Planet-first diet cuts risk of early death by nearly a third, study says

by | Jun 10, 2024 | Science

Sign up for CNN’s Eat, But Better: Mediterranean Style. Our eight-part guide shows you a delicious expert-backed eating lifestyle that will boost your health for life.Closely following a planet-friendly diet of mostly fruits, vegetables and whole grains reduces the risk of premature death by nearly one-third in people, while also dramatically cutting the release of greenhouse gases devastating the planet, a new study found.“Eating more whole plant foods, less animal foods, and less highly processed foods is better for people and planet alike,” said Dr. David Katz, a specialist in preventive and lifestyle medicine who was not involved in the study.“In this paper, we see that same message amplified: adhering to a dietary pattern conducive to the health of the planet and sustainability is associated with meaningful reductions in all-cause mortality,” he said in an email. Katz is the founder of the nonprofit True Health Initiative, a global coalition of experts dedicated to evidence-based lifestyle medicineFood production plays a major role in the climate crisis. Raising livestock for human consumption, for example, uses an enormous amount of agricultural land and contributes to deforestation, biodiversity loss and water pollution, experts say.Animals that chew their cud can emit noxious gases with an astounding impact on the environment. Burps and poo from cattle, sheep and goats generate methane, a greenhouse gas 80 times more powerful than carbon dioxide in warming the planet in the span of 20 years, according to the UN Environment Programme.One adult cow, for example, can belch or fart up to 500 liters of methane a day. Add them up, and they can generate nearly 15% of total global greenhouse gas emissions, experts say.Eating a planet-healthy diet, however, cut land use by 51%, greenhouse gas emissions by 29% and fertilizer use by 21%, while also extending the lives of people, according to the study.“Changing how we eat can help slow climate change, and fortunately what’s healthiest for the planet is also best for us,” said corresponding author Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston.“For every major cause of death we looked at, there was a lower risk in people with better adherence to the planetary health diet,” Willett said.The planetary diet asks you to fill half your plate at each meal with fruits and vegetables. – Lew Robertson/Stone RF/Getty ImagesA diet for people and the planetIn 2019, the EAT-Lancet Commission, composed of 37 leading scientists from 16 countries, created a diet with dual goals — maximizing human he …

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[mwai_chat context=”Let’s have a discussion about this article:nnSign up for CNN’s Eat, But Better: Mediterranean Style. Our eight-part guide shows you a delicious expert-backed eating lifestyle that will boost your health for life.Closely following a planet-friendly diet of mostly fruits, vegetables and whole grains reduces the risk of premature death by nearly one-third in people, while also dramatically cutting the release of greenhouse gases devastating the planet, a new study found.“Eating more whole plant foods, less animal foods, and less highly processed foods is better for people and planet alike,” said Dr. David Katz, a specialist in preventive and lifestyle medicine who was not involved in the study.“In this paper, we see that same message amplified: adhering to a dietary pattern conducive to the health of the planet and sustainability is associated with meaningful reductions in all-cause mortality,” he said in an email. Katz is the founder of the nonprofit True Health Initiative, a global coalition of experts dedicated to evidence-based lifestyle medicineFood production plays a major role in the climate crisis. Raising livestock for human consumption, for example, uses an enormous amount of agricultural land and contributes to deforestation, biodiversity loss and water pollution, experts say.Animals that chew their cud can emit noxious gases with an astounding impact on the environment. Burps and poo from cattle, sheep and goats generate methane, a greenhouse gas 80 times more powerful than carbon dioxide in warming the planet in the span of 20 years, according to the UN Environment Programme.One adult cow, for example, can belch or fart up to 500 liters of methane a day. Add them up, and they can generate nearly 15% of total global greenhouse gas emissions, experts say.Eating a planet-healthy diet, however, cut land use by 51%, greenhouse gas emissions by 29% and fertilizer use by 21%, while also extending the lives of people, according to the study.“Changing how we eat can help slow climate change, and fortunately what’s healthiest for the planet is also best for us,” said corresponding author Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston.“For every major cause of death we looked at, there was a lower risk in people with better adherence to the planetary health diet,” Willett said.The planetary diet asks you to fill half your plate at each meal with fruits and vegetables. – Lew Robertson/Stone RF/Getty ImagesA diet for people and the planetIn 2019, the EAT-Lancet Commission, composed of 37 leading scientists from 16 countries, created a diet with dual goals — maximizing human he …nnDiscussion:nn” ai_name=”RocketNews AI: ” start_sentence=”Can I tell you more about this article?” text_input_placeholder=”Type ‘Yes'”]
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