Is a diet low in greenhouse gas emissions a nutritious diet?

Alpro Foundation Supported Research

Prof. Katarina Bälter, Professor of Public Health, Mälardalens University, Sweden

Climate change is an urgent global issue which will increasingly affect human health. The food sector is an important contributor to greenhouse gas emissions (GHGe) which have a global warming effect. Between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to cause approximately 250,000 additional deaths per year, from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhoea and heat stress. Therefore, it is important to take action to reduce sources of GHGe.

Study overview

In 2014 Alpro Foundation supported, for the first time, research focusing on sustainable diets. Dr. Katarina Bälter (Professor of Public Health at Mälardalens University in Sweden) led the research investigating whether a more sustainable diet (in terms of lower GHGe) can also be nutritionally adequate.(1) The funded research resulted in a total of three publications.(1,2,3)

The researchers assessed the environmental impact of diets based on food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) data from over 5,000 participants in the Swedish LifeGene pilot-study. They calculated the carbon footprint of the diets in CO2eq using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) data and the intake of specific nutrients associated with vegetables, fruits, meat and dairy products.

For the analysis, the diets were divided into four quartiles of CO2eq to compare the nutrient intakes of the highest vs. lowest GHGe diets.

Key findings

When assessing the environmental impact of dietary data, the researchers observed:

• The average dietary GHGe was 1.7 tonnes CO2eq per year

• Dietary GHGe were higher for male participants due to higher intakes of red meat and overall calories

• Dietary GHGe increased with age for both genders

In general, diets with high GHGe included more beef, pork and dairy products and diets higher in plant-based foods such as roots, beans, grains, vegetables and fruit generated the least GHGe.

The median nutrient intakes for the lowest GHGe diets were in line with the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations for most macro and micro-nutrients. Only the lowest GHGe diets met the recommendations for fibre intake.

There were no significant differences in overall energy intake or iron intake between the highest and lowest GHGe diets. However, there were several small but statistically significant differences in nutrient intakes:

• Low GHGe diets were higher in carbohydrates, polyunsaturated fat, fibre, and β-carotene but lower in fat and saturated fat

• High GHGe diets had higher intakes of protein (mainly animal-based), mono-unsaturated fat, calcium, zinc and vitamins B12, D, C, and folate

“Overall, it is possible to eat both a climate friendly and nutritious diet”

Prof. Bälter

Conclusions

The results show that diets with a lower carbon footprint do not compromise nutritional quality.

This work was also supported by grants from the Swedish Research Council, and Riksbankens Jubileumsfond

Read the publication.

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