Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, yet there is still much to learn about cancer prevention strategies. In an 11-year study of nearly half a million adults in the U.K., researchers found that people who ate pescatarian diets (fish but no meat), vegetarian diets (no meat or fish), and smaller than usual amounts of meat (5 or fewer servings per week) had a significantly lower risk of all cancers compared with regular meat eaters. There was also a lower risk of colorectal cancer for reduced meat eaters, and postmenopausal women who consumed less meat or fish also had a reduced risk of breast cancer. More research is needed to better understand the relationship between diet, lifestyle, and cancer risk.
BMC Medicine. 2022 Feb 24;20(1):73. doi: 10.1186/s12916-022-02256-w. (Watling CZ et al.)

A Taste of African Heritage is a 6-week cooking and nutrition curriculum from Oldways based on healthy plant-based foods from across the African Diaspora. In a study examining the impact of the program on 586 people across 21 states, researchers found that participants experienced improvements in weight, systolic blood pressure, and waist size, as well as higher intake of fruit, vegetables, greens, and higher frequency of exercise. The researchers concluded that “integrating cultural heritage and behaviors are positive components to connect participants to healthy old ways or traditions.”
Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. 2022 Feb 10. doi: 10.1016/j.jneb.2021.11.008 (Reicks M et al.)

The Whole Grain Stamp is a third-party packaging symbol that displays the gram amount of whole grains in a  product. In this study, researchers analyzed products that carry the Whole Grain Stamp over several years. Whole Grain Stamp usage increased from 250 products in 2005 to more than 13,000 products in 2020. The average amount of whole grain per product increased from 19 grams to 25.8 grams in the US and from 18.1 grams to 31.9 grams in Latin America. The researchers concluded that “manufacturers are increasing the percentage of the grain that is whole in their products and developing more whole-grain products for consumers, thus providing an opportunity for consumers to meet national-level whole-grain recommendations.”
Nutrients. 2022 Feb 8;14(3). doi: 10.3390/nu14030713 (Sluyter C et al.)

High income nations tend to have diverse food options that are disproportionally based on high-carbon footprint foods like meat and could be a great starting point when considering where to introduce climate-friendly diets. In this study, researchers used models to determine that if 54 high-income nations shifted to the EAT-Lancet diet (a primarily plant-based, healthy diet) and restored the resulting spared land to natural vegetation, they would have the potential to reduce their carbon emissions by 61%, which is equivalent to 14 years’ worth of current global agricultural emissions.
Nature Food. 2022 Jan 10;3:29-27. doi: 10.1038/s43016-021-00431-5. (Sun Z et al.)

As stress on our food system increases, certain dietary patterns may increase harmful environmental impacts. Diets that are nutritious and sustainable, such as those low in animal products and higher in plant-based foods, have been proposed as a solution to this issue which still meets dietary needs. In this study, researchers analyzed 150 different dietary patterns from varying countries and regions by pairing an estimate of food demand with an estimate of commodity prices in different years, with consideration of any food-system and socioeconomic changes. Across the dietary patterns sampled, the most affordable and sustainable were vegan/vegetarian diets that replaced meat with legumes or whole grains. The least affordable were pescetarian diets that centered around fish, fruits, and vegetables. Staple crops, such as cassava, maize, plantains, potatoes, rice, soybeans, sweet potatoes, and wheat, tend to be the most affordable aspect of these dietary patterns. Household food waste accounted for 29% of all food costs, so helping people to reduce food waste could improve both affordability and environmental sustainability.
Lancet Planetary Health. 2021 Dec;5(12):e861. doi: 10.1016/S2542-5196(21)00316-8. Epub 2021 Nov 24. (Springmann M et al.)

Whole grains are a food group, not an individual nutrient, which can create a challenge for nutrient-based front-of-pack scoring systems. Incorporating whole foods, like whole grains, into these scoring systems can help account for the complex benefits that whole grains bring to the table and may also prevent food manufacturers from “gaming the system” with fortified junk foods. In this study, researchers restructured the Nutri-Score algorithm (a traffic-light-colored, front-of-pack labeling program used in many European countries) to include whole grain content as part of the scoring algorithm. With this change, the researchers found that diet quality scores slightly improved, “suggesting that the modified score better aligns with national dietary guidelines.”
European Journal of Nutrition. 2021 Nov 24. doi: 10.1007/s00394-021-02718-6. Online ahead of print. (Kissock KR et al.)

