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Jun 13

The diet that can save you from an early death and help the planet – The New Daily

Researchers from Harvard University have found the diet that is healthiest for the planet is also potentially healthiest for humans.

The study, which was recently published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition looked at the Planetary Diet and whether it could reduce the risk of a premature death.

The Planetary Diet is simply a plant-based diet, where half a plate of food is made up of fruit and vegetables.

For the study, health data from more than 200,000 women and men enrolled in the Nurses Health Study I and II and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study was examined.

The participants didnt have any major chronic diseases at the start of the study and every four years, for up to 34 years, each person completed a dietary questionnaire.

The participants diets were scored and those who followed the Planetary Health Diet (PHD) fared much better than others.

The study found that the risk of premature death was 30 per cent lower in the top 10 per cent of participants most closely adhering to PHD compared to those in the lowest 10 per cent, Harvard said in a press release.

Every major cause of death, including cancer,heart diseaseand lung disease, was lower with greater adherence to this dietary pattern.

We already know that the agriculture industry is harming the environment.

Climate change has our planet on track for ecological disaster, and our food system plays a major role, said the studys author Walter Willett, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition.

Shifting how we eat can help slow the process of climate change. And whats healthiest for the planet is also healthiest for humans.

Researchers also found those with the highest adherence to the diet had a substantially lower environmental impact when compared to those with the lowest adherence rate.

Willett said the study was noteworthy given the US Department of Agriculture has refused to look at the environmental impacts of dietary choices.

The findings show just how linked human and planetary health are, he said.

Eating healthfully boosts environmental sustainability, which in turn is essential for the health and wellbeing of every person on earth.

The Planetary Health Diet was designed to help both people and the planet. Photo: Getty

The Planetary Health Diet is meant to be flexible, but it is first and foremost a plant-focused diet, however meat and dairy products are allowed to be consumed in moderate amounts.

It emphasises a plant-forward diet where whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes comprise a greater proportion of foods consumed, the non-profit EAT explains.

Meat and dairy constitute important parts of the diet but in significantly smaller proportions than whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes.

An example of the Planetary Health Diet. Photo: Lancet

The diet was conceived by the EAT-Lancet Commission in 2019, with help from 37 scientists from around the world.

The goal was to find a diet that would be beneficial for humans and having a minimal environmental impact.

An example of the diet on a plate, as described by the Lancet, would look something like; Half a plate of vegetables, then the other half made up of a combination of wholegrain, starchy vegetables, dairy, animal protein, plant protein, plant oils and added sugar.

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The diet that can save you from an early death and help the planet - The New Daily

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