對我們來說最健康的食物也是對地球最健康的食物

對我們來說最健康的食物也是對地球最健康的食物

The foods that do a body good may also do our planet the least harm.

對身體有益的食物對地球的危害也最小。

A major new study, published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, offers a comprehensive look at the health and environmental impacts of 15 food groups, from fruits to red meat to dairy to fish.

本周發(fā)表在《美國國家科學(xué)院院刊》雜志上的一項重大新研究，全面審視了從水果、紅肉、乳制品到魚類等15類食品對健康和環(huán)境的影響。

The study found that nut production, though water intensive, treads more lightly on the environment than other food production practices. (Photo: Javani LLC/Shutterstock)

To come up with their findings, researchers took a deep dive into the resources needed to produce each food — looking at factors like land and water use, greenhouse gas emissions and how much pollution its production generated.

為了得出他們的發(fā)現(xiàn)，研究人員深入研究了生產(chǎn)每種食物所需的資源，考察了土地和水的使用、溫室氣體排放以及生產(chǎn)過程中產(chǎn)生了多少污染等因素。

Then they looked at the food's impact on human health.

然后他們研究了食物對人類健康的影響。

The food that earned top marks from both an environmental and health perspective?

從環(huán)境和健康的角度來看，哪種食物得分最高?

The humble nut.

低調(diào)的堅果。

To tell their story, the researchers need to go beyond the basic nutrition value of nuts. (Photo: Krzysztof Slusarczyk/Shutterstock)

Indeed, the study found red meat to be chief among environmental villains with a single serving dishing out about 40 times the negative impact on our planet as vegetables — while upping the relative risk of overall mortality by 40 percent.

事實上，研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，紅肉是環(huán)境的罪魁禍?zhǔn)字唬环菁t肉作為蔬菜對我們的星球造成的負(fù)面影響是蔬菜的40倍，同時將總體死亡的相對風(fēng)險提高了40%。

And meat's environmental footprint may be even more dramatic. A quarter pound of hamburger, for example, requires about 450 gallons of water to produce. That's to say nothing of the dent it makes in our air and water quality, which helps make it one the least sustainable farming practices on the planet. When you factor in the toll red meat takes on the body — a litany of issues from type 2 diabetes, to cardiovascular disease to certain types of cancer — it's easy to understand why meat is a costly indulgence.

肉類對環(huán)境的影響可能更大。例如，一個四分之一磅的漢堡包需要450加侖的水來生產(chǎn)。這還不包括它對我們的空氣和水質(zhì)造成的損害，這使得它成為地球上最不可持續(xù)的農(nóng)業(yè)生產(chǎn)方式之一。當(dāng)你考慮到紅肉對身體的危害——從2型糖尿病、心血管疾病到某些類型的癌癥——很容易理解為什么吃肉是一種昂貴的嗜好。

Processed meats have been linked to an increased risk of some cancers, as well as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. (Photo: FotoKulinaria/Shutterstock)

There were, of course, a few notable exceptions to the general rule that what's good for us is less harmful for the planet. No one is going to argue that sugar does a body good. In fact, it may even impair our ability to think. But sugar cane goes down easy on the environment, with researchers claiming it isn't much more taxing on the environment than growing vegetables.

當(dāng)然，在“對我們有益的事情對地球的危害較小”這一普遍規(guī)律之外，也有幾個值得注意的例外。沒有人會說糖對身體有益。事實上，它甚至可能損害我們的思考能力。但甘蔗對環(huán)境的影響并不大，研究人員稱，甘蔗對環(huán)境的影響并不比種植蔬菜大多少。

Refined sugar isn't your body's best friend, but sugar cane's impact on the earth is about the same as growing vegetables. (Photo: Handmade Pictures/Shutterstock)

Then there's the slippery issue of fish. Some research suggests fish — specifically fish oil — is a healthy staple that could dramatically curb our risk of heart disease. But the researchers caution that sourcing is critical in mitigating at least some of the damage fish production causes to the environment. As Tilman notes in NPR, open ocean fishing packs a lot of baggage due to all the diesel fuel needed for a relatively small catch.

然后是魚的問題。一些研究表明，魚——尤其是魚油——是一種健康的主食，可以極大地降低我們患心臟病的風(fēng)險。但研究人員警告說，至少在一定程度上，采購對于減輕魚類生產(chǎn)對環(huán)境造成的破壞至關(guān)重要。正如蒂爾曼在美國國家公共廣播電臺(NPR)所指出的那樣，遠(yuǎn)洋捕魚需要消耗大量的柴油燃料，所以捕撈量相對較小。

It all adds up to more informed dietary choices. We're never eating for just one, but rather for the entire planet.

所有這些都是明智的飲食選擇。我們從不只為一個人而吃，而是為整個地球而吃。

"Such information could help consumers, food corporations, and policy makers make better decisions about food choices, food products, and food policies, potentially increasing the likelihood of meeting international sustainability targets such as the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals or the Paris Climate Agreement," the authors note in the study abstract.

”這些信息可以幫助消費者，食品公司和決策者對食物的選擇做出更好的決策,食品公司和食品政策,可能會增加國際可持續(xù)發(fā)展目標(biāo)實現(xiàn)的可能性,如聯(lián)合國可持續(xù)發(fā)展目標(biāo)或巴黎氣候協(xié)議,”這項研究的作者在摘要中指出。