Research
Mixed
Consuming an additional daily serving of minimally processed plant-based foods (whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, olive oil) is associated with significantly reduced risk of mortality and chronic diseases (CHD, diabetes, stroke, colorectal cancer) and has among the lowest environmental impacts.
Add one extra serving of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, or olive oil to your daily diet. This simple change is linked to lower risks of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, cancer, and early death, while also being better for the environment. Focus on minimally processed options.
StrongSupportsHIGH confidence
nuts, minimally processed whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, olive oil, and fish are associated with significantly (P < 0.05) reduced mortality and/or reduced risk for one or more diseases... consuming an additional serving per day of these 7 foods is associated with a significant reduction in risk for 20 of the 34 health endpoints... all except fish have among the lowest environmental impacts
Why this rating
Based on 19 dose-response meta-analyses of prospective cohort studies involving tens of millions of individuals.
Source
Multiple health and environmental impacts of foods
Michael Clark et al. · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · 2019
DOI 10.1073/pnas.1906908116
Meta-analysis · 19 studiesCited 826×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Consuming an additional daily serving of unprocessed or processed red meat is associated with significantly increased risk of mortality, coronary heart disease, type II diabetes, stroke, and colorectal cancer, and has the highest environmental impact.Strong
- Consuming an additional daily serving of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) is associated with significantly increased risk of coronary heart disease, type II diabetes, and stroke, but has among the lowest environmental impacts.Good
Related findings · Mixed
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- For patients with Class III obesity (BMI >39.9 kg/m2), metabolic bariatric surgery (MBS) is significantly more effective than any currently approved medication, with BilioPancreatic Diversion (BPD) showing the highest estimated weight loss.Strong
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →