Eating chips and drinking sugary beverages have relatively little effect on the environment, according to a recent study that was published in the scientific journal PNAS.
Scientists discovered eating fruits and vegetables is healthier for the environment than eating meat and cheese after examining 57,000 products offered in supermarkets in Britain and Ireland.
The researchers believe their study may help customers purchase more sustainably without compromising their health by comparing the findings with the nutritional value of these foods.
Juice concentrates, sodas, and other fruit juices are among the products with the lowest environmental impact because they are primarily made of water.
The more sustainable a food is the better it is from a nutritional point of view and vice-versa, according to researchers.
The study concentrated on several elements, such as sauces, prepared meals, and others, as opposed to analysing single items.
The fact that just roughly 3% of the more than 57,000 goods supplied by eight food merchants had their composition fully revealed presented a significant obstacle for the researchers during the study.
Scientists created an algorithm based on the few known bits of information to analyse the missing products because ingredients are famously labelled in Britain and Ireland in the order of quantity utilised.
While bread has a relatively low or moderate environmental impact, red meat has a high environmental impact.
The study found that substituting plant-based foods for meat, dairy, and eggs would have significant positive effects on the environment and human health.
The researchers said that knowing the proportions and origin of different ingredients in a better manner would help to determine more precisely their impact on the environment.
Post Your Comments