Loma Linda University Touts Sponsor for Int'l Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition

Loma Linda University announced Monday the California Walnut Commission has agreed to be a sponsor of the upcoming 6th International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition.

The congress "will bring together some of the world's leading experts and researchers on vegetarian nutrition," Herbert Atienza of Loma Linda University said. "The event takes place every five years and closely explores the different scientific, health, and lifestyle implications of plant-based diets."

The event, hosted by Loma Linda University's School of Public Health, is scheduled Feb. 24 to Feb. 26 at Loma Linda University, Atienza said Monday.

"We are proud to be a major supporter of the International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition as they present the latest research on the vegetarian diet," Dennis A. Balint, CEO of the California Walnut Commission, said in prepared remarks.

"California walnuts play an important role in the vegetarian diet," Balint said. "A one-ounce handful contains protein, fiber, and many antioxidants. Walnuts are also the only nut that is an excellent source of plant-based omega-three fatty acid, ALA. They are convenient, versatile and make a great snack, topping or ingredient at any time of the day."

Dr. Joan Sabate is chairman of the Nutrition Department at Loma Linda University School of Public Health and chair of the upcoming congress, Atienza said.

"The collaboration between Loma Linda University and the California walnut industry dates back to the early 1990s, when the industry started its first health research study with Dr. Sabate," Atienza said. "The study looked at the benefit of walnut consumption on cardiovascular disease risk factors, and received much attention when it published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The California walnut industry was also a major sponsor of the 2008 conference."

Earlier this month, researchers at the Loma Linda University School of Public Health Department of Nutrition said they were seeking participants between the ages of 65 and 75 for a study on walnuts and aging.

For more information about the Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition, www.vegetariannutrition.org.

Loma Linda University is a Seventh-day Adventist educational health-sciences institution with more than 4,300 students in Loma Linda, Calif.

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