ADOPTING a sustainable, plant-based diet rich in wholegrains, fruit and vegetables has been linked to a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and a lower environmental footprint, new research from Cambridge shows.
With food choices now recognised as crucial for both personal and planetary wellbeing, the Planetary Health Diet has been proposed as a framework that balances nutrition and environmental sustainability. This diet prioritises healthy plant-based foods while limiting red and processed meat and sugary drinks. Until now, however, direct evidence from large-scale studies connecting such eating patterns with chronic disease risk and environmental outcomes in a UK cohort has been limited.
Researchers from the MRC Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge analysed dietary data from 23,722 UK adults collected over a period of 20 years. Participants’ eating habits were scored according to their alignment with the Planetary Health Diet, and the incidence of type 2 diabetes was recorded alongside estimates of diet-related greenhouse gas emissions. Over nearly two decades of follow-up, those in the highest fifth of dietary adherence were 32% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes, with a hazard ratio of 0.68 compared to those with the lowest scores. Additionally, greenhouse gas emissions linked to these diets were 18% lower for the highest adherence group. Notably, the benefits remained after accounting for a range of demographic and health-related factors.
This study adds robust support for the wider promotion of healthy, sustainable diets as a dual strategy for preventing type 2 diabetes and protecting the environment. For clinicians and public health professionals, the findings provide clear justification to encourage patients to adopt diets higher in plant-based foods and lower in processed meats and sugary drinks. While further research is needed to establish causality, these results offer a practical route for improving population and planetary health.
Reference
Sowah SA et al. The association of the planetary health diet with type 2 diabetes incidence and greenhouse gas emissions: findings from the EPIC-Norfolk prospective cohort study. PLOS Medicine; 2025:DOI:10.1371/journal.pmed.1004633.
