Work

Balancing Environmental Sustainability and Nutrition: Dietary Climate Impact in Relation to Micronutrient Intake and Status in a Swedish Cohort

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Background Dietary shift is necessary for improving public health, mitigating climate change, and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Adaption of climate friendly diets might prevent chronic diseases and reduce mortality; however, consuming diets with a low climate impact have been suggested to increase the risk of some micronutrient deficiencies. Objectives To examine if self-reported dietary intake varying in climate impact is associated with nutritional risks and benefits based on both dietary intakes and blood concentrations of micronutrients. Methods In the cross-sectional Malmö Diet and Cancer cohort (MDC, n=25,970), dietary data was collected using a modified diet history method (food frequency questionnaire, diary, and interview). Blood samples were drawn and analyzed for micronutrients in different subgroups. Life cycle assessment data were used to estimate dietary greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE), from farm to fork. Quintiles of dietary climate impact were examined in relation to nutrient intake and status using linear and logistic regression. Results The mean estimated dietary GHGE were 5.9 kg of carbon dioxide equivalents per day (females: 5.4, males: 6.6). Participants consuming a more climate friendly diet had lower proportion of animal sourced foods, energy intake and intake of all micronutrients assessed (n=17). Prevalence of anemia was higher in females consuming more climate friendly diets, but the rates were low across all climate-diet groups (4.6% in Q1 vs. 3.3% in Q5, p for trend: 0.02), but not in males (p for trend: 0.131). No significant trends were observed in nutrient status of vitamin D, selenium, zinc, and folate across dietary GHGE quintiles. Conclusion Despite a lower intake of micronutrients, more climate-friendly diets did not substantially increase the risk of deficiencies. The study highlights the importance of measuring both nutrient intake and status when discussing nutritional consequences of sustainable eating.

Source: Current Developments in Nutrition

DOI: 10.1016/j.cdnut.2025.107501

Authors: Anna Stubbendorff, Ulrika Ericson, Ylva Bengtsson, Yan Borné, Emily Sonestedt, Elinor Hallström

Institutions: Lund University, Kristianstad University, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, Technical University of Denmark

Language: English

Topic: Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact

Subfield: Ecology

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Climate action, Zero hunger

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $5,000