By Sarah Lowe, MPH/RD student at UNC   It all started about a month ago, when I was loitering around the front of Whole Foods trying to figure out how to work the grind-your-own-coffee machine without embarrassing myself.  I saw a sign written in big fire-engine red and gold script: ENGINE 2 DIET.  As a typical female, especially as a student in a male-starved field like nutrition, naturally my thoughts skipped straight to firefighters.  Firefighters do this diet?  Count me in. As all people in the 21st century do, I went straight home and “Googled.”  Unfortunately, it didn’t take me long to figure out that the Engine 2 Diet has absolutely nothing to do with local firefighters.  It is named after the fire station in Austin, Texas where the diet’s founder, Rip Esselstyn, first successfully overhauled his fellow firefighters’ diets in 2003. Despite the fading promise that the name initially offered, I was still curious.  So what is this diet anyway?  According to the Engine 2 Diet’swebsite, the basic concept behind the “Plant Strong” diet is eliminating all animal products, processed foods, simple carbohydrates, and added oils (even olive oil), instead consuming whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables. In his book The Engine 2 Diet Esselstyn outlines his 28-day plan, which he claims lowers cholesterol, leads to weight loss, and decreases risk for chronic diseases such as heart attack, cancer, diabetes, stroke, and Alzheimer’s.  Recipes and menu suggestions are provided in the book and on the Engine 2 website, along with a blog and an “E2 Store” where you can even buy your very own KALE sweatshirt. At this point, you probably still have a few questions.  For example, what is the difference between the Engine 2 Diet and veganism?  Is this concept actually anything new? “Plant Strong” is essentially a euphemism for “vegan”.  As Esselstyn explained in a SuperVegan blog interview, the Engine 2 Diet’s catch phrase was designed to communicate the message that“real men eat plants!”  Or, in other words, it’s a “vegan diet with balls” as Rip so delicately phrased it.  Objectively, aside from the Engine 2 Diet’s ban on added oils, there is no significant difference between the two diets. Another important point to consider is, how does Esselstyn’s recommended eating plan stack up nutritionally compared to the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) established by the USDA? To answer this question, I calculated the daily nutrition totals for a sample menu based on Engine 2 recipes on the website.  To translate the results, here is how the day’s totals measure up to the DRIs for an active female in her 20’s: Calories: 1,483 Protein: 43 grams (80% of DRI) Fat: 34 grams (< 50% of DRI) Fiber: 55 grams (150% of DRI) Calcium: 531 mg (50% of DRI) Sodium: 1,100 mg (50% of DRI) Vitamin B12: .75 mcg (30% of DRI) Cholesterol: 0 mg (0% of DRI, 300 mg) As you can see, the claim that following this plan would lead to weight loss, improved digestive function, andreduced cholesterol levels is very believable!  Sodium, fat, and cholesterol levels are all extremely low; this is both a refreshing contradiction to the typical American diet and a potential problem.  Despite their role in heart disease, certain amounts of cholesterol, sodium, and fat are necessary to maintain our body’s structure and function (such as absorbing fat-soluble vitamins.)  It is also apparent that diet followers who strictly adhere to the guidelines would likely require calcium and B12 supplementation in order to avoid long-term adverse health effects. How about the proof?  What type of scientific evidence does Rip Esselstyn provide to back up his health claims? The Engine 2 website does have a page devoted to resources and research, although only a very small selection of the sources are from peer-reviewed scientific articles.  The primary evidence that Esselstyn offers to support his claim that plant-based foods can treat and reverse a variety of chronic healthconditions comes from Dr. T. Colin Campbell’s “China Study” and the work and research of his father, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr.  Other sources offered on the website are informational articles rather than scientific studies. While the broad benefits of a high-fiber, plant-based diet are reasonably hard to dispute, Rip Esselstyn’s more controversial statements concerning certain American dietary staples, such as milk and oils, are somewhat less conventional.  For example, in a 2011 interview with the Philadelphia City Paper, he explained how casein (a protein in milk) is the “number one carcinogen in the American diet” and that “milk is not a good source of retainable calcium.”  These statements demonstrate how aspects of the rationale behind the Engine 2 Diet might be met with general skepticism in the scientific community, due to lack of evidence and consensus. Finally, something else I can’t help but wonder is, if it’s basically the same concept as veganism, why is the Engine 2 Dietso marketed and so popular?  Why are Bill Clinton and Lance Armstrong among the prominent public figures that tout the benefits of eating “Plant Strong”?  Why does every Whole Foods in the country offer posters, books, pamphlets, special shelf labels, and four-week programs promoting the Engine 2 Diet?  This struck me as I was (again) wandering around Whole Foods a few weeks later.  It’s uncommon to see grocery stores aligning themselves with a particular branded diet. This gave me some food for thought and led me to dig deeper into Whole Foods’ “Healthy Eating Initiative” and their partners, including the Engine 2 Diet, Eat Right America, and the “Forks Over Knives” documentary. To find out how a group of vegan doctors, a father, son, and a CEO tie together, stay tuned and check back in to the Carolina Nutrition Digest for Part II of this blog series! In the meantime, here are some links with more information: