A diet consisting primarily of fruits, vegetables, and whole foods is not only good for the planet, but can also be good for your health.
“The Planetary Health Diet (was) designed by the EAT-Lancet Commission, to try to see how we (can), at a global level, design a diet that meets people’s nutritional needs,” explains Maya Vadiveloo, Associate Professor in the Department of Nutrition at the University of Rhode Island.
“But let’s also address the issues we’re seeing with the increasing proportion of animal-based foods and how (production) contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and other markers that could harm the health of the planet.”
A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that the risk of premature death was 30% lower for people who followed the planetary health diet compared to those who did not.
Whole-food, plant-based diets, like the Planetary Health Diet, “tend to be very nutrient dense, so they end up being an important source of antioxidants and ideal macro- and micronutrients for the body,” says Vadiveloo , who wasn’t involved in the study.
Followers of this diet also contributed 29% less to greenhouse gas emissions, according to the study.
“A single cow produces between 154 and 264 pounds of methane per year,” according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This figure only multiplies when you consider that 1.5 billion cattle are raised specifically for meat production, meaning that at least 231 billion pounds of methane emissions enter the atmosphere at due to the production of cow meat only, reports the agency.
How does the Planetary Health Diet compare to other diets?
But what makes the Planetary Health diet different from other popular diets like the Mediterranean diet or the heart-healthy DASH diet?
“The fundamentals between the models are similar. They are highest in whole fruits and vegetables, which is really the key to almost all heart-healthy models, as well as whole grains, nuts and seeds.” , explains Vadiveloo.
However, there are certain differences between eating habits.
The DASH diet “allows a higher consumption of foods of animal origin, especially low-fat, dairy and poultry products. And perhaps in higher quantities than the Planetary Health Diet, as it does not specifically address planetary health,” Vadiveloo notes.
The planetary health diet also places more limits on total fat consumption than the DASH diet, she adds.
Generally speaking, the Mediterranean diet doesn’t emphasize dairy, says Vadiveloo. The popular diet places more emphasis on unsaturated fats like olive oil and fish than the planetary health diet.
“The other consistent thing is (in) all these models, Mediterranean, DASH, global, there is no divergence on reducing sources of added sugars, reducing sources of solid fats, like saturated fats, trans fats in coconut oil and animal sources,” Vadiveloo notes.
She emphasizes that the best thing you can do to eat healthy is to add more whole foods to your diet, especially fruits and vegetables; this corresponds to the three healthy models. Additionally, it is strongly recommended to limit your consumption of ultra-processed foods.
“We can say that the vast majority of ultra-processed foods are high in added sugars, high in refined grains, high in saturated fat, everything that each of these models suggests we limit,” says Vadiveloo.
“Make your diet rich in whole foods, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds (and) legumes.”
Do you want to be an effective and confident communicator? Take CNBC’s new online course Become an Effective Communicator: Master Public Speaking. We’ll teach you how to speak clearly and confidently, calm your nerves, know what to say and what not to say, and body language techniques to make a good first impression. Sign up today and use code EARLYBIRD for a 30% introductory discount through July 10, 2024.
More, sign up for the CNBC Make It newsletter for tips and tricks for success at work, with money and in life.
cnbc
