The Mediterranean diet, an environmentally friendly option: evidence from the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra (SUN) cohort

Fresán, Ujué; Martínez-González, M Á; Sabaté, Joan; Bes–Rastrollo, Maira

doi:10.1017/s1368980017003986

Cited by 60 publications

(62 citation statements)

References 66 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…These considerations are in line with the results from the few reports using empirical data from cohort studies. A previous study conducted on the SUN cohort (including Spanish individuals) sharing similar methodology showed that better adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with lower land use, water consumption, energy consumption, and GHG emissions in a linear manner [32]. In a prospective observation, the findings were confirmed, as both a Mediterranean and a pro-vegetarian dietary pattern would exert the best health benefits and the lowest environmental effects; notably, the Western pattern was the most affordable while the Mediterranean pattern was the most expensive choice [40].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The environmental impact of the food items collected in the FFQ was based on a dataset previously described [32]. Briefly, the assessment of the natural resources (i.e., water, land, and energy) use and GHG emissions of each food product had been assessed based on secondary data, collected from several scientific sources (please see Supplementary Materials) [32]. The system boundaries had been food production and processing (except for land use, which included crops and livestock production, but not land related to food processing).…”

Section: Environmental Variablesmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Environmental Impact of Dietary Choices: Role of the Mediterranean and Other Dietary Patterns in an Italian Cohort

Grosso

Fresán

Bes–Rastrollo

et al. 2020

IJERPH

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: Current scientific literature suggests healthy dietary patterns may have less environmental impact than current consumption patterns, but most of the studies rely on theoretical modeling. The aim of this study was to assess the impact on resources (land, water, and energy) use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of healthy dietary patterns in a sample of Italian adults. Methods: Participants (n = 1806) were recruited through random sampling in the city of Catania, southern Italy. Dietary consumption was assessed through a validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ); dietary patterns were calculated through dietary scores. The specific environmental footprints of food item production/processing were obtained from various available life-cycle assessments; a sustainability score was created based on the impact of the four environmental components calculated. Results: The contribution of major food groups to the environmental footprint showed that animal products (dairy, egg, meat, and fish) represented more than half of the impact on GHG emissions and energy requirements; meat products were the stronger contributors to GHG emissions and water use, while dairy products to energy use, and cereals to land use. All patterns investigated, with the exception of the Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH), were linearly associated with the sustainability score. Among the components, higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet and Alternate Diet Quality Index (AHEI) was associated with lower GHG emissions, dietary quality index-international (DQI-I) with land use, while Nordic diet with land and water use. Conclusions: In conclusion, the adoption of healthy dietary patterns involves less use of natural resources and GHG emissions, representing eco-friendlier options in Italian adults.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Environmental Variablesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental Impact of Dietary Choices: Role of the Mediterranean and Other Dietary Patterns in an Italian Cohort

Grosso

Fresán

Bes–Rastrollo

et al. 2020

IJERPH

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The effect of adherence to the MD on water use and GHG found in this study corroborates with findings of reports from other countries which showed similar negative associations of adherence to the MD with water use and GHGs. For instance, in Spain, an analysis of EFPs associated with food consumption among 20,363 adults showed that better adherence to the MD was associated with lower water use and GHG emissions [14]. A study in Italy showed that adherence to the MD would result not only in health benefits but also significant reductions in the environmental food footprint on natural resources, especially water consumption [50].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Food production, distribution, and consumption are arguably the major human activities with a direct impact not only on human health but also on environmental sustainability [11]. Environmental footprints (EFPs) characterized by land, water, and energy use, along with greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, are the major environmental impacts of personal food consumption and are expected to become even more prominent with the rapidly growing human population [12][13][14]. As such, both health and environmental perspectives need to be accounted for when re-forming food systems and dietary patterns [1,[15][16][17], giving rise to the notion of sustainable diets.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mediterranean Diet and Its Environmental Footprints Amid Nutrition Transition: The Case of Lebanon

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Many Mediterranean countries, including Lebanon, are experiencing a shift in food consumption away from the traditional Mediterranean diet (MD), concomitant with the escalating burden of non-communicable diseases and dwindling environmental resources. Objective: to examine the adherence to the MD and its association with environmental footprints (EFPs), including water use, energy use, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, among Lebanese adults. Data of Lebanese adults were drawn from the national food consumption survey (n = 2610). Assessment of dietary intake was conducted using a food-frequency questionnaire. Adherence to the MD was examined using four published MD scores. Metrics for the EFPs were calculated using a review of existing life cycle assessments (LCAs). For all MD scores, less than 13% of participants were in the highest tertile. After adjustments for covariates, two of the MD scores were associated with lower water use. For GHG, significant inverse associations were observed with all MD scores. Energy use was not associated with MD scores. Overall, low adherence to the MD among Lebanese adults was observed, together with an inverse association between adherence to the MD and water use and GHG emissions. These findings support and enforce ongoing efforts that aim to increase adherence to the MD in order to address health issues, as well as tackle environmental sustainability.

show abstract

“…This is primarily because the production of animal-derived foods, especially beef, generate a bigger carbon footprint than the production of plant foods [22]. In fact, among those who consume animal-based products, these foods are the major contributors to the carbon footprint of their diets [23].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Meat Analogs from Different Protein Sources: A Comparison of Their Sustainability and Nutritional Content

et al. 2019

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Meat analogs are processed foods designed to mimic meat products. Their popularity is increasing among people seeking foods that are healthy and sustainable. Animal-sourced protein products differ in both their environmental impact and nutritional composition. The protein sources to produce meat analogs come from different plants. There is a lack of published research data assessing differences in these two aspects of meat analogs according to the plant protein source. This study compared the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of different types of meat analogs according to their main source of protein (wheat, soy, wheat and soy, or nuts), and their nutritional composition. We also compared totally plant-based products with those containing egg. We performed life cycle analyses of 56 meat analogs from ingredient production to the final commercial product. The nutrient profile of the meat analogs was analyzed based on ingredients. Descriptive statistics and differences between means were assessed through t-test and ANOVA. No differences in GHG emissions were observed among products with different major sources of protein. However, egg-containing products produced significantly higher amounts of GHG (p < 0.05). The nutritional composition of all meat analogs was found to be quite similar. Altogether, total plant-based meat analogs should be the choice for the sake of the environment.

show abstract

The Mediterranean diet, an environmentally friendly option: evidence from the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra (SUN) cohort

Abstract: In this Mediterranean cohort, better adherence to the MedDiet was an eco-friendly option according to resource consumption and GHG emission.

Cited by 60 publications

References 66 publications

Environmental Impact of Dietary Choices: Role of the Mediterranean and Other Dietary Patterns in an Italian Cohort

Environmental Impact of Dietary Choices: Role of the Mediterranean and Other Dietary Patterns in an Italian Cohort

Mediterranean Diet and Its Environmental Footprints Amid Nutrition Transition: The Case of Lebanon

Meat Analogs from Different Protein Sources: A Comparison of Their Sustainability and Nutritional Content

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About