Environmental Impact of Food Choices and Their Effect on Human Health

The health of our planet and human well-being are deeply interconnected. Environmental degradation caused by certain food consumption patterns directly influences human health, both in the immediate and long-term perspectives. A pioneering study conducted in Spain has quantified the health damage resulting from the environmental footprint of our dietary habits. The findings notably reveal that the intake of meat, fish, seafood, and dairy products accounts for approximately 55% of the environmental-related harm to human health.

According to the research, modifying eating patterns and reducing food waste could potentially prevent up to 35% of this health impact. Published in the journal Environmental Research, and led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), the study employed advanced scientific techniques to measure the environmental impacts across the entire food system—from production to consumption—and how these impacts affect health.

The methodology used, known as Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), analyzed data from Spain's 2022 food consumption surveys. The study examined various environmental factors such as climate change, ozone layer depletion, toxicity, particulate matter formation, and radiation, assessing their related health outcomes, including cardiovascular diseases, cancer, respiratory issues, malnutrition, and diarrhea.

Results indicated that in 2022, the environmental demands of food consumption in Spain caused a loss of approximately 447,152 disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), a common measure of overall disease burden. Interestingly, 95% of this impact was due to food consumption, while food waste contributed the remaining 5%.

Among different food groups, the consumption of meat, seafood, and dairy emerged as the leading contributors to environmental harm impacting health, accounting for 55% of the total. These animal-based foods had a significantly higher health burden compared to plant-based options. Climate change was identified as the primary environmental factor linked to health damage, representing 77% of the overall impact, followed by particulate matter formation and human toxicity.

The study explored various scenarios aimed at reducing this impact. Replacing red and processed meats with white meats provided modest improvements, but the most significant benefits came from replacing all animal-based foods with plant-based alternatives—potentially reducing environmental health damage by up to 30%. If combined with food waste elimination, overall health damage could decrease by as much as 35%. Nutritional analyses showed that these dietary shifts would still meet WHO recommendations, with decreased intake of protein, calcium, and vitamin B12, but increased fiber and iron, addressing common deficiencies in the Spanish diet.

This research emphasizes that adopting more sustainable eating habits can simultaneously improve public health outcomes and lessen environmental harm. According to lead author Ujué Fresán, these shifts can align diets closer to nutritional guidelines while fostering a healthier planet, providing a scientific foundation for future food policies to promote responsible eating practices.