Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine

12/20/2025

Did you know a tick bite can trigger a serious allergy to meat?

Researchers have now documented the first known death from a meat allergy caused by tick bites. In this case a 47-year-old man reacted to mammalian meat hours after eating it and later died, highlighting how alpha-gal syndrome can be life-threatening.

This rare but serious condition begins with certain tick bites that change how the immune system responds to red meat. As tick ranges grow, recognizing the risk matters more than ever.

Read more: https://www.pcrm.org/news/health-nutrition/first-death-documented-tick-induced-meat-allergy

12/20/2025

Guatemalan tostadas are officially on our holiday menu 💚✨ These crispy tortillas are layered with black beans, fresh guacamole, and a bright tomato-pepper salsa—simple ingredients, big flavor.

They’re a popular Christmas-season appetizer in Guatemala, and they couldn’t be easier to make at home. Thank you to for sharing this delicious tradition with us! Follow along for more plant-based recipes and inspiration.

12/19/2025

Give yourself a gift that lasts well beyond the holidays. 🎁✨
The 2026 Food for Life Instructor Training is your opportunity to turn your passion for plant-based eating into a meaningful way to support and uplift others.

Over eight weeks, you'll learn:
🌱 The science behind nutrition and disease prevention
🍎 How to teach plant-based cooking with confidence
🌍 Cultural competency and real-world communication skills
🎥 Media training and business best practices
…and more!

If sharing the power of plants with your community has been on your heart, this is your moment. 💚

Online Training: April 28 – June 23, 2026
Applications due Jan. 26
Limited scholarships available.
👉 Apply here: https://www.pcrm.org/good-nutrition/plant-based-diets/ffl/become-an-instructor

Give yourself a gift that lasts well beyond the holidays. 🎁✨

The 2026 Food for Life Instructor Training is your opportunity to turn your passion for plant-based eating into a meaningful way to support and uplift others.

Over eight weeks, you'll learn:
🌱 The science behind nutrition and disease prevention
🍎 How to teach plant-based cooking with confidence
🌍 Cultural competency and real-world communication skills
🎥 Media training and business best practices
…and more!

If sharing the power of plants with your community has been on your heart, this is your moment. 💚

Online Training: April 28 – June 23, 2026
Applications due Jan. 26
Limited scholarships available.

👉 Apply here: https://www.pcrm.org/good-nutrition/plant-based-diets/ffl/become-an-instructor

12/19/2025

New research shows that modern, nonanimal science can better predict how chemicals affect the human gut microbiome. Researchers tested more than 1,000 industrial and agricultural chemicals and found that nonanimal approaches, including in vitro assays, computational modeling, and AI tools, outperformed animal experiments.

Because the gut microbiome plays a critical role in digestion, immunity, and overall health, this study highlights a more accurate path for evaluating chemical safety using human-relevant methods.

Learn more: https://www.pcrm.org/news/innovative-science/nonanimal-methods-better-predict-gut-microbiome-toxicity

12/18/2025

This plant-based recipe from Dora's Table Vegan Mexican Recipes is inspired by the traditional Mexican Christmas dish Bacalao a la Vizcaína. Instead of cod, chickpeas take center stage—simmered in a rich tomato purée with capers, olives, potatoes, and roasted bell pepper for a festive, comforting dish.

12/18/2025

More scientists are choosing ethical and effective science that does not rely on animals. With new initiatives from the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration, interest in nonanimal research is growing fast. The Physicians Committee’s ERA21 program now offers support, training, and community for researchers at all career stages who are making this transition.

Learn how the field is changing and how researchers are being supported: https://www.pcrm.org/news/good-science-digest/supporting-researchers-transition-away-animals

12/17/2025

Are ultra-processed foods the hidden reason weight loss feels impossible?

In this episode of The Exam Room Podcast, host Chuck Carroll is joined by Dr. Jim Loomis, medical director at Barnard Medical Center, to break down the science behind ultra-processed foods and their powerful impact on weight gain, metabolism, hunger, and fat storage.

