Food production accounts for around 30 percent of global human-made greenhouse gas emissions.
For this reason, the Nordic dietary guidelines were updated in 2023 with a focus on both health and climate.
The guidelines recommend eating less meat and less added sugar while increasing the intake of whole grains, legumes, fish, and low-fat dairy products.
The goal is to adopt eating habits that benefit the body while placing less strain on the climate.
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According to Aarhus University, this is the first time the overall health effects of the new recommendations have been examined.
76,000 participants
The study is based on data from more than 76,000 Swedish men and women who have reported on their diet and lifestyle in two large population-based surveys since 1997.
The findings were published in The Journal of Nutrition.
Researchers measured how closely participants adhered to the new dietary guidelines and compared this with their mortality over time.
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Factors such as education, income, and physical activity were taken into account.
This provides a more accurate picture of whether diet itself plays a role.
Lower mortality
The study published in The Journal of Nutrition shows that individuals who adhered most closely to the dietary guidelines had a 23 percent lower risk of death during the study period compared with those who adhered the least.
There were also fewer deaths from cancer and cardiovascular disease.
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At the same time, the researchers emphasize that further studies are needed to understand how this dietary pattern affects conditions such as type 2 diabetes and obesity.
Sources: Science Daily, Aarhus Universitet, and The Journal of Nutrition.
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