A recent study presented at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Preventive Cardiology 2025 meeting found that two mostly plant-based diets – the Planetary Health Diet and the Mediterranean Diet – can help people live longer while also being better for the environment.
Heart disease is a leading cause of death around the world. In Europe, one out of every five early deaths could be avoided with a better diet. That’s why scientists are exploring how different eating patterns affect both health and the planet.
The Planetary Health Diet, first proposed in 2019, was created by scientists to meet two big goals: improve people’s health and protect the Earth. It encourages people to eat mostly fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, and healthy oils.
It also suggests eating smaller amounts of dairy, starchy vegetables like potatoes, chicken, and fish. It limits red meat, added sugar, and unhealthy fats.
The Mediterranean Diet is another popular way of eating, especially in countries around the Mediterranean Sea. This diet also focuses on eating fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes (like lentils and chickpeas), and nuts. Olive oil is the main source of fat. It includes moderate amounts of fish, eggs, and dairy, and less red or processed meat.
To compare the two diets, researchers used data from over 11,000 people who took part in a long-term health study in Spain called ENRICA.
These participants were between 18 and 96 years old when they joined the study between 2008 and 2010, and about half of them were women. The researchers followed their health for more than 14 years, checking what they ate and whether they were still alive at the end of the study period.
Each person’s diet was scored based on how closely it matched either the Planetary Health Diet or the Mediterranean Diet. People who ate more plant-based foods and fewer unhealthy items got higher scores.
The researchers also estimated how much land and greenhouse gases (like carbon dioxide) were linked to producing the foods people ate, using a special environmental database.
During the study, 1,157 participants died from all causes. The results showed that those who followed either diet closely had a lower risk of dying compared to those who didn’t. People in the highest third for following the Planetary Health Diet had a 22% lower chance of dying. Those who followed the Mediterranean Diet closely had a 21% lower chance of dying.
Both diets had a similar environmental impact. The foods eaten on the Planetary Health Diet created about 4.15 kilograms of carbon dioxide per day and used about 5.54 square meters of land each day.
The Mediterranean Diet produced slightly more carbon dioxide – about 4.36 kilograms – but used slightly less land (5.43 square meters daily). Meat and dairy were the biggest contributors to the environmental footprint in both diets.
Looking more closely at specific food groups, the study found that eating more fruits, dairy, and healthy oils (as recommended by the Planetary Health Diet) was linked with lower death rates. For the Mediterranean Diet, eating more nuts and avoiding sugary drinks and pastries also helped people live longer.
In conclusion, this study shows that both the Planetary Health Diet and the Mediterranean Diet can help people live longer and reduce harm to the environment.
Choosing one of these ways of eating doesn’t just benefit your own health—it can also be a step toward protecting the planet. The fact that two different plant-based diets lead to similar health and environmental benefits gives people flexibility to choose the one that best fits their culture, preferences, and lifestyle.
If you care about nutrition, please read studies about the best time to take vitamins to prevent heart disease, and vitamin D supplements strongly reduce cancer death.
For more information about nutrition, please see recent studies about plant nutrient that could help reduce high blood pressure, and these antioxidants could help reduce dementia risk.
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