The ‘planetary health diet’ that could slash your risk of early death by 27%

YOUR diet significantly impacts your ability to live a long and healthy life, reducing the risk of chronic disease like cancer, heart disease, and neurodegenerative disorders.

Researchers have now highlighted the benefits of one particular diet that could prevent around 15 million deaths across the globe each year.

The planetary health diet is linked to a 27 per cent reduced risk of premature death, as well as lower levels of heart disease, cancer, diabetes and other chronic diseases, a report from 2025 Eat-Lancet Commission said.

Researchers wrote: “At present, all national diets deviate substantially from the planetary health diet, but a shift to this pattern could avert approximately 15 million deaths per year (27 per cent of total deaths worldwide).

“Such a transition would reduce the rates of many specific non-communicable diseases and promote healthy longevity.”

This diet is mostly made up whole grains, fruit, vegetables, nuts and legumes, with only moderate or small amounts of fish, dairy and meat.

It recommends people eat whole grains (around 150g or three to four servings per day), fruit and vegetables (500g or at least five servings per day), nuts (25g or one serving/a small handful per day), and legumes (75g or one serving per day).

Try adding the following five foods to your diet today for a powerful plat-forward start:

• Leafy green vegetables, such as spinach
• Berries, such as blueberries
• Whole grains, like oats
• Legumes, such as lentils
• Nuts, such as walnuts 

The diet can include moderate intake of animal foods such as red meat (up to 200g or one serving per week), poultry (up to 400g or two servings per week), fish (up to 700g or two servings per week), eggs (three to four per week), and dairy (up to 500g per day or one serving of milk, yoghurt or cheese per day).

Added sugars, saturated fats and salt – often found in processed foods – should be limited.

Experts also pointed to the environmental benefits of the diet, saying it could reduce demand for resource-intensive foods such as red meat, thereby cutting greenhouse gas emissions and land and water use.

Dr Helen Croker, assistant director of research and policy at the World Cancer Research Fund, said: “The commission provides welcome clarity on the vital challenge of supporting healthy diets which are sustainable and accessible to all globally.

“The planetary health diet set out in this report is associated with improved health outcomes – and research that we have funded also supports such a diet for people after a cancer diagnosis.

“It’s heartening that healthy diets can align with the most sustainable globally, but now we need to see countries implementing policies to improve access to them.”

Another diet linked to increased longevity and living longer is the Mediterranean diet.

Like the Planetary Health Diet, the Mediterranean diet focuses on mostly whole foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. 

It also recommends using olive oil as your primary fat, including  fish, poultry, and dairy (like yogurt and cheese) in moderation, and limiting red meat, sweets and processed foods.

A number of studies have linked the diet to improved cognitive function and reduced risk of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.

And a 2024 study in JAMA Internal Medicine found that women adhering closely to a plant-based Mediterranean diet had a 23 per cent lower risk of dying from any cause. 

Source: bing.com