Can a planet-friendly diet be good for your health too? A new study suggests yes.
In the study, published American Journal of Clinical Nutrition On Monday, researchers found that those who adhered most closely to the Planetary Health Diet had a 30% lower risk of premature death compared to those who followed it least.
Following the diet resulted in a significantly lower environmental impact, with a 29% reduction Green house gas emissions and 51% less land use.
“Climate change has our planet on a path to environmental catastrophe, and our diet plays a major role,” said corresponding author Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition, at A press release. “Changing the way we eat can help slow the process of climate change. And what’s healthy for the planet is healthy for people. … The findings show how connected human and planetary health are. Eating healthy increases environmental sustainability—which in turn is essential to the health and well-being of every person on Earth.”
Using health data from more than 200,000 women and men, this is the first large-scale study of planetary health dietary recommendations. Study participants had no major chronic diseases at the start of the study and completed dietary questionnaires every four years for up to 34 years.
“This is one of the most important papers I’ve done in the last 45 years,” Willett told CBS News Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. John Labook.
What is Planetary Health Food?
The diet “emphasizes a variety of plant foods that are minimally processed, but allows for moderate consumption of meat and dairy foods,” according to the release.
It was originally proposed EAT-Lancet Commission In 2019, the focus was on addressing the need to sustainably feed a growing global population.
The diet aims to increase consumption of healthy foods:
While reducing consumption of foods such as:
“Lean toward plants,” LaPook says of the diet’s main focus. “If you’re at a restaurant and there’s a selection that’s plant-based or otherwise, lean toward the plant-based selection and lean toward the fruits and vegetables.”
In many ways, diet is similar to heart health Mediterranean food. It can be made entirely plant-based, vegetarian, or omnivorous by adding some meat and dairy products.
“Meat and dairy are important parts of the diet, but in significantly smaller proportions than whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes,” according to the nonprofit EAT. Website.
Ideally, the “Planetary Health Plate” should be about Half a plate of vegetables and fruits The other half includes whole grains, plant protein sources and optional amounts of animal protein, the organization explains.
