New Delhi, Oct 3 (NationPress) A plant-based diet, rich in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, along with moderate consumption of foods like poultry and eggs, can significantly enhance human health and diminish the risk of chronic diseases. Moreover, it contributes to a healthier planet by minimizing the effects on climate change and biodiversity loss, as highlighted in a recent report by the Lancet Commission.

The report emphasizes that food systems are pivotal in addressing the world's most pressing issues, including chronic diseases, increasing inequality, climate change, and biodiversity loss.

Food production is a major factor in environmental degradation, responsible for nearly 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to climate change, biodiversity loss, land use changes, freshwater depletion, nutrient pollution, and the introduction of substances like pesticides and antibiotics.

Conversely, adopting the Planetary Health Diet (PHD)—a flexible, plant-centric dietary framework—provides a clear, evidence-based objective for a sustainable and equitable food future.

This health-focused, plant-rich diet, when paired with global initiatives to halve food loss and waste, can enhance public health, rejuvenate planetary health, and ensure sufficient food for an anticipated global population of 9.6 billion by 2050, according to the research team.

The findings suggest that transforming global food systems and dietary habits could avert around 15 million premature deaths annually by decreasing the incidence of chronic diseases associated with unhealthy diets, such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

“Food systems are a significant factor in many of today’s crises, yet they hold the key to resolving them,” stated Shakuntala Haraksingh Thilsted, the Commission co-chair and director for nutrition, health, and food security at the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR).

“The insights presented in our report are unmistakable: the world must act decisively and fairly to ensure sustainable progress. The decisions we make today will influence the health of people and the planet for generations to come,” she added.

The PHD, first proposed in 2019, advocates for flexible, plant-rich diets that include whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes. While the diet allows for moderate consumption of animal-sourced foods such as red meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy, it also emphasizes limiting added sugars, saturated fats, and salt to mitigate diet-related chronic diseases.

The report links adherence to the PHD with notable reductions in the risk of major chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, and obesity, resulting in an estimated 27% lower risk of premature death—equating to the prevention of about 15 million premature deaths annually worldwide compared to current dietary patterns.