A new study suggests that eating more healthy plant-based foods may not only protect you from developing type 2 diabetes but also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The research, led by Dr. Solomon Sowah and colleagues at the University of Cambridge’s MRC Epidemiology Unit, was published in PLOS Medicine on September 16.
Unhealthy diets are already known to damage both human health and the environment.
Diets heavy in red and processed meats, sugary drinks, and refined foods contribute to diseases like diabetes and heart problems while also driving up greenhouse gas emissions linked to food production.
In contrast, diets such as the Planetary Health Diet (PHD) encourage higher intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and other plant-based foods, while limiting meat and sugar. The idea is to improve both human well-being and the health of the planet.
Until now, however, there has been limited evidence in large populations showing how closely following the PHD might impact the risk of type 2 diabetes or reduce environmental harm.
To address this gap, researchers studied the eating habits of more than 23,000 adults in the UK, tracking their diets at three points over a 20-year period.
The findings were clear. People who most closely followed the PHD had a much lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to those who did not.
In fact, participants in the top fifth of adherence had a 32% lower risk of developing the disease than those in the bottom fifth. On top of that, their diets were associated with 18% lower greenhouse gas emissions.
“Our motivation for this study was to address the limited evidence regarding the association between the planetary health diet and both type 2 diabetes incidence and greenhouse gas emissions in a European population,” said Dr. Sowah.
He explained that people who consumed more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables while eating less red and processed meat and sugary drinks were healthier and had a lower environmental footprint.
Professor Nita Forouhi, senior author of the study, emphasized the double benefit: “These findings provide support for the potential of the planetary health diet to make a meaningful contribution to help prevent type 2 diabetes.
What’s more is that eating in line with the planetary health diet is also linked with a lower environmental impact.”
The researchers caution that while the study shows a strong link, it does not prove cause and effect.
Still, the message is promising: choosing more plant-based meals can be a “win-win,” helping individuals lower their risk of a major chronic disease while also reducing the strain our diets put on the planet.
Moving forward, both individuals and policymakers will need to play a role in making these healthier, more sustainable diets easier to adopt.
Source: KSR.
