HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF ADOPTING PLANT-BASED DIETS

Health and Environmental Effects of Adopting a Plant-Based Diet

Sean Carnahan

The University of Texas at El Paso

March 14, 2019

HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF ADOPTING PLANT-BASED DIETS

Abstract

With the popularity of plant-based diets growing, the information about them are too,

but this information is often contradicting and not credible. In order to clear up this

misinformation, this literature review looks at the environmental and health effects of a plant-

based diet and the more popular “American diet”, which consists mainly of meats, dairy, eggs,

grains, vegetables, fruits, and “fast food”. The topics covered are, the environmental effects of

adopting a plant-based diet, how a plant-based diet affects one’s health, the correlations

between diet, heart disease, and cancer, and finally how adopting a plant-based diet affects

natural resources. In order to improve general health, protect against harmful dietary diseases,

and ultimately improve the environment and our finite natural resources, aspects of plant-

based diets should be adopted.

Keywords: Veganism, plant-based diet, whole food plant-based diet, environmental affects,

health effects, heart disease, cancer, dietary diseases.

HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF ADOPTING PLANT-BASED DIETS

Health and Environmental Effects of Adopting Plant-Based Diets

Plant-based diets have recently been gaining widespread popularity, this could be due in

fact by many different reasons, some of which could be, health benefits, environmental

benefits, endorsements of this type of lifestyle by various celebrity figures, as well as the

availability of mainstream foods that have been converted to suit this type of diet. There are

many takes on veganism for the fact that it is vastly different compared to the typical American

diet. Yet with availability of information there is a disconnect between fact and fiction when it

comes to plant-based diets. In this essay I plan to close this gap through researching the

following questions:

1. What are the environmental effects of a non-plant-based diet?

2. How does a plant-based diet affect one’s health?

3. What are the correlations between diet, heart disease, and cancer?

4. How could an adoption of a plant-based diet affect natural resources?

What are the environmental effects of a non-plant-based diet?

There are several environmental effects that are linked directly to non-plant-based-

diets, some of the effects that will be covered are: greenhouse gases and emissions, and

pollution and water contamination. Greenhouse gases are the main driver of climate change, so

how does eating meat affect the amount of gases? According to the Environmental Protection

Agency, livestock accounts for roughly 14.5% and 18% of man-made greenhouse gases globally.

Although only making up 18% of greenhouse gases, methane is the primary emission derived
HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF ADOPTING PLANT-BASED DIETS

from livestock which is 28 times more effective than carbon dioxide at storing heat, making the

combined livestock emissions almost 7 times more dangerous to the environment than all

other emissions combined. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, by 2050 this

number will be 70% higher due to the direct correlation between consumption of meat and

modern urbanization. (Koneswaran, Nierenberg, 2008)

Another environmental dilemma that is most apparent in the meat industry is the

common practice of pollution through the air as well as the water. According to the

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), animals on United States factory farms produce

roughly 500 million tons of manure each year, which is almost double the amount that the

American people produce. This manure is never sent to a waste processing plant like human

waste does, instead it is often stored in waste “lagoons” that are normally dug around the

surrounding area of the factor farms. According to the California State Senate, “Studies have

shown that animal waste lagoons emit toxic airborne chemicals that can cause inflammatory,

immune, irritation and neurochemical problems in humans”. Another common practice is to

spray waste over fields, allowing the water to soak and collect in pools, which just like

“lagoons” see tremendous amounts of runoff that seeps in to rivers and lakes. According to the

National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), agriculture is the leading cause of water

degradation globally. In the United States alone, agriculture pollution is the top source of

contamination in rivers and streams, it is the second biggest source in the wetlands, and is the

third main source of pollution in lakes. (Denchak, 2019) According to the EPA, due to the animal

waste not being treated, there is possibility that bacteria and viruses can be carried to not only

the above ground water sources, but also to the groundwater. One other form of pollution is air
HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF ADOPTING PLANT-BASED DIETS

pollution, which is utilized by factory farms to avoid water pollution limits. Factory farms spray

liquid manure into the air, which then sends it away to local residents and their families who

then are forced to inhale the toxins and pathogens carried in the manure. Factory farms

disperse pollutants in the surrounding areas and do not treat waste, making it extremely

hazardous to residents who live close by, as well as cities who utilize contaminated water

sources. (PETA, 2019)

How does a plant-based diet affect one’s health?

Plant-based diets may affect the health of a person in a variety of ways, some of which

may be preventing diseases, helping to ease existing conditions, and many more. In Jenny

Schmidt-White’s “Why Vegan? It’s good for your health”, Schmidt-White mentions that one

way that a plant-based diet may affect health comes in the form of asthma management

(Schmidt-White,2017, p. 52). Schmidt-White states that the symptoms of asthma are

“wheezing, shortness of breath, and tightness in the chest”, and how a plant-based diet offers

long-term support for people with asthma (Schmidt-White, 2017, p. 52). Schmidt-White also

states that several studies show that an increase in the amount of plant-based foods and a

decrease of arachidonic acid may lower the risk of asthma in children (Schmidt-White, 2017, p.

