Susan Marie Levin (July 21, 1971 – July 29, 2022)"Susan Marie Levin"
legacy.com. Retrieved 14 November 2022. was an American registered

dietitian A dietitian, medical dietitian, or dietician is an expert in identifying and treating disease-related malnutrition and in conducting medical nutrition therapy, for example designing an enteral tube feeding regimen or mitigating the effects of ...

, advocate of plant-based nutrition and

veganism Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products and the consumption of animal source foods, and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. A person who practices veganism is known as a vega ...

activist. She was one of the authors of the

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is a multi-unit enterprise that includes a 501(c)(6) trade association in the United States. With over 112,000 members, the association claims to be the largest organization of food and nutrition professiona ...

position on vegetarian diets in 2016.

Biography

Levin was born on July 21, 1971, in

Montgomery, Alabama Montgomery is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Alabama. Named for Continental Army major general Richard Montgomery, it stands beside the Alabama River on the Gulf Coastal Plain. The population was 2 ...

. She became a vegan at the age of 24. Levin obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC, UNC–Chapel Hill, or simply Carolina) is a public university, public research university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1789, the university first began enrolli ...

and a Master of Science in Nutrition from

Bastyr University Bastyr University is a private alternative medicine university with campuses in Kenmore, Washington, and San Diego, California. Programs include naturopathy, acupuncture, Traditional Asian medicine, nutrition, herbal medicine, ayurvedic medic ...

in 2003."Susan Levin, MS RDN CSSD"
preventionofdisease.org. Retrieved 14 November 2022. She received a specialist certification in sports dietetics from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. From 2005 Levin was Director of Nutrition Education for the

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) is a non-profit research and advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C. According to Charity Navigator, the organization works for "compassionate and effective medical practice, res ...

and did research on the connection between plant-based diets and reduced risk of chronic diseases. Levin criticized the media for promoting

animal source foods Animal source foods (ASF) include many food items that come from an animal source such as fish, meat, dairy, eggs and honey. Many individuals consume little ASF or even none for long periods of time by either personal choice or necessity, as A ...

rich in

saturated fat A saturated fat is a type of fat in which the fatty acid chains have all single bonds between the carbon atoms. A fat known as a glyceride is made of two kinds of smaller molecules: a short glycerol backbone, and fatty acids that each cont ...

which increases the risk of heart disease. She promoted a high-fiber diet of fruits, legumes, vegetables, grains, nuts and seeds. Levin advised parents to remove

dairy product Dairy products or milk products are food products made from (or containing) milk. The most common dairy animals are cow, water buffalo, goat, nanny goat, and Sheep, ewe. Dairy products include common grocery store food around the world such as y ...

s and processed sugar from their children's diets. She was featured in the 2017 documentary film ''

What the Health ''What the Health'' is a 2017 American documentary film that advocates for a plant-based diet. It critiques the health effects of meat, dairy product and egg consumption, and questions the practices of leading health and pharmaceutical organiza ...

''. Levin argued against the use of many

dietary supplement A dietary supplement is a manufactured product intended to supplement a person's diet by taking a pill (pharmacy), pill, capsule (pharmacy), capsule, tablet (pharmacy), tablet, powder, or liquid. A supplement can provide nutrients eithe ...

s which she felt were unnecessary. She commented that

Vitamin B12 Vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin, is a water-soluble vitamin involved in metabolism. One of eight B vitamins, it serves as a vital cofactor (biochemistry), cofactor in DNA synthesis and both fatty acid metabolism, fatty acid and amino a ...

is the only supplement vegans need. Levin stated that there is no reason for people to consume dairy products as a plant-based diet is a healthier option to meet

calcium Calcium is a chemical element; it has symbol Ca and atomic number 20. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium is a reactive metal that forms a dark oxide-nitride layer when exposed to air. Its physical and chemical properties are most similar to it ...

potassium Potassium is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol K (from Neo-Latin ) and atomic number19. It is a silvery white metal that is soft enough to easily cut with a knife. Potassium metal reacts rapidly with atmospheric oxygen to ...

, and

Vitamin D Vitamin D is a group of structurally related, fat-soluble compounds responsible for increasing intestinal absorption of calcium, magnesium, and phosphate, along with numerous other biological functions. In humans, the most important compo ...

requirements. This has been disputed by other dietitians who have argued that it is very difficult to get the

Recommended Dietary Allowance In the U.S. and Canada, the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) is used in nutrition labeling on food and dietary supplement products to indicate the daily intake level of a nutrient that is considered to be sufficient to meet the requirements of 97� ...

of 1,000 mg of calcium per day on a plant-based diet without dairy products or supplements. Levin was a speaker at the 2021

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

Vegfest. She died on July 29, 2022, at her home in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine created two funds in Levin's honour."Remembering Susan"
pcrm.org. Retrieved 14 November 2022.

Selected publications

''Vegetarian Diets and Glycemic Control in Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis''
(with

Neal D. Barnard Neal D. Barnard (born 10 July 1953) is an American animal rights activist, physician and founding president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM). Barnard has authored books advocating a whole food plant-based dietary eating ...

, Mitsuhiro Watanabe and Yoko Yokoyama, 2014)
''Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Vegetarian Diets''
(with Winston Craig and

Vesanto Melina Vesanto Melina (born 13 March 1942) is a Canadian Registered Dietitian and co-author of books that have become classics in the field of vegetarian, vegan, and raw foods nutrition, have sold over a million copies in English and almost a million in ...

, 2016)
''Association Between Plant-Based Diets and Plasma Lipids: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis''
(with Neal D. Barnard and Yoko Yokoyama, 2017)

References

External links

Susan Levin
{{DEFAULTSORT:Levin, Susan M. 1971 births 2022 deaths American health and wellness writers American veganism activists American dietitians High-fiber diet advocates People from Montgomery, Alabama Plant-based diet advocates University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni