As the world grapples with the urgent need to protect human health, combat climate change and protect biodiversity, the food we eat has come under scrutiny. Unhealthy diets are a major contributor to the global burden of disease. And food systems are a major driver of climate change and environmental degradation.
Deficiencies in essential vitamins and minerals (often called micronutrients) are prevalent throughout the world. Young children, women of reproductive age, the elderly, and especially those in low-income countries are most at risk. Micronutrient deficiencies can lead to serious health problems such as reduced growth and development, decreased immunity, and increased mortality. Climate change is exacerbating the problem by reducing the micronutrient content of staple food crops that make up a large portion of most diets around the world.
Experts are exploring ways to create food systems that can provide sustainable diets that nourish the world's growing population without destroying the planet. Eco-friendly diets such as EAT-Lancet's Planetary Health Diet aim to address this challenge. Such diets typically recommend increasing foods of unrefined plant origin and significantly limiting foods of animal origin. However, there are concerns that they do not meet all the micronutrient needs of the population, especially young children, women of reproductive age, and the elderly.
A new systematic review published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition sheds light on the potential unintended consequences of a green diet. This review shows that dietary changes to reduce environmental impact generally lead to lower intakes and status of key micronutrients such as zinc, calcium, iodine, vitamin B12, vitamin A, and vitamin D. It turns out. This was the first systematic review of the impact of reducing environmental impact. A greener diet with regard to micronutrient intake and status.
Although these unintended consequences are alarming, the authors reported several challenges with conducting their analysis. Data were difficult to synthesize due to inconsistencies across studies. Few studies reported gender-specific results, and few included pregnant and lactating women. Few studies included information on food fortification, i.e., the addition of synthetic micronutrients to widely consumed foods. Nutritional fortification is practiced in more than 147 countries worldwide and is essential to consider when assessing dietary micronutrient intake.
So what can we do now to provide an environmentally friendly and nutritionally sound diet?
Increase your intake of unrefined, plant-based foods rich in micronutrients, such as dark green leafy vegetables, legumes, and seeds.
Moderately, rather than severely restricting, the intake of animal foods rich in bioavailable micronutrients improves the sustainability of their production.
Fortify staple foods. Large-scale fortification of staple foods and seasonings (such as flour, edible oils, and salt) is a cost-effective way to deliver needed micronutrients to vulnerable populations without changing dietary patterns and with minimal environmental impact. It has been shown to be a highly effective method.
Biofortify staple crops. Crop biofortification (also called nutrient fortification) is the use of conventional plant breeding, agricultural practices, or biotechnology to increase the nutrient density of crops. Common biofortified foods include orange sweet potatoes, iron-rich beans, and zinc-rich wheat. In addition to being rich in micronutrients, biofortified crops are bred to be more climate-tolerant and able to withstand environmental stresses.
Conduct more (and better) research to inform future policy. Future research on the effects of green diets on micronutrients will require rigorous and consistent methods, including measuring biomarkers of micronutrient deficiencies, accounting for micronutrient bioavailability, and the effects of fortification. must be used.
Protecting the planet and human health is one of the most urgent and important challenges of our time. However, in doing so, you must consider the trade-offs that exist and strive to find solutions that minimize unintended consequences. Collaboration between scientists, policy makers, and program implementers across the environmental and nutrition sectors is essential to develop and implement effective evidence-based solutions. Together, we can build a food system that provides sustainable diets that nourish both the planet and people for generations to come.
Articles like the one you just read are made possible through the generosity of Food Tank members. Would you like to join our growing movement? Click here to become a member today.
Photo by Ken Mages on Unsplash