52). Adult asthma may be supported with a diet higher in vegetables which offers an increase in

valuable antioxidants, one of these is vitamin C which is normally found to be low in people

with asthma. Schmidt-White goes further to state that 80 percent of cardiovascular disease is

preventable through a healthy lifestyle, with adequate amounts of fruit and vegetables
HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF ADOPTING PLANT-BASED DIETS

(Schmidt-White, 2017, p. 53). Plant-based diets offer protection against heart diseases such as:

hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and ischemic heart disease, this can be through the increased

intake of folate, antioxidants, and dietary fiber, coupled with the lower intake of saturated and

trans fats (Schmidt-White, 2017, p. 53).

In a study done by Micaela Karlsen, Gail Rogers, Akari Miki, Alice Lichtenstein, Sara Folta,

Christina Economos, …, Nicola McKeown, they compared vegan diets to current dietary

recommendations, or USDA Dietary Guidelines. Karlsen, et al, concluded that Whole Food Plant

Based diets and vegan diets were very similar, so when comparing them to current dietary

guidelines, they used WFPB diets. They found that WFPB diets had 180% more vegetables,

238% more leafy vegetables, 460% more legumes, 100% more fruit, 132% more whole grains,

and 74% less refined grains, (Karlsen et al, 2019). Karlsen, et al, also found that fiber levels

exceeded adequate levels, but found that vitamin B12 and D were inadequate without

supplementation and found that calcium was inadequate for women in the age group of 51-70.

The study concluded that people who follow a plant-based diet have overall higher dietary

quality than those who follow a standard USDA Dietary Guideline diet, but should supplement

their diets with vitamin D, B12 and also calcium, or eat vitamin enriched foods. (Karlsen et al,

2019).
HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF ADOPTING PLANT-BASED DIETS

Plant-based diets overall provide high quality nutrients and have very little setbacks.

Plant-based diets can provide relief from dietary diseases, can improve cardiovascular health

and may prevent dangerous, high mortality rate diseases like heart disease, which is the leading

killer in the world for both men and women. But people who decide to adopt a plant-based diet

will want to get regular checkups and blood tests to catch any vitamin deficiencies, because as

found through different studies, vegans who do not take supplements or eat enriched foods for

vitamin D and B12 and sometimes calcium may have issues with deficiencies.

What are the correlations between diet, heart disease, and cancer?

In the United States of America, the two largest killers are heart disease followed by

cancer. Combined, heart disease and cancer make up 48% of all deaths in the U.S. and are said

to increase steadily due to the popularity of fast foods, meat and processed meat, to name a
HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF ADOPTING PLANT-BASED DIETS

few. A study done by Thompson, R.; Mitrou, G.; Brown, S.; Almond, E.; Bandurek, I.; Kälfors, M.;

… McGinley‐Gieser, D., found that 40% of cancer cases are directly due to diet, obesity, or

physical exercise. In this study they report findings done by the World Cancer Research Fund

Report, in these findings they state that a diet including wholegrains, non-starchy vegetables,

fruit, and beans are a consistent feature of diets associated with lower risk of cancer and

obesity (Thompson et al, 2018). Thompson et al, goes on to state that there is evidence that

non-starchy vegetables and/ or fruit creates a protective effect against aerodigestive cancers

and others as well (2018). Thompson et al, mentions links between red meat and processed

meat and cancer, stating, “There is strong evidence that consuming red and processed meat are

causes of colorectal cancer.” (2018). Thompson et al goes on to state that fast foods are

another risk factor saying that “consuming ‘fast foods’ and a ‘western-type diet’ are causes of

weight gain, overweight and obesity”. From this study it is clear that in particular red and

processed meats have a direct correlation with cancer, and a vegan type diet protects against

many different types of cancers.

Cardiovascular Disease is responsible for the largest proportion of worldwide deaths. In

the “Healthy-eating attitudes and the incidence of cardiovascular disease: the SUN cohort”

study done by Santiago, S.; Zazpe, I.; Gea, A.; de la Rosa, P.; Ruiz-Canela, M.; Martinez-Gonzalez,

M.; they approach CVD differently by examining diet that may cause in particular inflammation,

and other risk factors. Santiago et al, approached it looking at a total-diet approach rather than

certain elements of a diet. They recommend “a dietary pattern based on vegetables, fruits,

whole grains, low-fat dairy products, poultry, fish, legumes, non-tropical vegetable oils, nuts,

and limited intake of sodium, sweets, sugar-sweetened beverages, and red or processed
HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF ADOPTING PLANT-BASED DIETS

meats.” (Santiago et al, 2017). They concluded their research finding that healthy attitudes

toward eating were associated with a lower rate of getting CVD. This was most apparent when

the dietary pattern was closely related to “fruit, vegetables and fiber intake.” They concluded

that CVD was closely related to consumption of red meat in general. In supplement to this the

NIH found very similar results stating that Trimethylamine N-oxide or TMAO, which is primarily

found in red meat, increases by three times when red meat is consumed (NIH, 2019).

