{"id":18409,"date":"2026-01-06T12:36:41","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T17:36:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/observatoireprevention.org\/?p=18409"},"modified":"2026-01-06T12:36:42","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T17:36:42","slug":"eat-better-pollute-less","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/observatoireprevention.org\/en\/2026\/01\/06\/eat-better-pollute-less\/","title":{"rendered":"Eat better, pollute less"},"content":{"rendered":"<section class=\"wp-block-borealisaurora-aurora-custom-block-posts-resume\">\n    <div class=\"aurora-custom-block-posts-resume\">\n        <div class=\"container\">\n            <div class=\"title\">\n                <h2>Overview<\/h2>\n            <\/div>\n                <div class=\"content\" >\n                \n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Food production is responsible for approximately 30% of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with the vast majority of these emissions coming from ruminant livestock farming.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A diet primarily based on plant-based foods is associated with a 50% reduction in these GHG emissions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Studies show that this diet also reduces premature mortality, and its adoption would therefore lead to mutually beneficial outcomes for human health and the environment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n<p>It is well established that increasing dietary intake of plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds is associated with a reduced risk of developing several chronic diseases, including&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0735109717375216\">cardiovascular disease<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/journals.plos.org\/plosmedicine\/article?id=10.1371\/journal.pmed.1002039\">type 2 diabetes<\/a>, and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/ajcn.nutrition.org\/article\/S0002-9165(25)00328-4\/fulltext\">certain types of cancer<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another intrinsic and infrequently discussed benefit of a high intake of plant-based foods is its potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with food production. Globally, it is estimated that approximately 25% (and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s43016-021-00225-9\">up to 33% if food waste is taken into account<\/a>) of all GHG emissions come from food production and distribution, with the food sector involved in animal protein production being solely responsible for half of these GHG emissions. This is primarily due to methane produced by&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.fao.org\/news\/story\/fr\/item\/197623\/icode\/\">livestock<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41598-020-68231-8\">aquaculture<\/a>, which absorbs heat 28 times more effectively than CO<sub>2<\/sub>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A good way to visualize the impact of livestock farming on greenhouse gas (GHG) production is to compare the emissions associated with different animal and plant-based foods based on their protein content (Figure 1). These comparisons clearly show that livestock products, beef in particular, are a much larger source of GHGs than plant-based foods: for example, producing each gram of beef protein generates approximately 250 times more GHGs than the same amount of protein from legumes. Given that&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/cdnsciencepub.com\/doi\/10.1139\/apnm-2020-0760\">two-thirds of Canadians\u2019 daily protein<\/a>&nbsp;consumption comes from animal sources (meat, eggs, and dairy products), reducing our intake of these foods in favour of plant-based options is a concrete way to lessen the environmental impact of what we eat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"673\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/observatoireprevention.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/GES-foods-ENG-673x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-18411\" srcset=\"https:\/\/observatoireprevention.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/GES-foods-ENG-673x1024.jpg 673w, https:\/\/observatoireprevention.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/GES-foods-ENG-197x300.jpg 197w, https:\/\/observatoireprevention.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/GES-foods-ENG-768x1168.jpg 768w, https:\/\/observatoireprevention.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/GES-foods-ENG-1010x1536.jpg 1010w, https:\/\/observatoireprevention.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/GES-foods-ENG.jpg 1120w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 673px) 100vw, 673px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><strong>Figure 1. Comparison of GHG emissions generated during the production of animal and plant proteins.