What Is The ‘Atlantic Diet’? Why It’s Not As Healthy As It Seems

A new study has found that the Atlantic diet, popular in Spain and Portugal, can lower the risk of developing conditions linked to diabetes and heart disease. While the diet includes plant-based wholefoods like the Mediterranean diet, it also features more red meat, fish such as cod, and dairy products. Despite some health benefits, the diet's animal-based components, particularly red meat and processed meats, can have negative health impacts like increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

The study also found that the Atlantic diet slightly lowers an individual's carbon footprint but not significantly. In comparison, plant-based diets have a much lower environmental impact with up to 50 times fewer greenhouse gas emissions. Adopting a plant-based diet for metabolic health and environmental sustainability may be a more beneficial option compared to the Atlantic diet.