Planetary Health Diet reduces early death and helps planet

The American Journal for Clinical Nutrition, in a recent study, found that individuals who most closely adhered to the Planetary Health Diet were at a 30 per cent lower risk of premature death compared to those with the lowest adherence. The study found that following the diet contributed to a substantially lower environmental impact, including 29 per cent lower greenhouse gas emissions and 51per cent lower land use.

Professor of epidemiology and nutrition corresponding author Walter Willett observed that “Climate change has our planet on track for ecological disaster, and our food system plays a major role …. [and] shifting how we eat can help slow the process of climate change”. He noted that, “what’s healthiest for the planet is also healthiest for humans. … The findings show just how linked human and planetary health are. Eating healthfully boosts environmental sustainability which, in turn, is essential for the health and wellbeing of every person on earth”.

The diet aims to increase consumption of healthy foods including vegetables, fruits, legumes and nuts, while decreasing the consumption of foods like red meat, sugar and refined grains. Planetary Health Diet “emphasizes a variety of minimally processed plant foods but allows for modest consumption of meat and dairy foods”, noted Professor Willett. It was first proposed by the EAT-Lancet Commission in 2019, which focused on addressing the need to sustainably feed an increasing global population. Ideally, a “planetary health plate” should consist of about half a plate of vegetables and fruits with the other half consisting mostly of whole grains, plant protein sources and optional modest amounts of animal sources of protein, the organization explained.

Using health data from more than 200,000 women and men, this is the first large study of the Planetary Health Diet recommendations. Participants in the research had no major chronic diseases at the start of the study and completed dietary questionnaires every four years for up to 34 years.