Neal Barnard, M.D.
Neal Barnard, M.D., is a nutrition researcher, an author, and the founder
of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM),
a nationwide organization of physicians and laypersons that promotes
preventive medicine, especially good nutrition, and addresses controversies
in modern medicine, including ethical issues in research.
As president of PCRM, Dr. Barnard directs numerous innovative programs
to promote healthy eating. He has conducted numerous studies of the
ability of nutritional interventions to treat high cholesterol levels,
hormone imbalances, diabetes, and other conditions, and has published
groundbreaking findings in journals such as The American Journal
of Cardiology, Obstetrics & Gynecology, and Preventive
Medicine. One recent study, for example, shows how a low-fat, vegan
diet helps diabetes patients reduce and even eliminate their medication.
Neal Barnard, M.D., has been instrumental in reforming federal dietary
guidelines. In his published reports, he has shown how meat-based diets
not only cause health problems, but also are responsible for up to $60
billion every year in health care costs. In 2000, PCRM won a lawsuit
against the U.S. Department of Agriculture over the influence of the
meat and dairy industries on federal diet guidelines.
Dr. Barnard’s interest in healthy eating evolved over many years.
His family background includes both doctors and cattle ranchers—two
groups that often butt heads over health issues. Before going to medical
school, Dr. Barnard worked as an autopsy assistant, where he observed
heart disease and other deadly effects of a bad diet firsthand.
Neal Barnard, M.D., is also a rigorous opponent of unethical research
practices. Since founding PCRM in 1985, he has spearheaded many successful
campaigns to promote alternatives to the use of animals in medical research
and education. PCRM also promotes higher standards in human research,
and has fought against unethical human experiments, including a U.S.
government study in which healthy short children were given a genetically
engineered growth hormone.
Dr. Barnard is the author of seven books, including Food for Life;
Foods That Fight Pain; Eat Right, Live Longer; and Turn
Off the Fat Genes. He is also the editor-in-chief of Good
Medicine and the author of hundreds of articles in magazines
such as Scientific American and newspapers such as The
New York Times. A regular guest on network talk and news shows
and a busy public speaker, Dr. Barnard lives in Washington, D.C.
Neal Barnard, M.D., is also an adjunct associate professor of medicine
at George Washington University.
www.NealBarnard.org