The partial replacement of animal proteins, especially red and processed meat, with protein foods of plant origin increases life expectancy by an average of nine months and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
This was revealed by a study published in Nature Food and conducted at McGill University in collaboration with the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.
The experts used data from a survey on the nutrition of Canadians and analyzed the potential effects of partial replacements (25% and 50%) of red and processed meat or dairy products with plant protein foods such as nuts, seeds, legumes, tofu and drinks based on fortified soy.
This study found that a person's diet-related carbon footprint decreases by 25% when that person replaces half of their red and processed meat consumption with plant-based protein foods.
Additionally, researchers estimated that if half of the red and processed meat in a person's diet were replaced by plant-based protein foods, that person could live nearly nine months longer on average, thanks to a reduced risk of chronic disease.
Men would benefit more with the gain in life expectancy doubling compared to women.
In contrast, partial replacement of dairy products with plant protein foods led to smaller gains in life expectancy and was accompanied by a health problem: an increased risk of calcium deficiency by up to 14%.
“I hope our findings help consumers make healthier, more sustainable food choices and inform future food policies in Canada,” says senior author Sergio Burgos of McGill's Department of Animal Sciences and researcher at the Research Institute of McGill University Medical Centre.
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