How could an adoption of a plant-based diet affect natural resources?

Natural resources are a huge part of environmental affects when it comes to raising

food, especially meat, dairy, eggs, etc. The affects that come with these are land use, feed or

crops used to feed animals, fresh water that must be allocated for animals, electricity or power

that must be used to store the animals, and finally the oil and gas that is used to transport

animals to slaughter houses and transport finished products to consumers. When adopting a

plant-based diet, these resources that are used for animals may be better allocated for other

purposes.

Research recorded by Rachel Nuwer states that “Pork, chicken, dairy, and eggs are

equivalent within a factor of two when it came to their environmental burdens” (2014). These

results may be true for these particular types of foods, but for beef it is an entirely difference

scenario. Beef requires up to 28 times more land, 6 times more fertilizer and 11 times more

water compared to the others, and beef adds up to abut 5 times more greenhouse gas

emissions (Nuwer, 2014). To put in perspective of how many resources are used to create meat
HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF ADOPTING PLANT-BASED DIETS

and dairy products, the researchers also calculated how many resources it takes to create

several staple crops such as, potatoes, wheat and rice. These three staple crops require two to

six times less resources to produce than pork, chicken, eggs or dairy. In conclusion with this

study, while meat and dairy products take up the most resources to produce, removing beef

from your diet may provide a huge environmental impact. (Nuwer, 2014)

Conclusion

In conclusion, this literary review has analyzed a vast amount of data and answered

many questions pertaining to health and environment effects of adopting plant-based diets.

Plant-based diets can have a variety of affects surrounding the environment, health and

nutrition. Most of these affects are good ones, since they don’t contribute as much to

greenhouse gases, and other types of pollution. Plant-based diets may also provide protection

from cancers and heart diseases, while also improving health with your cardiovascular system,

since there is a much lower amount of LDL cholesterol. Diets that are heavily made up of meat

consumption, in particular red and processed meats directly increase risk of heart disease and

cancers and may increase risks of cardiovascular disease by 300%. Along with this, our finite

amount of resources may be preserved and extended through adopting diets that effectively

and efficiently handle these resources. The situation of plant-based diets isn’t necessarily

understood, and many benefits and dangers are overlooked before switching to this diet. With

the popularity of these diets increasing dramatically, and different types of information

released on both sides without necessarily having credibility. Hopefully this literary review

narrowed this gap in understanding and explained impacts from different points of view.
HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF ADOPTING PLANT-BASED DIETS

References

Denchak, M. (2019, March 27). Water Pollution: Everything You Need to Know. Retrieved from

https://www.nrdc.org/stories/water-pollution-everything-you-need-know

Meat and the Environment. (2019, January 08). Retrieved from

https://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-food/meat-environment/

Koneswaran, G., & Nierenberg, D. (2008, May). Global farm animal production and global

warming: Impacting and mitigating climate change. Retrieved from

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2367646/

Schmidt-White, J. (2017). Why VEGAN? It’s good for your health. Alive: Canada’s Natural Health

& Wellness Magazine, (412), 51–54. Retrieved from http://0-

search.ebscohost.com.lib.utep.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=awh&AN=121128558&site=eds-

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Micaela C. Karlsen, Gail Rogers, Akari Miki, Alice H. Lichtenstein, Sara C. Folta, Christina D.

Economos, … Nicola M. McKeown. (2019). Theoretical Food and Nutrient Composition of

Whole-Food Plant-Based and Vegan Diets Compared to Current Dietary Recommendations.

Nutrients, (3), 625. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11030625

HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF ADOPTING PLANT-BASED DIETS

Thompson, R., Mitrou, G., Brown, S., Almond, E., Bandurek, I., Kälfors, M., … McGinley, G. D.

(2018). Major new review of global evidence on diet, nutrition and physical activity: A blueprint

to reduce cancer risk. Nutrition Bulletin, 43(3), 269–283. https://doi.org/10.1111/nbu.12345

Santiago, S., Zazpe, I., Gea, A., de la Rosa, P. A., Ruiz-Canela, M., & Martínez-González, M. A.

(2017). Healthy-eating attitudes and the incidence of cardiovascular disease: the SUN cohort.

International Journal of Food Sciences & Nutrition, 68(5), 595–604. Retrieved from http://0-

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Eating red meat daily triples heart disease-related chemical. (2019, January 15). Retrieved from

https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/eating-red-meat-daily-triples-heart-

disease-related-chemical

Nuwer, R. (2014, July 21). Raising Beef Uses Ten Times More Resources Than Poultry, Dairy,

Eggs or Pork. Retrieved from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/beef-uses-ten-

times-more-resources-poultry-dairy-eggs-pork-180952103/