Which diet is healthiest overall: Moderately cutting meat and boosting fruits, vegetables, and whole grains per the German Nutrition Society (DGE)? Emulating Germany's fish-heavy approach? Or going fully vegan? A recent University of Bonn study reveals the answer isn't straightforward—it hinges on the impacts you prioritize.
EU citizens consume about 950 kg of food and drink annually—equivalent to a small car's weight. Globally, food production drives 25% of greenhouse gas emissions, largely from livestock. Animals convert feed calories inefficiently into meat, and ruminants emit methane, intensifying climate change.
Diets also influence human health and animal welfare. Experts advocate a "One Health" lens, balancing human, animal, and environmental well-being. "Studies applying this to diets remain scarce," notes Juliana Paris, PhD candidate at the University of Bonn's Center for Development Research (ZEF).
Paris and colleagues analyzed North Rhine-Westphalia's typical food basket against three scenarios: DGE guidelines, a Mediterranean-style diet emphasizing fish and seafood, and a vegan diet. Each maintained similar nutrients and minimal deviation from the baseline for fair comparison.
"For the Mediterranean version, we ramped up fish, seafood, vegetables, and grains," Paris explains. Databases helped quantify environmental footprints (e.g., emissions, water use), health risks (like red meat's links to cancer and heart disease), and animal welfare metrics.
Dr. Neus Escobar from Austria's International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis led the assessments. Animal welfare factors included mortality rates, housing conditions, neuron counts, and brain-to-body ratios to gauge suffering potential, per Paris.
All three diets improve One Health outcomes, but with nuances. Vegan excels in most areas yet demands more water and supplements like B12, D vitamins, and calcium.
The Mediterranean diet, nutrient-rich, spikes water use from nuts and veggies. Replacing meat fully with fish harms welfare—smaller animals mean far more deaths. Honey production stresses bee colonies. "Sourcing less protein from animals helps," Escobar advises. "Many diets exceed needs; portion control amplifies gains."
DGE guidelines advance positively, though vegan and Mediterranean edge out on health. Overall, swapping meat for grains, veggies, and fruits benefits you, animals, and the planet.
