Background: Different food products, and thus also diets, are associated with various levels of greenhouse gas emission. Animal food products typically cause larger emissions than plant-based products and it would be beneficial for the climate to limit the global consumption of beef and dairy products while increasing the intake of vegetables, legumes, and grains.
Aim: We will relate a climate friendly diet to individual risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) such as overweight, triglyceride levels, HDL cholesterol levels, systolic and diastolic blood pressure and glucose levels, as well as a combination of risk factors, i.e. a proxy of the metabolic syndrome.
Method: LCA data expressed as kilogram CO2 equivalents per kilogram of food products (kg CO2e/kg) were linked to the dietary intake in the LifeGene study of 5,364 subjects in Sweden.
Results: A diet generating high levels of CO2e was associated with higher BMI, waist circumference and body fat than a diet with lower levels of CO2e.
Conclusions: A climate friendly diet is also a healthy diet i.e. a win-win situation.