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Food and ecology: the six most polluting diets in the world
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Food and ecology: the six most polluting diets in the world
By now we know well how food production affects CO2 production and in general is one of the most polluting factors in the world. Intensive livestock farming, the use of pesticides, and massive cultivation is putting a strain on our planet. In different parts of the world, however, people eat differently, and so these diets affect pollution in different regions in different ways. In short, different diets produce a different degree of pollution, and contribute to it in different ways. So which diets are the most polluting for the environment? Let's find out together based on data from research published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
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1 - Ketogenic diet
By now we know well how food production affects CO2 production and in general is one of the most polluting factors in the world. Intensive livestock farming, the use of pesticides, and massive cultivation is putting a strain on our planet. In different parts of the world, however, people eat differently, and so these diets affect pollution in different regions in different ways. In short, different diets produce a different degree of pollution, and contribute to it in different ways. So which diets are the most polluting for the environment? Let's find out together based on data from research published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
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2 - Paleodiet
A very peculiar diet, not recognised by the scientific community and potentially harmful, inspired by the nutritional regime of men who lived before agriculture and animal breeding, around 10,000 years ago (during the Palaeolithic period). Thus, very high percentages of proteins (white meat, poor fish, eggs) and fats (in addition to those from the animal foods mentioned, also from nuts). Carbohydrates, on the other hand, are present in very small quantities and exclusively provided by vegetables. This diet is the second most polluting according to the study, per 1000 calories it emits 2.6 kg of CO2.
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3 - Omnivorous diet
The most common diet in the world, with about 86 percent of individuals following it. That's 2.23 kg of CO2 emitted per thousand calories consumed here, but there is no comparison to vegetarian and vegan diets. The study authors speculate that if one-third of omnivores ate vegetarian for a day, it would be like taking 547 million vehicle miles off the road for the environment.
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4 - Fish diet
Nutritionally, the fish diet is the best of all, and ranks fourth of the most environmentally friendly, and thus in good standing. Eating this way alone emits 1.6 kg of CO2 per thousand calories consumed.
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5 - Vegetarian diet
The vegetarian diet barely exceeds 1 kg of emissions per 1,000 calories. Vegetarianism prohibits meat and fish, but not foods of animal origin, such as milk, eggs, cheese.
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6 - Vegan diet
The vegan diet is perhaps the most extreme and undoubtedly the most difficult to follow. In practice, it is a diet that does not include any food of animal origin (meat, fish, milk and dairy products, eggs and honey) and is based on the consumption of cereals, pulses, vegetables and fruit, both fresh and dried, vegetable oils, vegetable drinks and seeds. Ecologically, however, it is the best, with only 0.7 kg of CO2 produced for every 1,000 calories consumed.
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