The potential of nutrition for pain management and planetary health

Abstract

The consumption of western diets that are often rich in animal-source foods and low in wholesome, plant-based foods, has grave implications for public health. This is expressed in agrowing prevalence of obesity as well as high rates of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases and some cancers. At the same time, current global dietary patterns are major contributors to global environmental challenges, i.e. the climate and the biodiversity crisis, and are thereby amajor threat to planetary health. Shifting to more plant-based diets, e.g. in line with the "Planetary Health Diet", provides amajor opportunity to improve individual and planetary health. Plant-based dietary patterns with an increase in the consumption of anti-inflammatory and adecrease in pro-inflammatory substances can also lead to improvements in pain symptoms, especially in inflammatory or degenerative joint diseases. In addition, dietary shifts are aprerequisite to achieve global environmental targets and thereby ensure alivable and healthy future for everyone. Medical professionals therefore have aspecial responsibility to actively promote this transformation.