Research shows that plant based foods which are good for the planet, are also good for people: You can reduce your risk of death by 25% by eating more of these healthy eco friendly foods. Learn more about environmentally friendly plant-based foods you should be including in your disease fighting healthy diet. And discover these ten planet friendly recipes too.
A growing body of research links eating patterns and food choices with environmental impact. But these planetary-friendly food choices may also be better for our human health. People who eat environmentally-friendly foods have a lower mortality risk than those who do not, according to recent research presented at the American Society for Nutrition Scientific Sessions and Annual Meeting in July 2023. In 2019, the EAT-Lancet Commission developed a dietary pattern that would sustainably nourish the increasing human population, as well as lower food waste and improve agricultural practices while preserving the planet. The researchers also developed the Planetary Health Diet Index (PHDI), a tool that can be used to measure the effects foods have on human health and environmental wellness. The PHDI was also created to help public health professionals develop strategies and policies that will benefit people and the planet.
What Does the Planetary Health Diet Index Tell Us?
The PHDI ranked the healthfulness of foods based on the effect eating low to high quantities of the food would have on a person’s health and the environment. Food groups that would not negatively impact the planet or a person’s health when consumed in high quantities were labeled as “adequacy components”, and were given the highest ranking in the PHDI. The foods in this group consisted of plant-based foods such as nuts, legumes (pulses), fruits, whole vegetables, and whole grains. Researchers explained that eating foods from these groups in high quantities would not lead to negative impacts on human or planetary health, but consuming an inadequate amount of them would lead to lower dietary quality.
Opposingly, food groups that would have beneficial impacts on human and environmental health when consumed rarely or not at all were labeled “moderation components”. Examples of moderation components include added sugars and animal proteins, such as red meat, chicken, and animal fats. When these foods are consumed in excess, they have negative effects on human and planetary health, and therefore, should be limited or avoided. Between these two extremes, researchers classified a group of foods for which minimal consumption would be preferred as to overconsumption. Food groups in this category were referred to as “optimum components”, and included foods such as eggs, fish and seafood, dairy, tubers and potatoes, and unsaturated oils. (2)
The PHDI was used to analyze patterns between diet composition and mortality within two cohort studies. The studies analyzed involved over 100,000 subjects and were conducted for a span of over 30 years from 1986-2018, during which time 47,000 deaths were recorded. Through their analysis, researchers found that people who consumed a diet consistent with the foods from the top ranking of the PHDI had a 25% lower risk of death from any cause compared to those who consumed a diet from the bottom ranking. People who consumed this ideal diet were also 15% less likely to die from cancer or cardiovascular disease and had a 50% lower risk of dying from respiratory disease.
Putting Plant Based Eating into Practice
The results from this research are tremendously important for establishing the importance of individual health choices, as well as public health policy improvements. This study demonstrates how eating a more plant-based diet can benefit an individual’s health and increase longevity while reducing the negative impacts made on the environment. To achieve this, it’s important for people to eat a variety of plant-based food sources, such as pulses, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and nuts, and limit consumption of animal products, saturated fats, and added sugars. On a larger scale, public health policymakers and practitioners have the capability to address public health, the climate crisis, and the burden of healthcare costs simultaneously. This takes us one step closer to a healthier planet and healthier people.
Learn more about plant-based healthy sustainable eating here:
10 Planet Friendly Recipes
Written by Sharon Palmer, MSFS, RDN with Anna Tobin, dietetic intern
References
- Bascom, E. (2023, July 23). People who eat environmentally friendly foods have 25% lower mortality risk. Healio. Retrieved August 14, 2023, from https://www.healio.com/news/primary-care/20230723/people-who-eat-environmentally-friendly-foods-have-25-lower-mortality-risk
- Cacau, L., De Carli, E., de Carvalho, A., Lotufo, P., Moreno, L., Bensenor, I., & Marchioni, D. (2021, May 17). Development and Validation of an Index Based on EAT-Lancet Recommendations: The Planetary Health Diet Index. NCBI. Retrieved August 16, 2023, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8156093/
