Two plant-based eating plans—the Planetary Health Diet and the Mediterranean Diet—offer strong benefits for your health and the planet. A new study from the European Society of Cardiology revealed that both diets lower the risk of early death by over 20% and have a minimal environmental footprint.
Health and Diet: A Life-Or-Death Matter
Heart disease remains a top cause of death. But what you eat can change that. In fact, scientists say that one in five early deaths in Europe could be avoided with better diets. That means thousands of lives saved each year by simply changing what goes on your plate.
The research team, led by Dr. Mercedes Sotos Prieto, studied two popular plant-based diets. They looked at how these diets affect death rates and the environment. Dr. Sotos Prieto, from the Autonomous University of Madrid, explained the reason behind the study. “The Planetary Health Diet was designed to improve diet quality while reducing harm to the environment,” she said. “But we didn’t know how it compared to the Mediterranean Diet, which is already known for its benefits.”
Two Diets, One Goal
The Planetary Health Diet (PHD) aims for about 2,500 calories each day. It encourages eating a lot of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and healthy oils. It limits foods like red meat, saturated fats, and added sugars and allows moderate amounts of fish, poultry, and dairy.
The Mediterranean Diet is rich in seasonal fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and olive oil. It includes more white meat than red and only moderate amounts of fish, eggs, and dairy. These two diets share many parts but differ in the amounts and types of animal-based foods.
To test the diets, the researchers used data from a Spanish health study called ENRICA. They looked at food habits from over 11,000 adults between 18 and 96 years old. About half were women. Researchers followed them for more than 14 years on average. During that time, 1,157 people died from various causes.
Measuring the Impact
Researchers scored each person’s diet. For the PHD, scores ranged from 0 to 140. They measured intake across 15 food types—things like whole grains, dairy, legumes, and types of fats. The Mediterranean Diet used a 14-point scale, rating things like olive oil use and low soda intake.
The team then compared the top third of participants—those who followed each diet most closely—to the bottom third. People who stuck most closely to the PHD had a 22% lower chance of dying than those who followed it the least. Those who closely followed the Mediterranean Diet had a 21% lower chance of dying.
Some foods showed even stronger links to longer life. For the PHD, that included more fruits, dairy, and healthy fats. For the Mediterranean Diet, nuts and avoiding pastries and sugary drinks made a difference.
Dr. Sotos Prieto explained, “Higher adherence to both diets was similarly associated with lower all-cause mortality and with comparable low environmental impact.”
A Diet That’s Good for the Earth
The benefits weren’t limited to health. The researchers also checked the environmental cost of each diet. They used a tool called the SHARP-Indicators Database, which tracks things like greenhouse gas emissions and land use.
The PHD led to 4.15 kilograms of CO₂ emissions per person per day. It used 5.54 square meters of land daily. The Mediterranean Diet, when it included dairy, caused slightly more emissions—4.36 kilograms per day—and used 5.43 square meters of land. The results were close. Both diets had low environmental impacts. Dairy and meat made up most of the environmental cost in both diets.
The takeaway? Eating more plants and fewer animal products helps the planet. It reduces emissions and saves land. This becomes even more important as the world faces climate change and shrinking natural resources.
Diet and Daily Life
This study didn’t just rely on theory. It used real data from real people over many years. The average age of the study group was 47.5 years. That means the results apply to a wide range of adults, from young adults to the elderly.
The diets weren’t extreme. They reflect habits people can adopt in daily life. Using olive oil, eating more fruits and legumes, and reducing red meat and soda are changes most people can make.
The message is clear. You don’t need a strict diet to see big benefits. Following either the Planetary Health Diet or the Mediterranean Diet more closely can help you live longer—and help protect the environment while you’re at it.
One Step Toward a Healthier World
With the threat of climate change growing, food choices matter more than ever. The food industry contributes heavily to global warming. Cutting down on animal products can shrink that impact.
At the same time, more people are dying early from preventable diseases. Heart disease, diabetes, and obesity all connect to poor diets. Choosing a better way to eat can fight those problems. Dr. Sotos Prieto stressed this point. “The results highlight the substantial health and planetary advantages of adopting one of these plant-based diets.”
These two diets show that simple, everyday food choices can bring powerful benefits. Whether you prefer the more flexible PHD or the traditional Mediterranean pattern, either choice supports better health and a healthier Earth.
