An eco-friendly diet could save the planet – and you – by slashing your chances of dying early by a third, according to new research.
New research suggests that eating in an environmentally sustainable way could contribute to living a longer life and reduce the your chances of dying early.
Experts have revealed that the likelihood of dying prematurely dropped by a third for people who adhered to ‘Planetary Health Diet’, a high vegetable, low meat diet that is good for both the planet, and evidentially, the human body. Researchers from Harvard University found that individuals following this diet were less likely to suffer every leading cause of death, including including cancer, heart disease, neurodegenerative diseases and even lung disease.
In fact, they found that individuals adhering to this diet, known as the Planetary Health Diet, were 25% less likely to die from any cause over a 30-year period compared to those who consumed less environmentally friendly diets. The US researchers suggested that this could be due to the diet involving a low intake of highly processed foods and an increase in healthy, natural foods such as fruit and veg.
Published in the Lancet journal five years ago, the Planetary Health Diet not only promotes personal health but also the planet by supporting sustainable food systems and encouraging the consumption of foods that are more sustainable for the environment, contribute less to greenhouse gas emissions and more to conserving resources. It encourages seasonal and local food consumption, minimises processed foods, and supports fair labour practicess.
Epidemiology and nutrition expert at Harvard University and author of the study, Professor Walter Willett, said: “Changing how we eat can help slow climate change, and fortunately what’s healthiest for the planet is also best for us. For every major cause of death we looked at, there was a lower risk in people with better adherence to the planetary health diet. Shifting how we eat can help slow the process of climate change. And what’s healthiest for the planet is also healthiest for humans.”
During the study, the scientists analysed data from over 200,000 participants over a 30 year period. Each individual had no major chronic diseases at the beginning of the study period and was asked to complete questionnaires about their diet every four years for up to 34 years. Their diets were given a score based on the amount of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, poultry, and nuts which were then used to establish the final results.
Over the study period, researchers recorded 54,536 deaths among the participants. Those who were in the top 10 per cent for adherence to the Planetary Health Diet had a 30 per cent lower risk of premature death compared to those in the bottom 10 per cent who followed the diet the least. The also had a 14 per cent reduced risk of cardiovascular disease death, a 10 per cent lower chance of dying of cancer and were almost half as likely to be killed by respiratory disease (47 per cent).
In addition to its health benefits, strict adherence to the Planetary Health Diet was found to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 29 per cent, decrease cropland use by 51 per cent, and lower fertilizer requirements by 21 per cent. Studies have consistently shown that food production contributes to approximately a quarter of the world’s total greenhouse gas emissions whilst the practice of raising livestock for consumption demands vast amounts of agricultural land, which in turn drives deforestation, reduces biodiversity, and causes water pollution.
Furthermore, the UN Environment Programme notes that livestock such as cattle, sheep, and goats emit methane, a greenhouse gas that has been shown to contribute towards the warming of the planet 80 times more than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period.
Although the Planetary Health Diet is flexitarian – in the individuals can enjoy small amounts of meat and fish whilst still adhering to it, the popularity of primarily plant-based diets has soared in recent years for a various reasons, including ethical, health and environmental. The NHS does continue to advise people to incorporate moderate amounts of meat into their diet as it is a good source of protein, although no more than 90g a day. Anything above this has been show to increase the risk of developing bowel cancer.