<\/strong>&nbsp;Global greenhouse gas emissions are expressed in CO<sub>2<\/sub>&nbsp;equivalents (CO<sub>2<\/sub>eq), i.e., by multiplying the quantities of the different GHGs (methane, nitrous oxide) by their warming potential relative to CO2 (28 times for methane and 298 times for nitrous oxide over a 100-year period). Note the significant share of emissions related to enteric fermentation in ruminants (cattle, in particular) and to manure management in the meat and poultry industry. For fish and seafood, it is primarily the decomposition of organic matter in aquaculture tanks and ponds that releases GHGs, mainly in the form of methane, while trawling causes pollution due to the carbon dioxide released during the disturbance of the seabed. Adapted from&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/nature13959\">Tilman and Clark (2014)<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Planetary Health Diet combines health promotion and environmental awareness<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the best examples of the merits of this approach is the Planetary Health Diet, developed by a multidisciplinary group of experts overseen by the British medical journal The Lancet (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thelancet.com\/journals\/lancet\/article\/PIIS0140-6736(25)01201-2\/abstract\">EAT-Lancet Commission<\/a>). Fundamentally, this diet aims to promote human health, which is why it prioritizes a high intake of plant-based foods such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes. Animal-based foods, on the other hand, occupy a place in this diet ranging from moderate (fish, eggs, dairy products) to low (meat, especially red meat) (Table 1). Overall, approximately 53% of calories come from complex carbohydrates, 35% from fats (mainly unsaturated), and 15% from protein, which roughly corresponds to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.canada.ca\/en\/health-canada\/services\/food-nutrition\/healthy-eating\/dietary-reference-intakes\/tables\/reference-values-macronutrients.html\">the reference values \u200b\u200bof Canada\u2019s Food Guide<\/a>. It should also be noted that the amount of protein provided by plants is greater than the minimum required to cover basic needs (10% of calories) and allows an adequate intake of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC6893534\/\">all essential amino acids<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-168\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-168\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1\">\n\t<th class=\"column-1\">Components<\/th><th class=\"column-2\">Recommended intake <br \/>\n(g \/day per 2500 kcal)<br \/>\n<\/th><th class=\"column-3\">Criteria for maximal PHD score (g\/day)*<\/th><th class=\"column-4\">Nutritional and environmental justifications<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-striping row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Plant foods<\/td><td class=\"column-2\"><\/td><td class=\"column-3\"><\/td><td class=\"column-4\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">1. Whole grains<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">210 (20-50 % of daily energy intake)<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">\u2265 75 g\/d (F)<br \/>\n\u2265 90 g \/d (M)<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Consuming whole grains, but not refined grains, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0002916523126955?via%3Dihub\">improves lipid profiles <\/a> and is associated with a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmj.com\/content\/382\/bmj-2022-073939\">reduced risk of obesity, <\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/bmjopen.bmj.com\/content\/12\/9\/e065426\">type 2 diabetes <\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmj.com\/content\/353\/bmj.i2716\">coronary heart disease<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/6602543\">colorectal cancer<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0002916522105186\">overall mortality<\/a>.<br \/>\nCereal production also generates approximately 30 times less greenhouse gas emissions than livestock farming.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">2. Tubers (e.g. potatoes)<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">50 (0-100)<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">\u2264 50<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Although potato cultivation has a relatively low GHG footprint, similar to that of cereals, the consumption of starchy vegetables is associated with a  higher risk of excess weight<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nejm.org\/doi\/full\/10.1056\/NEJMoa1014296\"><\/a> and of <a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC6689281\/\">type 2 diabetes<\/a>, compared to whole grains or non-starchy vegetables. This association appears to be stronger, however, for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmj.com\/content\/390\/bmj-2024-082121\">fried potatoes <\/a> than for plain potatoes.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">3. Vegetables<br \/>\n<br \/>\n4. Fruits<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">300 (200-600)<br \/>\n<br \/>\n200 (100-300)<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">\u2265 300<br \/>\n<br \/>\n\u2265 200<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">In addition to their positive impact on greenhouse gas emissions, fruits and vegetables are an essential source of numerous nutrients and phytochemicals. Their consumption is inversely proportional to the risks of <a href=\"https:\/\/journals.plos.org\/plosmedicine\/article?id=10.1371\/journal.pmed.1001878\">weight gain<\/a>,  <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/25377009\/\">type 2 diabetes <\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/ije\/article\/46\/3\/1029\/3039477\">coronary heart disease<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41416-021-01373-2\">certain cancers <\/a>(such as breast cancer), <a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC8448553\/\u00e0\">cognitive decline<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ahajournals.org\/doi\/10.1161\/CIRCULATIONAHA.120.048996\">overall mortality<\/a>.