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A study by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health highlights the dual benefits of the Planetary Health Diet (PHD), which not only reduces the risk of premature death by up to 30% but also significantly decreases environmental impacts. The PHD, which advocates for a varied diet of minimally processed plant foods with limited meat and dairy, is shown to lower greenhouse gas emissions, fertilizer needs, and cropland use, demonstrating the deep connection between dietary choices and both human and planetary health.
Adhering to the Planetary Health Diet significantly reduces the risk of premature death and environmental impact, including lowered rates of major diseases and reduced greenhouse gas emissions and land use.
According to a new study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, adopting a healthy, sustainable diet, as outlined in the 2019 EAT-Lancet report, can significantly reduce both the risk of premature death and environmental impact. This landmark study is the first to directly assess the effects of following the dietary guidelines proposed in the report, which recommends a diverse intake of minimally processed plant foods while permitting limited amounts of meat and dairy. The researchers refer to this recommended diet as the Planetary Health Diet (PHD).
The study was recently published in The DOI: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2024.03.019
Other Harvard Chan School authors included Linh Bui, Fenglei Wang, Qi Sun, Frank Hu, Kyu Ha Lee, and Marta Guasch-Ferre.
The study was funded by
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