The Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023 emphasizes reducing meat consumption and increasing consumption of vegetables, fruits and berries, cereals, nuts, and pulses. New research from Aarhus University, Aarhus University Hospital, Karolinska Institutet and the University of Copenhagen shows that following them is directly linked to lower mortality.
The food-based Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023 also take the environmental impact of diet into account as measured by greenhouse gas emissions, land use, water use, and nitrogen and phosphorus utilization. Image credit: Serp Pae.
Diet is a major contributor to climate change: around 30% of human-made greenhouse gas emissions come from our current food consumption and production.
The Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023 are designed to balance human health with sustainability.
“Our study shows that among middle-aged Swedish men and women who follow the guidelines, mortality is 23% lower compared with those who do not — even when factors such as education, income, and physical activity are taken into account,” said Aarhus University Ph.D. student Anne Bak Mørch.
“The study also reveals lower mortality from cancer and cardiovascular disease among those who are best at adhering to the guidelines.”
In the study, the researchers examined data from more than 76,000 Swedish men and women across two large population studies: the Swedish Mammography Cohort and the Cohort of Swedish Men.
Since 1997, participants have reported their dietary and lifestyle habits, providing a unique foundation for exploring the link between diet and health.
“The findings are significant for both human and planetary health,” said Aarhus University’s Dr. Christina Dahm.
“Our results are relevant across the Nordic and Baltic countries, since national dietary guidelines are based on the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations.”
“We show that following the guidelines as a whole benefits public health.”
“But our results also go further: because the recommendations take into account both nutritional value and climate impact, our research demonstrates that a sustainable Nordic diet benefits public health and the climate — and could serve as a model for other regional sustainable diets worldwide.”
“The study confirms that we can follow a Nordic diet to improve both our health and the climate.”
“Whether the diet also affects other health outcomes, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or cancer, remains to be seen.”
“We hope to investigate this further in a forthcoming study.”
The findings were published in the Journal of Nutrition.
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Anne B. Mørch et al. Development of the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023 Food-Based Diet Score and Its Association with All-Cause Mortality in Two Swedish Cohorts. Journal of Nutrition, published online July 3, 2025; doi: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2025.06.030
