Proposal of a dietary pattern able to optimize cardiovascular disease prevention and mitigate climate change.

Highlights
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The study proposes a diet able to optimize CVD prevention and mitigate climate change.
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The desirable diet is based on evidence from meta-analyses of prospective studies with CV endpoints.
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According to the EFSA guidelines, the desirable diet is nutritionally adequate.
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Compared to the current Europeans’ diet, the desirable diet has a 50% lower Carbon footprint.
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The study provides a tool to inform appropriate food choices within the ‘one health’ approach.


Background and Aims

Human and planetary health are inextricably interconnected through food systems. Food choices account for 50% of all deaths for cardiovascular disease (CVD) – the leading cause of death in Europe – and food systems generate up to 37% of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Methods and Results

A dietary pattern able to optimize CVD prevention was identified through a systematic evaluation of the evidence linking the consumption of foods to the risk of CVD in meta-analyses of prospective studies. This dietary pattern was compared to the current diet of the European population. The nutritional adequacy of both diets was evaluated according to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recommended nutrients intake for the adult population, and their environmental impact was evaluated in terms of Carbon footprint (CF).
As compared to the current diet, the desirable diet includes higher intakes of fruit, vegetables, wholegrains, low Glycemic Index (GI) cereals, nuts, legumes and fish, and lower amounts of beef, butter, high GI cereals or potatoes and sugar. The proposed diet provides appropriate intakes of all nutrients and matches better than the current Europeans’ one the EFSA requirements. Furthermore, the CF of the proposed diet is 48.6% lower than that of the current Europeans’ diet.

Conclusion

The transition towards a dietary pattern designed to optimize CVD prevention would improve the nutritional profile of the habitual diet in Europe and, at the same time, contribute to mitigate climate change by reducing the GHG emissions linked to food consumption almost by half.

Keywords
CVD preventionGHG emissionsdietary patternsustainability

Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0939475322003271