11/23/2025
SUSTAINABLE DIETS HAVE MORE NUTRIENTS
The Planetary Health Diet was proposed by the EAT-Lancet commission, a prestigious medical journal, in 2019, to ensure healthy and sustainable eating. It is an almost entirely plant-based diet, with only 1 piece of meat/fish/egg per day at most, and only 1 serving of dairy per day, which is entirely optional, as there are vegetarian and vegan versions of the diet.
Researchers reviewed hundreds of publications and concluded that it is not possible to achieve climate goals without profoundly altering the food system.
This diet has been shown to reduce the risk of multiple chronic diseases.
However, questions have been raised regarding its nutritional adequacy.
This study analyzed 9,671 british people in a national survey, beginning in 2008, about their adherence to the Planetary Health Diet and the Mediterranean Diet, with special emphasis on groups such as women of childbearing age and adolescents, and blood samples were collected.
Adherence to the Planetary Health Diet revealed greater adequacy in the analyzed nutrient levels when compared to official recommendations.
These nutrients were: fiber, carbohydrates, free sugars, total fat, saturated fat, thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), vitamin B6, folate (B9), vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin D, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc, copper, selenium, and iodine. Vitamin B12 would require a supplement to be adequate.
The EAT-Lancet Planetary Health Diet (PHD) has been designed to benefit both human and planetary health, but questions remain regarding its nutritional adequacy.