The Mediterranean diet (MD) has been shown to be a healthy dietary pattern (DP), and lately it is increasingly being studied as a sustainable DP. The aim of this study is to analyze whether the MD is a sustainable and healthy DP accounting for its carbon footprint, water footprint (WF), land use (LU), and/or energy use, based on the existing scientific literature. We conducted a systematic review following PRISMA guidelines and registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022309916). We included 35 studies: 25 modeling studies, 7 cross-sectional, and 3 longitudinal. Twenty-four studies compared the sustainability of the MD with that of other DPs; 21 assessed the sustainability of the MD compared with dietary consumption data; and 9 evaluated the MD's adherence and its environmental impacts. A total of 29 studies analyzed the carbon footprint, 11 the LU, 20 the WF, and 7 the energy use of the MD. Six articles assessed the health aspect of the diet apart from the environmental impact. The MD showed high nutritional quality, ranging between 122 and 178 points on the health score and between 13.51 and 90.6 points on the nutrient-rich food index. Using the results for environmental footprints in the same measurement units, we were able to quantitatively compare the most frequently assessed diets with MD. When compared with other diets, 91% of the studies referred to the MD as a sustainable DP, and most of the articles in which its adherence was assessed obtained an inverse correlation with the environmental footprints. Environmental footprints of the MD ranged from 1.03 to 5.08 kg CO-eq/person-day for greenhouse gas emissions, 257.2-2735.2 L/person-day for WF, and 4-14.8 m/person-day and 2.85-3.32 m∗year/d for LU. In summary, the available evidence suggests that, in general, the MD is a sustainable and healthy DP, which aligns with planetary health.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.advnut.2024.100322 | DOI Listing |
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Department of Medicine, University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand.
Climate change and pollution are a major existential threat. Healthcare contributes a noteworthy 4-6% to the total carbon footprint and 5-7% of the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Environmental pollution and modern lifestyles are also contributing to the increased prevalence of autoimmune and lifestyle-related rheumatic disease.
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December 2024
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, DICA, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy.
Agriculture accounts for a significant share of global freshwater use, with the livestock sector contributing substantially. The production of animal feeds stands out as the step of the production chain responsible for the high water use associated with the consumption of animal-source foods. Estimating the water footprint (WF) of livestock feeds is crucial for sustainable animal farming.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRev Esp Anestesiol Reanim (Engl Ed)
December 2024
Department of Anesthesiology, Hospital Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá, Bogotá, Colombia.
Background: The healthcare sector emits 5% of greenhouse gases worldwide, inhaled anesthetic agents have contributed to this effect for years. Other countries measured and limited their use, leading to positive environmental changes. There is a lack of data on Colombia.
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November 2024
Poznań University of Life Sciences, Department of Animal Nutrition, Wołyńska 33, 60-637 Poznań, Poland. Electronic address:
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from livestock ruminants, particularly methane (CH), nitrous oxide, and indirectly ammonia (NH) significantly contribute to climate change and global warming. Conventional monoculture swards for cattle feeding, such as perennial ryegrass or Italian ryegrass, usually require substantial fertiliser inputs. Such management elevates soil mineral nitrogen levels, resulting in GHG emissions and potential water contamination.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnviron Monit Assess
December 2024
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
Rapid urbanization has altered land use and land cover to accommodate the growing population. This shift towards urbanization has resulted in the UHI effect, where the inner urban core is notably warmer than its surroundings. Existing research on UHI has primarily focused on major cities at the regional scale, leaving a gap in addressing the effect of extreme UHI zones within a city.
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