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">5. Tree nuts and peanuts<br \/>\n<br \/>\n6.Legumes (e.g., soy, beans, lentils, peas) and seeds (e.g., flaxseed, chia)<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">50 (0-75)<br \/>\n<br \/>\n75 (0-100)<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">\u2265 50<br \/>\n<br \/>\n\u2265 75<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Nuts, legumes, and seeds provide unsaturated fats, fiber, numerous micronutrients, and are excellent sources of protein, while generating approximately 250 times fewer greenhouse gas emissions than red meat. They have beneficial effects on  <a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC9930735\/\">blood lipids<\/a>, and their consumption has been associated with a reduced risk of <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/28392166\/\">type 2 diabetes<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0002916522007833\">coronary heart disease<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S2161831322013114\">overall mortality<\/a>.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-7\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Animal foods<\/td><td class=\"column-2\"><\/td><td class=\"column-3\"><\/td><td class=\"column-4\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-8\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">7. Dairy<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">250 (0-500)<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">\u2264 250<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Milk and dairy products have good nutritional value, but are high in saturated fats and  raise <a href=\"https:\/\/jamanetwork.com\/journals\/jamainternalmedicine\/fullarticle\/2821738\">LDL cholesterol <\/a> compared to unsaturated vegetable oils. However, some data suggest that consuming yogurt, and perhaps other fermented products, may be associated with a reduced risk of  <a href=\"https:\/\/bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com\/articles\/10.1186\/s12916-014-0215-1\">type 2 diabetes<\/a>.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-9\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">8. Poultry<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">30 (0-60)<br \/>\n(2 servings per week)<br \/>\n<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">\u2264 30<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Poultry meat has a polyunsaturated fat composition that falls between that of red meat and plant-based protein sources. Its greenhouse gas emissions are also intermediate, i.e. lower than that of red meat but higher than that of plant-based protein sources. In general, poultry consumption <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tandfonline.com\/doi\/full\/10.1080\/10408398.2021.1949575#abstract\">is not associated with an increased risk of chronic diseases <\/a> and it is suggested that poultry be preferred over red meat.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-10\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">9. Fish and seafood<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">30 (0-100)<br \/>\n(2 servings per week)<br \/>\n<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">\u2265 30<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Fish, shellfish, and other foods of aquatic animal origin are particularly important as a source of omega-3 fatty acids, which have been linked in several studies to a  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ahajournals.org\/doi\/10.1161\/01.cir.0000132503.19410.6b\">reduced risk of cardiovascular disease  <\/a>(but <a href=\"https:\/\/jamanetwork.com\/journals\/jama\/fullarticle\/2773120\">not in supplement form<\/a>). Although these foods have a high greenhouse gas emissions footprint, it appears that their cardioprotective effects do not require a high intake, at a maximum of just two 100g portions per week.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-11\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">10. Eggs<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">15 (0-25)<br \/>\n(2 per week)<br \/>\n<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">\u2264 15<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Eggs are a concentrated source of protein and essential nutrients, but are also high in dietary cholesterol. Nevertheless, most studies do not report a significant association between moderate egg consumption and  <a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC7138651\/\">the risk of cardiovascular disease.  <\/a>.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-12\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">11. Red\/processed meat (beef, lamb, pork)<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">15 (0-30)<br \/>\n(1 swerving per week)<br \/>\n<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">\u2264 15<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Red meat is rich in protein, but also high in saturated fat and cholesterol, and low in essential polyunsaturated fatty acids.<br \/>\nCompared to plant-based protein sources (e.g., nuts, soy, and other legumes), red meat consumption increases LDL cholesterol levels  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ahajournals.org\/doi\/10.1161\/CIRCULATIONAHA.118.035225\"><\/a>and is associated with an increased risk of  <a href=\"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/eurheartj\/article\/44\/28\/2626\/7188739\">coronary heart disease<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thelancet.com\/journals\/landia\/article\/PIIS2213-8587(24)00179-7\/fulltext\">type 2 diabetes <\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s10654-021-00741-9?utm_source=getftr&amp;utm_medium=getftr&amp;utm_campaign=getftr_pilot&amp;getft_integrator=sciencedirect_contenthosting\">colorectal cancer<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.neurology.org\/doi\/10.1212\/WNL.0000000000210286\">dementia<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmj.com\/content\/bmj\/357\/bmj.j1957.full.pdf\">premature death<\/a>, particularly with  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0002916522004282\">processed red meats <\/a> (e.g., deli meats). <br \/>\nIn addition to these negative health effects, red meat production also generates the highest greenhouse gas emissions.