Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.
Am J Clin Nutr. 2021 Aug 2;114(2):530-539. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqab076.
Fruit and vegetable consumption in the United Kingdom is currently well below recommended levels, with a significant associated public health burden. The United Kingdom has committed to reducing its carbon emissions to net zero by 2050, and this transition will require shifts towards plant-based diets.
The aim was to quantify the health effects, environmental footprints, and cost associated with 4 different pathways to meeting the United Kingdom's "5-a-day" recommendation for fruit and vegetable consumption.
Dietary data based on 18,006 food diaries from 4528 individuals participating in the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey (2012/13-2016/17) constituted the baseline diet. Linear programming was used to model the hypothetical adoption of the 5-a-day (400 g) recommendation, which was assessed according to 4 pathways differing in their prioritization of fruits versus vegetables and UK-produced versus imported varieties. Increases in fruit and vegetable consumption were substituted for consumption of sweet snacks and meat, respectively. Changes in life expectancy were assessed using the IOMLIFET life table model. Greenhouse gas emissions (GHGEs), blue water footprint (WF), and total diet cost were quantified for each 5-a-day diet.
Achieving the 5-a-day target in the United Kingdom could increase average life expectancy at birth by 7-8 mo and reduce diet-related GHGEs by 6.1 to 12.2 Mt carbon dioxide equivalents/y; blue WFs would change by -0.14 to +0.07 km3/y. Greater reductions in GHGEs were achieved by prioritizing increased vegetable consumption over fruit, whereas the greatest reduction in WF was obtained by prioritizing vegetable varieties produced in the United Kingdom. All consumption pathways increased diet cost (£0.34-£0.46/d).
Benefits to both population and environmental health could be expected from consumption pathways that meet the United Kingdom's 5-a-day target for fruit and vegetables. Our analysis identifies cross-sectoral trade-offs and opportunities for national policy to promote fruit and vegetable consumption in the United Kingdom.
英国目前的水果和蔬菜摄入量远低于建议水平,这给公共健康带来了巨大负担。英国已承诺到 2050 年实现碳排放净零,这一转型将需要转向植物性饮食。
目的是量化满足英国“每日 5 份”水果和蔬菜摄入量建议的 4 种不同途径的健康效果、环境足迹和成本。
基于 4528 名参与英国国家饮食和营养调查(2012/13-2016/17 年)的 18006 份饮食日记中的饮食数据,构成了基础饮食。线性规划用于模拟 5 份(400 克)推荐量的假设采用情况,根据优先考虑水果与蔬菜以及英国生产与进口品种的 4 种途径进行评估。通过分别用水果和蔬菜替代甜食和肉类来增加水果和蔬菜的摄入量。采用 IOMLIFET 生命表模型评估预期寿命的变化。为每种 5 份/天的饮食计算温室气体排放(GHGE)、蓝水足迹(WF)和总饮食成本。
在英国实现 5 份/天的目标可以使出生时的平均预期寿命增加 7-8 个月,并使与饮食相关的 GHGE 减少 6.1 至 12.2 百万吨二氧化碳当量/年;蓝 WF 将变化-0.14 至+0.07 平方公里/年。通过优先增加蔬菜消费而不是水果消费,GHGE 的减少幅度更大,而通过优先使用英国生产的蔬菜品种,WF 的减少幅度最大。所有消费途径都增加了饮食成本(£0.34-£0.46/天)。
从满足英国水果和蔬菜 5 份/天目标的消费途径中,预计可以同时改善人群健康和环境健康。我们的分析确定了跨部门的权衡取舍和机会,为英国国家政策促进水果和蔬菜消费提供了依据。