Keto and Paleo diets are less sustainable than vegan diets, study suggests
A study conducted by researchers at Tulane University in the United States found that the keto and paleo diets had the highest carbon footprint and the lowest nutritional value.
Results reveal that for every 1,000 calories consumed on the keto diet, approximately 3 kg of carbon dioxide is produced.
The keto diet is an ultra-low carb diet with less than 30g of carbs per day.
On the other hand, the paleo diet produces 2.6 kg of carbon dioxide for every 1,000 calories consumed, research reports.
The Paleo diet is a modern diet consisting of foods that are thought to be similar to what humans ate during the Paleolithic era.
Research shows that a vegan diet is the most sustainable eating plan, producing 0.7 kg of carbon dioxide per 1,000 calories consumed.
Following a vegetarian diet plan was also found to be sustainable, and the pescatarian diet scored the highest for nutritional quality, scientists say.
The study examined the diets of over 16,000 people. Each participant was scored on how nutritious and carbon-effective the diet was.
Lead author Professor Diego Rose said:
“We were skeptical of their negative climate impacts because they are meat-centric, but we used a common framework to combine all of these diets, selected by individuals rather than prescribed by experts, into reality against each other. No one has compared it to
About 86% of participants followed an omnivore diet that finished in the middle of the rankings for nutritious quality and sustainability.
Experts say that if 30% of meat eaters went on a vegetarian diet, the effect would be similar to saving 340 million miles on a car.
Professor Rose added:
“Based on our results, it reduces your footprint and is healthier in general. is shown.
Previous studies have reported that over 30% of greenhouse gas emissions come from food systems.
The study shows that beef production produces 20 times more emissions than nut production and up to 10 times more emissions than poultry production.
Professor Rose added:
This research American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.