A diet heavy on whole grains and plants won't only benefit human health, it'll benefit the planet too, according to a report published this week by a commission of dozens of experts from 16 countries.
The report, published in The Lancet, attempted to determine the optimal diet for both humans and the earth, and found that if people around the globe followed a plant-based diet, it would save over 10 million lives - preventing 20 percent of adult deaths per year.
"We [asked], 'What kind of diet do we need to optimize human health?' and, 'What are the limits that the earth can actually tolerate?" Dr. Brent Loken, co-author of the report and a conservation scientist, told ABC News. "Some reports look at it differently, like what [level] greenhouse gases need to [reach] and then work backwards."
After reviewing numerous studies, the commission recommended a diet high in vegetables and grains and low in meat, fat and oils. It laid out specific amounts in quantity and calories for people ages 2 to adulthood.
