Living Longer and Saving the Planet: The Dual Benefits of Following Swedish Dietary Guidelines
The research paper delves into the profound impact of adhering to the Swedish dietary guidelines on both individual longevity and environmental sustainability. The authors found that those who closely followed these guidelines had a lower risk of mortality. In simple terms, they lived longer. The guidelines, which include recommendations like eating more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and limiting intake of red and processed meats, not only promote health but also contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The paper also highlights the environmental implications of our dietary choices. It was found that those who adhered to the guidelines had dietary greenhouse gas emissions that were 13% lower than those who didn't. This is a significant finding, as it suggests that individual dietary choices can have a substantial impact on the environment.
In conclusion, the paper underscores the dual benefits of following the Swedish dietary guidelines - promoting longevity and contributing to climate change mitigation. It emphasizes that our dietary choices can serve as a powerful tool for both personal health and environmental sustainability.
Article Information
Adherence to the Swedish Dietary Guidelines and the Impact on Mortality and Climate in a Population-Based Cohort Study
Published in: Public Health Nutrition. Sjörs C et al.
Abstract
Objective: To assess the associations between adherence to the Swedish dietary guidelines and all-cause mortality and thus assessing the index’ ability to predict health outcomes, as well as levels of dietary greenhouse gas emissions (GHGEs).
Design: A longitudinal study 1990–2016 within the population-based cohort Västerbotten Intervention Programme. Dietary data were based on food frequency questionnaires. Diet quality was assessed by the Swedish Healthy Eating Index for Adults 2015 (SHEIA15), based on the 2015 Swedish dietary guidelines. Dietary GHGEs were estimated from life cycle assessment data including emissions from farm to industry gate. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of all-cause mortality were evaluated with Cox proportional hazards regression, and differences in median GHGEs were tested using the Kruskal-Wallis one-way ANOVA test, between quintiles of SHEIA15 score.
Setting: Northern Sweden.
Participants: In total, 49,124 women and 47,651 men, aged 35–65 years.
Results: Median follow-up times were 16.0 years for women and 14.7 years for men, during which time 3074 women and 4212 men died. A consistent trend of lower all-cause mortality HRs for both sexes with higher SHEIA15 scores was demonstrated. For women, the all-cause mortality HR was 0.81 [(95% CI 0.71–0.92); p=0.001] and for men 0.90 [(95% CI 0.81–0.996); p=0.041] between the quintile with the highest SHEIA15 score compared with the quintile with the lowest SHEIA15 score. A consistent trend of lower estimated dietary GHGEs among both sexes with higher SHEIA15 scores was also found.
Conclusions: Adherence to Swedish dietary guidelines, estimated by SHEIA15, seems to promote longevity and reduce dietary climate impact.
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