Caldwell Esselstyn is the author of Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, in which he argued for a low-fat, whole foods, plant-based diet that avoids all animal products and oils, as well as reducing or avoiding soybeans, nuts, and avocados.
13 Facts About Caldwell Esselstyn
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Dr Caldwell Esselstyn's father was a prominent physician who was consulted by John F Kennedy for setting up Medicare and was the personal physician for Lou Gherig.
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Caldwell Esselstyn graduated from Yale University in 1956 where he was a member of Skull and Bones.
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Caldwell Esselstyn competed in the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, winning a gold medal in the "eights" as a member of the American team.
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Caldwell Esselstyn was an intern and resident at that clinic.
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Caldwell Esselstyn served as the President of the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons in 1991.
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Caldwell Esselstyn has served as a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of Nutrition Action magazine, published by the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
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Caldwell Esselstyn is on the advisory board of Naked Food Magazine, for which he is a regular contributor of articles espousing a plant-based diet.
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Caldwell Esselstyn promotes a whole foods, plant-based diet, arguing it can prevent coronary disease and cardiovascular disease.
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Caldwell Esselstyn's work received media attention when former US President Bill Clinton cited it, along with work by Dean Ornish and The China Study as the basis for his change of diet in 2010 and yet more in late 2011 when Clinton discussed his diet with CNN and other media outlets.
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Caldwell Esselstyn was one of the doctors featured in the documentary films Forks Over Knives and The Game Changers.
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Harriet A Hall has written that the claims made by Esselstyn are misleading and that the evidence on which they are based is "pretty skimpy".
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In 2005 Caldwell Esselstyn received the Benjamin Spock Award for Compassion in Medicine, and in 2009 the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Cleveland Clinic Alumni Association.