The Planetary Health diet lacks sufficient quantities of key vitamins and minerals including iron, calcium, zinc and vitamin B12 because it does not contain enough animal source foods, a study has found.
First proposed in 2019 by the EAT-Lancet Commission, the diet recommends certain proportions of grains, fruits, vegetables, and animal products to keep food production within planetary boundaries which include freshwater use, temperature rises and the nitrogen content of soils.
The recommendations included a 50 per cent reduction in red meat and sugar consumption by 2050 and a parallel increase in the consumption of nuts, fruits, legumes and vegetables.
But new research from the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) claims the diet falls short on a number of key nutrients, which are found in more bioavailable quantities in animal products including meat, eggs and dairy.
GAIN researchers mapped food group and nutrient recommendations in the Planetary Health diet with global dietary recommended nutrient intakes for adults and women of reproductive age.
The research focused on six micronutrients – folate, vitamin A, vitamin B12, calcium, iron and zinc.
The Planetary Health diet provided enough folate and vitamin A, primarily through the large quantities of whole plant food it recommends in the form of pulses, dark leafy vegetables and certain fruits.
However, it fell short of the recommended intake for the other four nutrients.
For adults, the diet provided 78 per cent of the recommended zinc intake, 86 per cent of calcium, 90 per cent of iron and 93 per cent of vitamin B-12. For women of reproductive age, the diet only provided 55 per cent of the recommended iron intake, 84 per cent of calcium, and 93 per cent of the recommended zinc and vitamin B-12 intake.
Micronutrient deficiencies can lead to chronic health conditions such as compromised immune systems, place people at an increased risk of infection and hinder the growth and development of children, the GAIN study noted.