Modeling a Healthy Sustainable Plant-Based Diet for a Dietary Transition in the United States

In a recent study published in the NPC Vaccines Diary, The researchers presented interesting perspectives on modeling and formulating sustainable diets in the animal-to-plant dietary transition (PBD).

Study: Healthy and Sustainable Diet Modeling for a Plant-Based Dietary Transition in the United States. Image Credit: RONEDYA/Shutterstock.com

Background

There are several different definitions of PBD based on social, cultural and agricultural influences across geographic regions.

In this study, the authors followed the definition of PBD outlined by the World Health Organization (WHO), which includes fruits, vegetables, cereals, legumes, nuts, and seeds in unprocessed or minimally processed forms in PBD.

PBDs have several benefits, such as reducing adverse environmental impacts and decreasing the risks of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs), for example, cancer and type 2 diabetes. PBDs are gaining popularity due to their benefits for human health and the environment.

About the study

In the present study, the researchers developed three dietary models named M1, M2 and M3 containing 24 composite diet scenarios (S) using the Food4HealthyLife calculator tool, where M1 targeted red meat replacement, M2 targeted red meat replacement. of red and white meat, and M2 was aimed at replacing red and white meat. and the M3 aimed at replacing red, white and processed meat.

They used the Health Nutritional Index (HENI) and Food Compass (FCS) scoring systems to develop nutritional quality profiles of all diets evaluated and midpoint impact values ​​for foods listed in the What We Eat in America database. to derive estimates of the 18 environmental impact indicators. , including global warming, water use and mineral resources.

Specifically, they adopted 46 attributes and seven domains from the slightly modified FCS method and treated red meats and processed meats as separate attributes.

The final Food Compass score was the sum of the average domain score and the sum of the food ingredient domain scores. The HENI tool assessed the impact of diets on health using disability-adjusted life years (DALYs).

In the model diets provided by the Food4HealthyLife calculator, the “current diet” was the default diet that people adopted but negatively impacted life expectancy, while the “optimal diet” referred to a hypothetical dietary pattern that increased life expectancy. of life but that was not feasible in real life. , and the “doable diet” was a middle ground between these two diets.

Additionally, the researchers created seven additional dietary scenarios using arithmetic mathematical equations developed by the authors, resulting in ten hypothetical dietary scenarios for each dietary intake model.

The authors used these equations to calculate the appropriate weights of specific food groups in each alternative diet scenario, ensuring partial replacement of meat with legumes in each scenario.

These dietary consumption models included 14 different food groups, each represented by a specific type of food chosen based on its availability and popularity.

They used the USDA Food Consumption and Availability Database as a reference to determine the most commonly consumed foods. This database has been tracking trends in food consumption in the US for a long time and informs policy decisions related to nutrition and public health.

The total weight of each diet scenario was 1.8 kg. Notably, however, none of the study’s modeling scenarios affected cooking and storage losses.

Evaluating the nutritional quality of different model diets involved determining the nutritional content per 100 calories of the model diets using an online diet analysis system called FoodStruct, and the second step involved using a scoring system called Food Compass. Scoring to rate each model diet.

Additionally, the researchers used FoodStruct’s Diet Analysis menu to analyze quantities of ingredients in each diet scenario, including macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and fiber) and micronutrients (nine minerals and 12 vitamins).

They also estimated the content of specific lipids, such as cholesterol, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), alpha-linolenic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

Additionally, the team performed nutritional and environmental trade-off analyzes using dual-scale data plots and HENI and Food Compass scores, global warming, ionizing radiation, and freshwater eutrophication to identify the optimal composite diet scenario.

Finally, the researchers performed a Pearson correlation analysis to evaluate the correlation between calories, nutritional quality indicators, and environmental impact indicators of the dietary scenarios.

They classified the diets using the non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test, which used HENI, FCS, and total harm to human health scores.

Results

First, the results showed that as the percentage of meat products substituted with plant-based foods in the model composite diets increased, non-linear variation in nutritional, environmental and health benefits emerged, implying a variable impact of specific variables.

Six of the seven domains used in the Food Compass nutrient profile contributed to the FCS scores obtained. On average, specific lipids contributed the least and vitamins contributed the most (0.051% and 31.41%).

Other domains that made significant contributions were the proportion of nutrients, minerals, food ingredients, protein and fiber, with donations of 27.36%, 10.99%, 23.19% and 6.99%, respectively.

The study compared different dietary scenarios and found that the recommended regular composite diet should consist of 10% legumes, 0.11% red meat, 2.81% white meat and 0.28% processed meat. It was estimated that it would offset around 55% of the impacts of global warming.

Furthermore, it was associated with a diet quality score of 74.13 on the FCS system, indicating that this diet was relatively healthy and balanced.

Furthermore, the recommended composite diet potentially redeemed about 169.21 DALY minutes.

Conclusions

The study data present an interesting prognosis for the benefits of transitioning to an optimal and sustainable plant- and animal-based dietary pattern.

This type of dietary transition requires a more comprehensive approach that includes modeling the replacement of animal-based foods with plant-based alternatives, in a way that minimizes environmental impact and maximizes nutritional and health benefits.

In this dietary shift, simply increasing the proportion of plant-based foods will not necessarily reduce the environmental and health damage caused by current food systems. Other factors need to be considered, such as quantity, type, characteristics, and food sources.

Importantly, if not properly monitored and optimized, a supposedly sustainable shift to a plant-based diet can inadvertently have negative consequences.