Food production accounts for roughly ⅓ of total greenhouse gas emissions, meaning that small shifts in food choices can make a big impact. In this study, researchers calculated the greenhouse gas emissions of 3,233 different foods, as well as example diets from 212 adults. In general, diets that are better for people also tended to better for the planet. For example, people who kept to the recommended levels of sodium, saturated fat, and carbohydrates had lower greenhouse gas emissions than those who exceeded those levels. Further, non-vegetarian diets produced 59% more greenhouse gas emissions than vegetarian diets. When looking at individual food categories, 32% of diet-related greenhouse gas emissions were from meat, 15% from drinks, 14% from dairy, and 8% from cakes/cookies/confectionary.
PLoS One. 2021 Nov 23;16(11):e0259418. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0259418. (Rippin HL et al.)

While vaccines, masks, and social distancing are still the most effective strategies to prevent COVID-19, researchers wonder if diet might also be related to susceptibility of contracting the disease. In this study, researchers analyzed the diets of 592,571 people and followed them to see whether or not they contracted COVID-19. Those whose diets scored best on the healthful Plant-Based Diet Score (a measure of how many healthy plant-based foods people eat, such as fruits and vegetables) were 9% less likely to develop COVID-19 and were 41% less likely to develop severe COVID-19. Additionally, the relationship was strongest in people living in poorer areas.
Gut. 2021 Nov;70(11):2096-2104. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2021-325353. Epub 2021 Sep 6. (Merino J et al.)

Although grains are a large source of plant protein in many African, Central American, Asian, and European nations, grains are not considered an important source of protein in any dietary guidelines around the world. In this review, scientists analyze the unused potential of whole grains as animal protein alternatives. Although research suggests that consuming grains as the sole source of protein could result in deficiency, and although grains have a lower protein content than beans and other pulses, shifting grains away from animal feed and toward direct human consumption could be an important strategy to improve both human and environmental health. The review notes that both high whole grain intake and high plant-protein intake have been associated with lower risks of chronic diseases, while high animal protein intake has been associated with higher risks of disease. The authors also highlight processing strategies, such as mixed culture fermentation, that can help improve consumer acceptance of whole grain meat and dairy replacement products.
Nutrition Reviews. 2021 Nov 6;nuab084. doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuab084. (Poutanen KS et al.)

Eating more whole grains could lead to substantial savings in healthcare costs, even in countries where whole grains are already a regular part of the diet. In this study, researchers created models to analyze how eating more whole grains relates to type 2 diabetes for people in Finland, and then quantified the resulting healthcare costs as well as costs related to work absences. They found that increasing the number of Finnish people who eat whole grains daily and/or increasing the number of servings of whole grains eaten by habitual whole grain consumers in Finland could lead to a savings of 286-989 million Euros over a 10-year period. Additionally, the researchers estimate that these modest increases in whole grain consumption could substantially reduce disease burden (as measured by saving 1,323-154,094 quality adjusted life years). 
Nutrients. 2021 Oct 13;13(10):3583. doi: 10.3390/nu13103583. (Martikainen J et al.)

A healthy diet can reduce the risk of many types of cancers. In this study, researchers estimated the 5-year medical costs associated with different diet-related cancers. Diets low in whole grains accounted for the highest medical costs, at $2.76 billion over 5 years. Diets low in dairy and high in processed meats also significantly contributed to the economic burden of cancer. In terms of different diet-related cancer types, colorectal cancer was linked with the highest medical costs.
Cancer Causes & Control. 2021 Oct 15. doi: 10.1007/s10552-021-01503-4. (Khushalani J S et al.)

As people abandon their traditional diets for a Western diet of fast food and sugary treats, nutrition is often compromised. In this study, researchers analyzed the diets and blood pressure readings of 4,626 people living in the Southern Cone of Latin America (Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay). Two common dietary patterns emerged: a traditional diet based on fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, fish, seafood, and nuts; and a Western diet based on red and processed meat, dressings, sweets, snacks, and refined grains. Those most closely following a traditional Latin American diet were significantly more likely to have lower blood pressure than those following a Western diet.
Nutrition, Metabolism, and Cardiovascular Diseases. 2021 Oct 7;S0939-4753(21)00437-3. doi: 10.1016/j.numecd.2021.08.048. (Defagó M D et al.)