A diet incorporating plant-based protein not only helps the environment, but is may also lower your risk of dying from certain diseases, acccording to a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
The Planetary Health Diet (PHD), developed in 2019, recommends lowering intake of animal sources of protein and added sugars while encouraging plant-based proteins, such as nuts and legumes, more fruit and vegetables and unsaturated fats. In the new study, researchers reviewed decades of diet information from more than 200,000 U.S. healthcare workers. The more closely a person’s diet aligned to the PHD, the lower their risks of major diseases and mortality.
“Every major cause of mortality was lower,” said study co-author Walter Willett, a professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “Including heart disease, cancer, neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and a strong benefit for [respiratory] mortality.”
A big part of the study looked at consumption of red meat, which is taxing on the environment. The study also found that following the PHD meant a lower environmental impact, based on calculations that the included foods emit fewer greenhouse gases and require less water, fertilizer and crop land.
