Eating for the planet could reduce the risk of premature death, if new research is to be believed.
Experts found that people who followed what is called an organic diet were almost a third less likely to die prematurely.
They too had a lower risk of all major causes of death, including cancer, heart diseases and even lung diseases.
American researchers said this was probably because eating highly processed foods and high consumption of fruits and vegetables boost the immune system.
The ‘planetary health diet’, published in The Lancet five years ago, is a plant-rich, meat-light diet designed to reduce the risk of disease and the impact of agriculture on climate change and the natural world.
Experts found that people who followed an organic diet were almost a third less likely to die prematurely. They also had a lower risk of all major causes of death, including cancer, heart disease, and even lung disease.
Study author Professor Walter Willett, an expert in epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard University, said: “Changing the way we eat can help curb climate change and, fortunately, what is healthiest for the planet is also the 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.”
And he added: ‘Changing the way we eat can help slow the process of climate change. And what is healthiest for the planet is also healthiest for humans.’
The diet is “flexitarian” rather than exclusively vegetarian and recommends that fruits and vegetables make up half of a person’s daily food intake.
Protein comes mainly from nuts, beans and lentils, and people are recommended to eat less than 50g a day of eggs, fish, meat and sugar.
For comparison, an average quarter-pound beef burger weighs 78 g.
Scientists at Harvard University followed more than 200,000 healthy American adults over three decades.
They were rated on how close their diet was to planetary health, based on how much they ate from 15 food groups.
These included vegetables, whole grains, dairy such as milk, cheese and yogurt, chicken and other poultry.
Over a 34-year follow-up period, researchers recorded 54,536 deaths among the study group, including more than 14,600 from cancer and just over 13,700 attributed to cardiovascular disease.
They found that the 10 percent of participants who followed the diet most closely had almost a third lower risk of premature death than those in the bottom 10 percent.
They also had a 14 percent lower risk of death associated with cardiovascular disease, a 10 percent lower chance of mortality from cancer, and a 47 percent lower chance of dying from respiratory diseases.
writing in the American Journal of Clinical NutritionThe researchers said the diet was not only good for people, but also for the planet, and following it reduced the amount of greenhouse gas emissions by 29 percent compared to an average diet.
Foods consumed by strict followers also required 21 percent less fertilizer use.
It comes as data on Britons’ weekly food buying habits, collected annually by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, also revealed in October that Britons are eating less meat, potatoes and bread than ever before. Meanwhile, rice and pasta have enjoyed huge booms. Alcohol consumption has also increased over time but this data only goes back to 1992.
DEFRA data showed red meat consumption has plummeted by up to 81 per cent since the 1970s, while sales of poultry and fish have doubled. This graph shows how much meat Brits have bought on average each week; The most recent data for 2022 shows a massive drop compared to historical levels (data does not include fish).
Research has long estimated that food production is responsible for about a quarter of humanity’s total global greenhouse gas emissions.
Raising livestock for human consumption, for example, uses a huge amount of agricultural land and contributes to deforestation, biodiversity loss and water pollution, experts say.
Emissions from cattle, sheep and goats generate methane, a greenhouse gas 80 times more powerful than carbon dioxide in warming the planet within 20 years, according to the United Nations Environment Program.
Interest in a primarily plant-based diet has skyrocketed in recent years, with vegans, who are at the extreme end of vegetarianism, citing ethical, environmental or health reasons.
The NHS, however, advises that red meats, such as beef, lamb and pork, are a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals.
It suggests it can form part of a balanced diet, although the health service warns that eating more than 90 grams a day may increase the risk of bowel cancer.
WHAT SHOULD A BALANCED DIET LOOK LIKE?
Meals should be based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally whole grains, according to the NHS.
• Eat at least 5 servings of a variety of fruits and vegetables every day. All fresh, frozen, dried, and canned fruits and vegetables count
• Base meals are based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally whole grains.
• 30 grams of fiber per day: This is equivalent to eating all of the following: 5 servings of fruits and vegetables, 2 whole grain crackers, 2 thick slices of whole wheat bread, and one large baked potato with skin.
• Eat some dairy or dairy alternatives (such as soy drinks) by choosing low-fat, low-sugar options.
• Eat some beans, legumes, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins (including 2 servings of fish each week, one of which should be fatty).
• Choose unsaturated oils and spreads and consume them in small quantities
• Drink 6 to 8 cups/glasses of water a day
• Adults should consume less than 6 g of salt and 20 g of saturated fat for women or 30 g for men per day.
Source: NHS Eatwell Guide