Recycling, taking public transportation and living a sustainable lifestyle are just a few ways to help the environment, but did you know we can also help save the planet by changing our diet?
People can lower their own carbon footprints by eating less red meat, fewer sweets and drinking less tea, coffee and alcoholic beverages, according to a study published Nov. 23 in the scientific journal PLOS ONE.
“We all want to do our bit to help save the planet and the decisions we make can contribute to that cause,” said lead author Dr. Holly Rippin, a post-doctoral researcher at Leeds’ School of Medicine.
Rippin and other researchers studied greenhouse gas emissions associated with the manufacture and transportation of various foods and brands, as well as the nutrients in those foods, using the World Health Organization Recommended Nutrient Intake standards.
They then analyzed the food and beverage consumption of 212 adults recorded online over three 24-hour periods.
The study found that non-vegetarian diets produced 59% more greenhouse gas emissions than vegetarian diets. Men’s diets were found to contribute 41% more greenhouse gases than women’s diets, primarily due to greater meat intake.
It also discovered that people who ate the recommended daily amounts of saturated fats, carbs and sodium contributed fewer greenhouse gas emissions than people who ate less healthy diets.
“Obesity-related disease and disability are big problems in most Western countries,” said Janet Cade, a professor from the University’s School of Food Science and Nutrition. “This detailed study confirms that diets that are better for the planet’s health are better for our own personal health too.”
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