David Jenkins

OC, MD, FRSC, FRCP, FRCPC, PhD, DSc

Scientist

Biography

Educated at Oxford University, Dr. David Jenkins is currently a Professor in both the Departments of Nutritional Sciences and Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, a Staff Physician in the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, the Director of the Clinical Nutrition and Risk Factor Modification Center, and a Scientist in the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael’s Hospital. He has served on committees in Canada and the United States that have formulated nutritional guidelines for the treatment of diabetes and recommendations for fibre and macronutrient intake (fat protein and carbohydrates) for the general population (including the Dietary Reference intake or DRIs) under the joint United States-Canada DRI system (RDAs) of the National Academy of Sciences (Washington, DC). He led the team that first defined and explored the concept of the glycemic index of foods. He was the first to demonstrate the breadth of metabolic effects of viscous soluble fiber (as found in fruit, certain beans, oats barley) on blood glucose and cholesterol lowering of relevance to prevention and treatment of diabetes and heart disease. His studies on combining cholesterol lowering food components (dietary portfolio) have been recognized as creating an effective dietary alternative to drug therapy (statins) for lower risk people. In an important study, he compared a dietary portfolio with all food provided with a statin in the same people and demonstrated that the effects of both were comparable. The dietary portfolio, on the basis of this and other studies including a major cross Canada real world study, was the only dietary approach referenced in 2004 Guidelines update of the US National Cholesterol Education Program (ATP III) and recommended in the Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) guidelines for 2012 and the European Atherosclerosis Society consensus statement (2015). He has received many National and International awards in recognition of his contribution to nutrition research. He believes in the value of plant based diets, and that a major effort is required to mount large studies to determine the extent of their health benefits. He also believes that diets have to be environmentally sustainable.

Please note: Dr. Jenkins is currently accepting volunteer students.

Recent Publications

  1. Glenn, AJ, Wang, F, Tessier, AJ, Manson, JE, Rimm, EB, Mukamal, KJ et al.. Dietary plant-to-animal protein ratio and risk of cardiovascular disease in 3 prospective cohorts. Am J Clin Nutr. 2024;120 (6):1373-1386. doi: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2024.09.006. PubMed PMID:39631999 .
  2. Yang, S, Back, S, Grant, SM, Ayoub-Charette, S, Chen, V, Lin, EJ et al.. Effects of Extracted Pulse Proteins on Lipid Targets for Cardiovascular Risk Reduction: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Nutrients. 2024;16 (21):. doi: 10.3390/nu16213765. PubMed PMID:39519598 PubMed Central PMC11548137.
  3. Viscardi, G, Back, S, Ahmed, A, Yang, S, Mejia, SB, Zurbau, A et al.. Effect of Soy Isoflavones on Measures of Estrogenicity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Adv Nutr. 2024; :100327. doi: 10.1016/j.advnut.2024.100327. PubMed PMID:39433088 .
  4. Soczynska, I, da Costa, BR, O'Connor, DL, Jenkins, DJ, Birken, CS, Keown-Stoneman, CD et al.. A Systematic Review on the Impact of Plant-Based Milk Consumption on Growth and Nutrition in Children and Adolescents. J Nutr. 2024;154 (11):3446-3456. doi: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2024.09.010. PubMed PMID:39332772 .
  5. Kavanagh, ME, Back, S, Chen, V, Glenn, AJ, Viscardi, G, Houshialsadat, Z et al.. The Portfolio Diet and HbA1c in Adults Living with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Patient-Level Pooled Analysis of Two Randomized Dietary Trials. Nutrients. 2024;16 (17):. doi: 10.3390/nu16172817. PubMed PMID:39275135 PubMed Central PMC11397446.
  6. Madani, MM, Wiedenroth, CB, Jenkins, DP, Fadel, E, de Perrot, M. Pulmonary Thromboendarterectomy: The Potentially Curative Treatment of Choice for Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension. Ann Thorac Surg. 2024; :. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2024.07.052. PubMed PMID:39265713 .
  7. Jenkins, DJ, Willett, WC. Perspective on the health value of carbohydrate-rich foods: glycemic index and load; fiber and whole grains. Am J Clin Nutr. 2024;120 (3):468-470. doi: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2024.07.004. PubMed PMID:39232600 PubMed Central PMC11393399.
  8. Kavanagh, ME, Glenn, AJ, Chiavaroli, L, Morgan, GA, Josse, RG, Malik, VS et al.. Simulation model to assess the validity of the clinical portfolio diet score used in the PortfolioDiet.app for dietary self-tracking: a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial in hyperlipidemic adults. Front Nutr. 2024;11 :1398450. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1398450. PubMed PMID:39171108 PubMed Central PMC11335621.
  9. Erlich, MN, Ghidanac, D, Blanco Mejia, S, Khan, TA, Chiavaroli, L, Zurbau, A et al.. A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials of substituting soymilk for cow's milk and intermediate cardiometabolic outcomes: understanding the impact of dairy alternatives in the transition to plant-based diets on cardiometabolic health. BMC Med. 2024;22 (1):336. doi: 10.1186/s12916-024-03524-7. PubMed PMID:39169353 PubMed Central PMC11340166.
  10. Di Maso, M, Augustin, LSA, Jenkins, DJA, Crispo, A, Toffolutti, F, Negri, E et al.. Adherence to a Cholesterol-Lowering Diet and the Risk of Pancreatic Cancer: A Case-Control Study. Nutrients. 2024;16 (15):. doi: 10.3390/nu16152508. PubMed PMID:39125388 PubMed Central PMC11314520.
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Affiliations & Other Activities

  • Director, Clinical Nutrition and Risk Factor Modification Centre, St. Michael’s Hospital
  • Staff Physician, Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, St. Michael’s Hospital
  • Professor and Canada Research Chair in Nutrition and Metabolism, Dept. of Medicine and Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
  • Canada Research Chair in Nutrition and Metabolism