Planetary Health Diet: Eating for a Healthier You and Planet A new study reinforces the growing evidence that adopting a Planetary Health Diet can significantly reduce the risk of premature death while simultaneously benefiting the environment.

This isn't just about fad dieting; it's about a fundamental shift in eating habits towards sustainability and health.

The Planetary Health Diet isn't a single, rigid plan.

Instead, it's a set of dietary guidelines developed by the EAT-Lancet Commission, a group of leading scientists, that aims to reconcile human health with the health of the planet.

It focuses on a dietary shift that minimizes environmental impact while providing sufficient nutrition for a healthy life.

Key features of a Planetary Health Diet often include: Emphasis on plant-based foods: Fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds form the cornerstone of this diet.

These are nutrient-rich, calorie-efficient, and require significantly fewer resources to produce than animal products.

Reduced consumption of red and processed meats: This is crucial because livestock farming is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, and water pollution.

Limiting or eliminating these foods significantly decreases your environmental footprint.

Sustainable seafood consumption: Opting for sustainably sourced fish and seafood helps protect ocean ecosystems.

Overfishing is a significant environmental concern, and choosing responsibly sourced options is vital.

Moderate dairy consumption: While dairy can be part of a Planetary Health Diet, consumption is recommended in moderation due to the environmental impact of dairy farming.

Plant-based alternatives are encouraged.

Reduced reliance on added sugars, refined grains, and unhealthy fats: These contribute to poor health outcomes and often rely on resource-intensive production methods.

The recent study (mention the specific study if known) likely highlighted the positive correlation between adhering to Planetary Health Diet principles and lower mortality rates from diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.

This is because the diet emphasizes nutrient-rich foods that are associated with improved cardiovascular health, reduced inflammation, and overall well-being.

Beyond personal health benefits, the environmental advantages are compelling: Reduced greenhouse gas emissions: Plant-based diets have a far lower carbon footprint.

Preservation of biodiversity: Sustainable farming practices help protect ecosystems and prevent species loss.

Reduced land and water usage: Plant-based foods generally require less land and water to produce than animal products.

Decreased pollution: Reduced use of fertilizers and pesticides minimizes environmental contamination.

In essence, the Planetary Health Diet presents a powerful win-win scenario: By adopting these dietary guidelines, individuals can improve their health and longevity while simultaneously contributing to a more sustainable and healthy planet for future generations.

It's not about deprivation but about making informed choices that benefit both ourselves and the environment.

Can a diet that's good for the planet also be good for your health? A new study is pointing to yes. 

In the study, published in Monday, researchers found those who most closely adhered to the Planetary Health Diet had a 30% lower risk of premature death compared to those with the lowest adherence.

Following the diet also had a substantially lower environmental impact, including 29% lower and 51% lower land use. 

"Climate change has our planet on track for ecological disaster, and our food system plays a major role," corresponding author Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition, said in . "Shifting how we eat can help slow the process of climate change. And what's healthiest for the planet is also healthiest for humans. ... The findings show just how linked human and planetary health are. Eating healthfully boosts environmental sustainability-which in turn is essential for the health and wellbeing of every person on earth."

Using health data from more than 200,000 women and men, this is the first large study of the Planetary Health Diet recommendations. Participants in the research had no major chronic diseases at the start of the study and completed dietary questionnaires every four years for up to 34 years.

"It's one of the most important papers I've done over the past 45 years," Willett told TheNews chief medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook.

The diet "emphasizes a variety of minimally processed plant foods but allows for modest consumption of meat and dairy foods," according the the release.

It was first proposed by the in 2019, which focused on addressing the need to sustainably feed an increasing global population.

The diet aims to increase consumption of healthy foods including:

While decreasing the consumption of foods like:

"Lean towards plants," LaPook says of the diet's main objective. "If you're in a restaurant and there's a choice of a plant-based or something else, then lean towards the plant-based choice, lead towards fruit and vegetables."

In many ways, the diet is similar to the heart-healthy . It can be adapted to be fully plant-based and vegan or omnivorous with the inclusion of some meat and dairy.

"Meat and dairy constitute important parts of the diet but in significantly smaller proportions than whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes," according to the nonprofit EAT's . 

Ideally, a "planetary health plate" should consist of about with the other half consisting mostly of whole grains, plant protein sources and optional modest amounts of animal sources of protein, the organization explains.