A new eating pattern has been proposed: eating this way may prevent about 11 million premature deaths each year

As globalization accelerates, our dining tables are quietly changing the world. From the proliferation of processed foods to the surge in meat consumption, modern eating habits not only pose challenges to our physical health, but also put tremendous pressure on the earth's environment.

According to experts' predictions, the world's population will exceed 10 billion in 2050. In order to meet the dietary needs of all mankind, the current global food supply method has reached the earth's carrying limit, causing serious water pollution, soil pollution and a large amount of carbon dioxide emissions.

Therefore, what we eat and how we eat every day is no longer just a matter of filling our stomachs, but has become a global issue that affects the entire body.

To this end, scientists have proposed a new diet model - the planetary health diet, which aims to promote human health and reduce environmental damage through dietary changes. So what exactly is the "planetary health diet"? How should this diet model be eaten?

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What is a planetary health diet?

The planetary health diet is a new dietary pattern, which aims not only to maintain the healthy survival of human beings, but also to maintain the normal operation of the entire planet, and it is also related to the sustainable development of the earth. The study mentioned that the world population is expected to grow to nearly 10 billion by 2050, and the existing resources of the earth may not be enough to feed so many people. Therefore, it is a global challenge to provide healthy diets for everyone in a sustainable way. In addition, current agriculture and food production have caused 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions, 70% of water consumption, and more than 40% of land is used. In order to save the earth and human survival, the planetary health diet was proposed. The core of this dietary pattern can be summarized as "eating more plant foods, less animal foods, and low sugar, low saturated fat, and low refined grain intake."

Plant-based foods include whole grains, potatoes, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and soy products, and you should eat more of these foods.

Among animal foods, it is emphasized that you should eat less red meat.

It is recommended to choose cooking oils rich in unsaturated fatty acids such as olive oil, soybean oil, rapeseed oil, sunflower oil, and peanut oil, among which olive oil is the most recommended.

The study found that if the world shifts to this dietary pattern, it is estimated that about 11 million premature deaths could be prevented each year. Adhering to this dietary pattern can better achieve food diversity, help lose weight, control weight, and prevent chronic diseases. At the same time, it can protect the environment, slow down global warming, and avoid serious environmental degradation.

New Research on Planetary Health Diet

This year, a new study on planetary health diets was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

The study included 206,404 participants aged 25 to 75 years, 77% of whom were women, and was followed up for an average of 34 years.

The researchers found that compared with those with low adherence to the planetary health diet, those with high adherence had a 23% lower risk of all-cause and non-traumatic mortality; the risks of death from cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory disease, and neurodegenerative diseases were reduced by 14%, 10%, 47%, and 28%, respectively; among female participants, high adherence was also associated with a reduced risk of death from infectious diseases.

Overall: Adherence to a planetary healthy diet was associated with a 10% to 47% lower risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory disease, neurodegenerative disease, and non-traumatic mortality.

A planetary healthy diet is associated with a reduced risk of death.

However, this study is an observational study and has certain limitations. Diet is based on the participants' memories, and there are some errors in the measurement of dietary intake, which will have a certain impact on the research results; during the follow-up, dietary changes caused by the development of chronic diseases will also have an impact on mortality; in addition, most of the participants are health professionals, and the exposure range is somewhat limited.

Moreover, the study only showed that a planetary healthy diet was associated with a lower risk of all-cause and multi-disease-specific mortality, but did not indicate a causal relationship between them.

How to Eat a Planetary Health Diet?

Regarding planetary health diets, The Lancet's expert committee has given recommended intake ranges for various types of food.

If we were to follow a planetary health diet, more than half of our plates would have to be filled with plant-based foods, leaving only a small amount of room for animal-based foods.

In the Planetary Health Diet, it is recommended to eat at least 300 grams of vegetables per day (100 grams of dark green vegetables, 100 grams of red and orange vegetables, and 100 grams of other vegetables) and 200 grams of fruit per day. This is basically the same as the recommended amount in the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents" (300-500 grams of vegetables per day, 200-350 grams of fruit per day).

Special attention should be paid to red meat. According to the requirements of the Planetary Health Diet, you can only eat 14 grams of red meat per day. Compared with the amount we usually eat, this amount is a lot lower. The amount of red meat in the picture below is about 100 grams, and 14 grams is just a little bit.

Photo: 100 grams of red meat (4 fingers long and wide, and the thickness of a thumb) Photo by the author

From a health perspective, it is recommended to reduce the intake of red meat. Studies have shown that excessive intake of red meat can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, colorectal cancer, and obesity. However, moderate intake of red meat can provide us with nutrients such as mineral iron, vitamin B12, and protein, which can reduce the risk of anemia.

Overall, the planetary health diet is almost close to a vegetarian diet. Under such a diet, attention should be paid to the supplementation of mineral iron and vitamin B12.

1

iron

Insufficient iron intake in the diet may lead to iron deficiency anemia. You can choose more foods rich in iron.

Compared with the iron contained in animal foods, the absorption rate of iron in plant foods is relatively poor. However, if it is combined with vitamin C, it can help improve the absorption and utilization rate of iron in plant foods.

Therefore, you should eat more fruits rich in vitamin C, such as kiwi, winter dates, blood orange, guava, etc. You can also take vitamin C tablets or iron supplements.

2

Vitamin B12

Severe deficiency of vitamin B12 can cause degeneration of nerve fibers, resulting in symptoms such as lack of energy, anxiety, forgetfulness, and even anemia, so vitamin B12 is also called the nerve nourishing vitamin.

Vitamin B12 is mainly found in meat, and plant foods rarely contain vitamin B12. If you eat less animal food in your diet, you may be prone to vitamin B12 deficiency.

There are some in fermented soy products such as fermented black beans, fermented bean curd, natto, seaweed, and mushrooms, but fermented black beans and fermented bean curd generally have a high salt content, and many people cannot accept the taste of natto. Therefore, if you tend to be a vegetarian, it is difficult to supplement vitamin B12 simply by food, and it is recommended to take supplements.

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Planetary health diets are not only helpful in promoting human health and reducing mortality, but also have a positive effect on protecting the environment, protecting the earth, and maintaining ecological balance. If you think you are suitable for this diet pattern, you can consider trying it.

References

[1]BuiLP,PhamTT,WangF,ChaiB,SunQ,HuFB,LeeKH,Guasch-FerreM,WillettWC. PlanetaryHealthDietIndexandriskoftotalandcause-specificmortalityinthreeprospectivecohorts.AmJClinNutr .2024Jul;120(1):80-91.doi:10.1016/j.ajcnut.2024.03.019.Epub2024Jun10.PMID:38960579;PMCID:PMC11251201.

[2] Chinese Nutrition Society. Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents[M]. People's Medical Publishing House. 2022

Planning and production

Author: Xue Qingxin, registered nutritionist

Review丨Zhang Yu, researcher/PhD, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, national health science expert