Current dietary intake of the Japanese population in reference to the planetary health diet-preliminary assessment

Abstract

IntroductionWe sought to assess the Japanese diet by examining the current dietary intake in Japan using the global reference diet from the EAT-Lancet Commission (Planetary Health Diet; PHD), from the perspective of protein intake in different age groups.MethodsAverage dietary intake by food group in the Japan National Health and Nutrition Survey 2019 (NHNS 2019) was converted to the PHD food groups, and the diet gap (DG) (%) of the global reference of the PHD was calculated by age group.ResultsAlthough the DG of the intake was excessive compared with the global reference of the PHD in most food groups in all age groups (7.1–416%), the intake exceeded the upper limit of the range only for red meat (640%). Red meat had the highest DG among subjects in their 40s, although the DG decreased with increasing age. Protein intake was within the possible range and did not greatly exceed the recommended dietary intake in the Japanese standard.DiscussionThe current Japanese diet contains an excessive intake of red meat in terms of the global reference of the PHD. This trend is similar to that previously reported in various western regions and countries. However, the Japanese diet does not significantly exceed the recommended protein intake for Japanese people, suggesting that the PHD is an environmentally friendly and healthy choice for younger and older age groups in an aging Japanese society. Policy makers need to develop sustainable and healthy food-based dietary guidelines in addition to providing food and nutrition education and developing a food environment that encourages sustainable and healthy choices to support dietary change.

Global trends and research hotspots of EAT-Lancet diet: a bibliometric analysis

“…Nomura et al assessed the Japanese diet in relation to the global EAT-Lancet Commission's Planetary Health Diet (PHD), particularly focusing on protein intake across various age groups. Using data from the Japan National Health and Nutrition Survey 2019 (43), it was found that while most food group intakes exceeded the PHD's global reference across all age groups, only red meat intake significantly surpassed its upper limit, particularly in those in their 40s. Despite this, protein consumption in Japan remains within recommended limits.…”

Empfehlungen zur Ernährungsprävention des Typ-2-Diabetes mellitus

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The MED_EAT-IT approach: A modelling study to develop feasible, sustainable and nutritionally targeted dietary patterns based on the Planetary health diet

“…Briefly, the ELHRD is framed to optimize both health and diet-related environmental impact and should be used at national/regional level to develop country specific healthy and sustainable diet, once adapted to the considered food context. The ELHRD prompted considerable scientific debate since its publication and has been compared to national Food-Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDGs) in USA ( Blackstone and Conrad, 2020 ) and Australia ( Hendrie et al, 2022 ), as well as current diets in India ( Sharma et al, 2020 ), Spain ( Cambeses-Franco et al, 2022 ), and Japan ( Nomura et al, 2023 ). Furthermore, several scores to evaluate adherence were elaborated and validated or used to assess the association with nutritional adequacy, indicators of environmental impact or risk of chronic diseases ( Ali et al, 2022 ; Cacau et al, 2021 , 2022 ; Cacau and Marchioni, 2022 ; Campirano et al, 2023 ; Colizzi et al, 2023 ; Frank et al, 2024 ; Hanley-Cook et al, 2021 ; Kesse-Guyot et al, 2021 ; Knuppel et al, 2019 ; López et al, 2023 ; Marchioni et al, 2022 ; Montejano Vallejo et al, 2022 ; Stubbendorff et al, 2022 ; Trijsburg et al, 2021 ).…”