From packaged snacks and fast food to so-called “healthy” convenience items, ultra-processed foods now make up a majority of the modern diet. Dr. Loomis explains how these foods affect appetite hormones, blood sugar, calorie intake, and the body’s ability to lose weight — and why simply “eating less” often doesn’t work when ultra-processed foods dominate the plate.

You’ll learn:

- What qualifies as an ultra-processed food

- How ultra-processed foods interfere with fat loss

- What to eat instead to support sustainable weight loss

- The foods that drive overeating and cravings

- The role of fiber, nutrients, and food quality in weight control

Whether you’re trying to lose weight, improve metabolic health, or understand why progress has stalled, this episode delivers practical, evidence-based answers.

� Have a question for Dr. Jim Loomis?
Leave it in the comments below, and your question could be answered in a future episode!

� Work with The Doc & Chef
Use code CHUCK for free month!
https://plantbasedcenter.com/membership

� Support PCRM
https://pcrm.org/examroommatch

About Us
The Physicians Committee is dedicated to saving lives through plant-based diets and ethical and effective scientific research. We combine the clout and expertise of more than 17,000 physicians with the dedicated actions of more than 175,000 members across the United States and around the world.

12/17/2025

For 40 years, the Physicians Committee has worked to save lives and change medicine for the better. In 2025, your support helped drive major advances, from expanding plant-based nutrition programs and empowering underserved communities to pushing NIH and FDA commitments to move away from animal experiments.

Together, we are helping people take control of their health, protecting animals, and shaping a more ethical future for science.
Now through Dec. 31, every donation will be matched up to $250,000. Thank you for being part of this work and for helping us continue this momentum into the year ahead.

Give today: https://act.pcrm.org/Ei2UZFp1FE2CioTbmSFxZg2

12/16/2025

Applications are now open for the 2026 Summer Immersion on Innovative Approaches in Science! This is a free, in-person program designed to equip scientists with cutting-edge, training in human-based nonanimal methods for medical research and regulatory testing.

Co-hosted by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and the Johns Hopkins Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT), this immersive four-day event includes:

Scientific talks

Technology demonstrations

Career development workshops

Poster presentations

Networking with leaders in the field

📍 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
📅 June 15–18, 2026
📝 Application deadline: April 3, 2026

Learn more and apply today to join the next generation of scientists advancing ethical, human-relevant science.

Application: https://app.oxfordabstracts.com/stages/80243/submitter

More info: https://www.pcrm.org/ethical-science/summer-immersion

12/16/2025

Tired of your herbs wilting before you can use them? 🥬

With the right storage, you can keep them fresh for days—maybe even weeks.

Try this tip and tell us: What’s your favorite herb to cook with? 💚

12/15/2025

Congress just took a big step forward for school nutrition! The House unanimously advanced provisions that will make it easier for students to access fortified soy milk in schools without needing a doctor’s note.

This change helps millions of children, including those with lactose intolerance, get a healthy beverage they can actually drink. While the bill also allows full-fat dairy milk, expanding nondairy access gives students a healthier choice and aligns school meals with dietary science.

Having healthy nondairy beverages more easily available in schools is a huge game changer for children’s health, as well as for reducing the suffering of animals.

We applaud Congress and the Plant Powered School Meals Coalition for this important win and urge schools to take advantage of the new options.

Learn more: https://www.pcrm.org/news/news-releases/congress-advances-provisions-expanding-nondairy-milk-access-schools

12/15/2025

Physicians Committee Holiday Survival Kit includes literature to help you answer questions about being vegan and tools to help you navigate ingredient substitutions, labels, and grocery shopping during the festive holiday season and beyond.

For December, our popular and updated Holiday Survival kit is on sale for just $1.75. Visit the shop to purchase one for yourself, a family member, friend or colleague!

https://pcrm1.ultracartstore.com/shop/literature/single/KIT-105.html