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• To manage nutrition during the menstrual phase, individuals should consume iron-rich foods like spinach, red meat, beans, and nuts, paired with vitamin C-rich foods like oranges or broccoli to aid iron absorption.
• Globally, between 1990 and 2018, AHEI scores increased for non-starchy vegetables (+1.1), legumes/nuts (+1.1), and fruit (+0.1); decreased for red/processed meat (−1.4), sugar-sweetened beverages (−0.6), and sodium (−0.4); and remained stable for whole grains (+0.1), PUFAs (0), and seafood omega-3 (0).
• Globally, more educated individuals had lower AHEI scores (less favorable consumption levels) for red/processed meat (-0.6), sugar-sweetened beverages (-0.6), and nuts and legumes (-0.1).
• Diets globally continue to lack sufficient amounts of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and whole grains, while including excessive and sometimes rising amounts of red meat, processed meat, and sugary drinks.
• Suboptimal diets are characterized by low intake of fibers, fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds, milk, seafood, calcium, and healthy fats (omega-3 fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids) and high intake of trans-fatty acids, sodium, red or processed meat, and sugar-sweetened beverages, according to Afshin et al. (2019).
• In high-income countries, Central/Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Northern Africa, improvements in dietary quality driven by increased intake of fruit, non-starchy vegetables, legumes/nuts, and whole grains have been offset by stable or only minor reductions in red/processed meats, sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), and sodium.
• A healthy diet consists of plenty of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and oils high in unsaturated fats, while containing little to no red and processed meat, sugar-sweetened beverages, refined grains, and oils high in saturated fats.
• The planetary health diet prioritizes the consumption of vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and fish, while limiting the intake of red meat and tubers, and promoting moderate consumption of eggs, poultry, and dairy products.
• During the menstrual phase, consuming iron-rich foods such as red meat, seafood, iron-enriched cereals, dried fruits, nuts, legumes, beans, and green leafy vegetables is recommended to compensate for blood loss.
• Imbalanced diets low in fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains, and high in red and processed meat are responsible for one of the greatest health burdens globally and in most regions.
• Globally, urban residents had higher AHEI scores for fruit (+0.2) and whole grains (+0.2), but lower scores for sugar-sweetened beverages (-0.5), red/processed meat (-0.4), and legumes/nuts (-0.1).
• The EAT-Lancet Commission on Healthy Diets from Sustainable Food Systems established specific dietary recommendations for minimum intake of health-promoting foods (fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, whole grains) and maximum intake of foods with detrimental health or environmental impacts (red meat, processed meat, dairy, fish).
• Plant-based diets are characterized by a high intake of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, and nuts, while minimizing or excluding animal products like red meat, fish, and dairy. This dietary pattern is high in fiber and nutrients and may support heart health, blood sugar management, and overall well-being.
• A quarter of all deaths among adults globally are attributable to poor diets, defined as diets low in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains, and high in red meat, processed meat, and sugary drinks.
• The Global Nutrition Report 2021 analysis includes diet-disease associations for low intake of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts/seeds, and whole grains, as well as for high intake of red meat, processed meat, and sugary drinks.