Paleo, keto and ‘climatarian’ diets have lower carbon footprints than standard U.S. diet

Twenty-six percent of the United States ’ total greenhouse gas emissions comes from food production and consumption. So what people choose to eat matters — to personal health and to the global climate.A new UCLA study published in the journal Nutrients finds that diets centered on plants and unprocessed foods benefit the health of both people and the planet.The study analyzed six diets: standard American, Mediterranean, vegan, paleo and keto, as well as “climatarian” — a diet that minimizes the consumption of red meats and other foods, such as out-of-season produce, that have large carbon footprints.Carbon dioxide emissions associated with food come mainly from production, transportation and disposal in landfills, rather than from the food itself. The study ’s authors quantified the carbon emissions associated with each of the six diets by using previously published research and a database that tracks foods by their carbon emissions. They analyzed the food consumed in a typical day following each diet, limiting the study to foods that are available i n North America, and then standardized the data to 2,000 calories per day.Their findings:DietDescriptionCarbon emissions per day per personEquivalent carbon emissions in distance driven by carStandard AmericanFive main food groups; no reduction of salt, sugar, saturated fats or processed food.5.8 to 18 pounds6.5 to 20 milesMediterraneanFocused on whole grains, fruit and vegetables, fish and olive oil; includes animal ...
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news