In September, clinicians, researchers and advocates from around the globe gathered to explore how food functions as medicine at the International Plant-Based Nutrition Healthcare Conference (PBNHC). Four immersive days featured industry leaders along with the latest science and breakthroughs proving the power of nutrition and the purpose of compassion in health care today.

Joel Fuhrman, MD, six-time New York Times best-selling author and nutritional researcher, presents at the conference.

PBNHC has long been more than a lecture series—it’s a movement. This year’s conference drew leading voices in lifestyle medicine and nutrition, including Neal Barnard, MD; Brenda Davis, RD; Joel Fuhrman, MD; Michael Greger, MD; Dean Ornish, MD; Kim A. Williams, MD; and Scott Stoll, MD, FABFM, who delivered the opening keynote. The breadth of expertise—from endocrinology to neurology, public health to behavioral science—underscored the interdisciplinary nature of true prevention medicine.

Nine inspiring plant-based meals were served in addition to the latest science on food as medicine.

Attendees earned up to 21 CME credits, offering valuable, evidence-based education that clinicians can immediately integrate into practice. Because the conference is not just about ideas but experience, participants also enjoyed nine chef-prepared, whole-food, plant-based meals—vivid proof that healthy can also mean indulgent and delicious.

Yet beyond the science, the atmosphere buzzed with community. Between sessions, clinicians swapped patient success stories, dietitians compared outreach strategies, and students found mentors eager to help shape their careers.

Key themes that emerged

Reversing, not just preventing, disease. Many sessions showcased research demonstrating that nutrition and lifestyle can reverse chronic disease—not merely slow its course. Presenters emphasized that diabetes remission, cardiac recovery and improved cognitive function are all within reach when lifestyle medicine is practiced as first-line therapy.

Gut-immune dynamics and inflammation resolution. Multiple sessions spotlighted the microbiome as the new frontier of integrative medicine. Experts illustrated how dietary fiber, fermented foods and phytonutrients can modulate immune response, reduce systemic inflammation and support metabolic resilience.

Hormones, balance and women’s health. New science explored how plant-based nutrition influences endocrine pathways—supporting menstrual health, easing menopausal transition and improving thyroid and fertility outcomes.

Communal healing and the medicine of meaning. Dean Ornish, MD and the Food Revolution Network’s Ocean Robbins reminded attendees that well-being extends beyond biomarkers. Health thrives where connection, compassion and purpose are cultivated. The takeaway: nutrition is foundational, but belonging is essential. Sessions that left lasting impressions:

“Food Is More Than Medicine: Restoring the True Power of the Plate”
— Scott Stoll, MD, FABFM

As co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of The Plantrician Project, Dr. Stoll inspired attendees to look beyond the clinical application of nutrition and rediscover food’s deeper power to heal people, communities and the planet. His keynote wove science, purpose, and humanity into a call to action—urging health care professionals to lead a global shift from disease management to true restoration through the regenerative power of the plate.

“The Optimal (Evidence-Based) Feeding of Homo Sapiens: How We Know What
We Know” — David Katz, MD

In a characteristically sharp and engaging presentation, Dr. Katz distilled decades of nutrition research into a clear framework for separating solid evidence from dietary dogma. He challenged attendees to move beyond fads toward the enduring truths of human nutrition: whole foods, plant-predominant patterns and evidence as the ultimate compass.

Throughout the weekend, presentations highlighted how nutrition interventions are expanding beyond cardiology and endocrinology into neurology, immunology and behavioral health. One memory-research session linked flavonoid intake with preserved hippocampal volume; another panel discussed reducing or de-prescribing medications through sustained lifestyle change—an inspiring vision of
medicine’s future.

A movement rooted in science and humanity

PBNHC 2025 reaffirmed that the power of the plate is more than a tagline—it’s a tangible force for healing people, communities and the planet. The conference bridged rigorous science with human connection, leaving attendees reinvigorated to lead with both evidence and empathy in
their practices.

For those who couldn’t join us in Palm Desert, it’s not too late to be part of the movement. You can still experience the transformative sessions and earn CME credits—on your own schedule. Access the full PBNHC 2025 experience on-demand at pbnhc.com/on-demand-cme-video.

Editor’s note: Publisher Lauren Del Sarto attended this impactful conference and will be writing about the many takeaways in upcoming editions. Her greatest insight was the number of young and established physicians and health care practitioners from around the world joining the movement to incorporate food as medicine into their clinical practice.

As the director of education for The Plantrician Project, Jill Edwards is passionate about educating and empowering others with the knowledge to prevent and reverse disease through evidence-based lifestyle change. www.plantricianproject.org.