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-13\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><\/td><td class=\"column-2\"><\/td><td class=\"column-3\"><\/td><td class=\"column-4\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-14\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Fat and sugar <\/td><td class=\"column-2\"><\/td><td class=\"column-3\"><\/td><td class=\"column-4\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-15\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">12. Added unsaturated fats (e.g., olive, canola oils)<br \/>\n<br \/>\n13.Added saturated fats (butter, lard, tallow, palm or coconut oils)<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">40 (0-80)<br \/>\n(5-20 % of total energy intake)<br \/>\n<br \/>\n12 (0-12)<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">\u2265 20 % of total energy intake<br \/>\n<br \/>\n0% of total energy intake<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Unlike butter and other sources of saturated fat that raise LDL cholesterol levels, vegetable oils primarily contain unsaturated fatty acids that ower this cholesterol <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0939475321000028\">l,<\/a>and their consumption is strongly linked to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0261561422003557\">reduced risk of cardiometabolic disease and overall mortality<\/a>.<br \/>\nThe reference intake of approximately 20% of the recommended daily energy intake is similar to that of a Mediterranean diet, which has been repeatedly associated with  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nejm.org\/doi\/full\/10.1056\/NEJMoa1800389\">a reduced incidence of cardiovascular disease<\/a>.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-16\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><\/td><td class=\"column-2\"><\/td><td class=\"column-3\"><\/td><td class=\"column-4\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-17\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">14, Added or free sugars (e.g., fruit juices)<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">30 (0-30)<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">\u2264 5 % of total energy intake<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Added and free sugars provide no nutritional value and can be harmful if consumed in excess. Their consumption, particularly in the form of sugary drinks, has adverse cardiometabolic effects and has been positively associated with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41574-021-00627-6\">obesity<\/a>,  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmj.com\/content\/351\/bmj.h3576\">type 2 diabetes<\/a>,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S2161831322003672\"> coronary heart disease<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC8402166\/\">overall mortality<\/a>. <br \/>\nThe WHO recommends a maximum energy intake of free sugars corresponding to 5% of total calories.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<!-- #tablepress-168 from cache -->\n\n\n<p><strong>Table 1. Components of the Planetary Health Diet.<\/strong>&nbsp;* The scale used to establish the adherence score to the diet varies across studies, with some using 10 points for each component (for a maximum of 140 points), while others use 1 point per component (for a maximum of 14 points). Adapted from&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thelancet.com\/journals\/lancet\/article\/PIIS0140-6736(25)01201-2\/abstract\">Rockstr\u00f6m et al. (2025)<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/ajcn.nutrition.org\/article\/S0002-9165(24)00389-7\/fulltext\">Bui et al. (2024)<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In general, our current eating habits do not correspond to these recommendations, and in most cases, even go in the opposite direction: we eat 7 times more red meat, 3 times more poultry and 2 times more dairy products than those suggested by the planetary diet, while the intake of vegetables, particularly whole grains, is well below the recommendations (Figure 2).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"887\" src=\"https:\/\/observatoireprevention.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Intake-vs-ref-ENG-1024x887.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-18414\" srcset=\"https:\/\/observatoireprevention.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Intake-vs-ref-ENG-1024x887.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/observatoireprevention.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Intake-vs-ref-ENG-300x260.jpg 300w, https:\/\/observatoireprevention.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Intake-vs-ref-ENG-768x666.jpg 768w, https:\/\/observatoireprevention.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Intake-vs-ref-ENG-1536x1331.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/observatoireprevention.