with Drs. Lindsay Robinson and Amanda Wright and her B.Sc. thesis with Dr. Alison Duncan.
In 2025, Meaghan will continue as a Banting Postdoctoral Fellow with Dr. Frank Hu at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Resources:
Global Burden of Disease and Risk Factors, Lancet 2024
BMJ Open - newspaper reliable reporting
Representation of statins in the British newsprint media
Dr. Meaghan Kavanagh’s Socials:
Twitter: @MeaghanKavanag1
Plant-Based Canada’s Socials:
Instagram (@plantbasedcanadaorg)
Facebook (Plant-Based Canada, https://m.facebook.com/plantbasedcanadaorg/)
Website (https://www.plantbasedcanada.org/)
X / Twitter @PBC_org
Bonus Content from University of Guelph
Do you want to take your plant-based knowledge to the next level? Stay tuned for a special promo code!
The online Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate through Open Learning and Educational Support at the University of Guelph has everything you need to know about implementing a sustainable plant-based diet.
Each course is just four weeks long and will guide you through essential topics including nutritional benefits, disease prevention, and environmental impacts. You can also customize your learning with unique courses such as Plant-Based Diets for Athletes and Implementing a Plant-Based Diet at Home.
As the first university-level plant-based certificate in Canada, you’ll explore current