Adherence to the EAT–Lancet Diet: Unintended Consequences for the Brain?

Abstract

In January 2019, the EAT–Lancet Commission defined a universal reference diet to promote human and environmental health. However, in doing so, the potential consequences for brain health were not considered. Whilst plant-based diets are generally associated with better cognitive and affective outcomes, those that severely limit animal products are not. Therefore, the potential ramifications of the EAT–Lancet diet on cognition, mood, and heart rate variability were considered (N = 328). Adherence to the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI) was associated with having a better mood, focused attention, working and episodic memory, and higher heart rate variability. However, when the EAT–Lancet diet was considered, the effects were either smaller or not significant. Cluster analysis identified a dietary style characterised by a strong adherence to the EAT–Lancet recommendation to limit meat intake, representing a sixth of the present sample. This group had a lower Mean Adequacy Ratio (MAR); did not meet the Recommended Nutrient Intake (RNI) for a range of nutrients including protein, selenium, zinc, iron, and folate; and reported a poorer mood. These data highlight the potential unintended consequences of the EAT–Lancet recommendations for nutritional adequacy and affective health in some individuals. There is a need to better optimise the EAT–Lancet diet to support brain health. As we move towards more sustainable diets, these findings emphasise the need to consider how such diets might affect the brain.