Small changes in diet to improve health and help save planet

Researchers from the University of Michigan evaluated 5,800 foods and created a ranking of their impact on human health and the environment, Nature Food reported.

Giving up 10 percent of daily calories from beef and processed meats (sausages, bacon) can have a significant effect. If you replace them with calories from fruits, vegetables, legumes and seafood, you can get 48 extra minutes of healthy life a day, and the greenhouse gas emissions associated with one person's diet would be reduced by a third.

The scientists used newly developed dietary indices in their work. They reflect the number of healthy minutes associated with eating different foods. For example, a hot dog might reduce 36 minutes of healthy life per day, while a serving of nuts instead would add 26 minutes. 

When evaluating the environmental impact of food, the environmental impact of its production, processing, waste, and several other factors were taken into account.

The most environmentally and health-friendly foods were nuts, fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and seafood. The most harmful and dangerous are various types of meat (beef, pork, and lamb), including processed meat.

The authors of the study recommend that everyone choose foods that are both healthy and have a minimal negative impact on the environment. They believe that the targeted substitution of some unhealthy foods for healthy ones can have a huge effect.

Follow NEWS.am Medicine on Facebook and Twitter