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Intake-vs-ref-ENG.jpg 1904w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><strong>Figure 2. Differences between current diets and the Planetary Health Diet<\/strong>. The values \u200b\u200brepresent the comparison (in %) of the intake of each food category measured in North America in 2020 and those recommended by the Planetary Health Diet (dotted line). From&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thelancet.com\/journals\/lancet\/article\/PIIS0140-6736(25)01201-2\/abstract\">Rockstr\u00f6m et al. (2025).<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mutual benefits<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The term \u201cplanetary diet\u201d comes from data showing that its adoption would significantly reduce not only the risk of premature death, but also the greenhouse gas emissions associated with food production (Figure 3).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The planetary diet can therefore be considered a \u201cwin-win\u201d eating pattern, beneficial for both human health and the environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"826\" src=\"https:\/\/observatoireprevention.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/GES-vs-PDH-ENG-1024x826.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-18417\" srcset=\"https:\/\/observatoireprevention.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/GES-vs-PDH-ENG-1024x826.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/observatoireprevention.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/GES-vs-PDH-ENG-300x242.jpg 300w, https:\/\/observatoireprevention.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/GES-vs-PDH-ENG-768x620.jpg 768w, https:\/\/observatoireprevention.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/GES-vs-PDH-ENG-1536x1239.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/observatoireprevention.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/GES-vs-PDH-ENG.jpg 1842w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><strong>Figure 3. Mutual benefits of the planetary diet on human health and the environment.<\/strong>\u00a0Modelling the effects of greater population adherence to the planetary diet (reflected by an increase in the score) suggests that over a 20-year period, a halving of GHG emissions associated with food production would be correlated with a significant reduction in premature mortality. Adapted from\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thelancet.com\/journals\/lanplh\/article\/PIIS2542-5196(21)00250-3\/fulltext\">Laine et al. (2021)<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These benefits of the planetary diet have just been confirmed by\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC12412635\/\">a study<\/a>\u00a0showing that people who adhere most strongly to the diet see their risk of premature total mortality from cancer or from cardiovascular disease significantly reduced compared to those who adhere the least to these recommendations (Figure 3).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"994\" src=\"https:\/\/observatoireprevention.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Mortalite-PHD-ENG-1024x994.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-18419\" srcset=\"https:\/\/observatoireprevention.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Mortalite-PHD-ENG-1024x994.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/observatoireprevention.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Mortalite-PHD-ENG-300x291.jpg 300w, https:\/\/observatoireprevention.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Mortalite-PHD-ENG-768x746.jpg 768w, https:\/\/observatoireprevention.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Mortalite-PHD-ENG.jpg 1522w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><strong>Figure 4. Association between planetary regime adherence scores and mortality risk.\u00a0<\/strong>Data were collected from 42,947 participants in the US NHANES cohort conducted by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Adapted from\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC12412635\/\">Wang et al. (2025)<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A meta-analysis of all studies that examined the impact of the planetary diet also shows a reduced risk of several specific diseases, including colorectal cancer (13% reduction), lung cancer (32%), coronary heart disease (17%), diabetes (26%), and stroke (16%). These results are consistent with the observation that the planetary diet is among those most closely associated with&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41591-025-03570-5\">healthy aging<\/a>, remaining free from major chronic diseases, and without impairment of cognitive, physical, or mental health (<a href=\"https:\/\/observatoireprevention.org\/en\/2025\/08\/06\/what-to-eat-to-age-in-good-health\/\">see our article on this topic<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In short, there are only benefits to increasing our intake of plant-based foods, both for our health and for the health of the planet.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A diet rich in plant-based foods is associated with both increased life expectancy and a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":18222,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1560,1567,1602,1601],"tags":[],"coauthors":[1619],"class_list":["post-18409","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-climate-change","category-environment","category-plant-based-products","category-vegetarianism"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Eat better, pollute less | Observatoire de la pr\u00e9vention de l&#039;Institut de Cardiologie de Montr\u00e9al<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/observatoireprevention.org\/en\/2026\/01\/06\/eat-better-pollute-less\/\" 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