A recent study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health has found that following a Planetary Health Diet (PHD) can significantly reduce the risk of premature death and have a lower environmental impact. This study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, is the first large-scale research to assess the effects of adhering to the recommendations in the 2019 EAT-Lancet report.

The Planetary Health Diet emphasizes consuming a variety of minimally processed plant foods while allowing for moderate intake of meat and dairy products. According to the corresponding author of the study, Walter Willett, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition, shifting towards this type of diet can not only benefit the planet by slowing down climate change but also promote human health.

Previous studies have also suggested that diets focusing on plant-based foods rather than animal-sourced foods can have positive impacts on both human and planetary health. However, most of these studies have relied on one-time dietary assessments, which may not provide as robust results as analyzing diets over an extended period.

The researchers analyzed health data from over 200,000 participants, including women from the Nurses’ Health Study I and II and men from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. These participants were initially free of major chronic diseases and completed dietary questionnaires every four years.