The recommendations encourage eating less meat and added sugar and increasing intake of whole grains, legumes, fish, and low fat dairy products. Introduced in 2023, the guidelines were designed to promote better nutrition while also reducing climate impact. Now, researchers report that people who closely follow these recommendations have a significantly lower risk of death. The study was led by Associate Professor Christina Dahm together with PhD student Anne Bak Mørch.

“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. The study also reveals lower mortality from cancer and cardiovascular disease among those who are best at adhering to the guidelines,” she explains.

Study of 76,000 Adults Reveals Lower Cancer and Heart Deaths

To reach their conclusions, the researchers analyzed data from more than 76,000 Swedish adults enrolled in two major long term studies, the Swedish Mammography Cohort and the Cohort of Swedish Men. Since 1997, participants have regularly reported details about their eating habits and lifestyle. This extensive dataset allowed scientists to carefully examine how diet relates to long term health outcomes.

According to Dahm, the findings matter not only for individuals but also for society as a whole.

“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.”

A Climate Friendly Diet With Public Health Impact

Food production and consumption play a major role in climate change. About 30% of human caused greenhouse gas emissions are linked to the way food is produced and consumed. The Nordic dietary guidelines were developed to strike a balance between supporting human health and lowering environmental impact. This is the first study to evaluate the overall health effects of the updated recommendations.

“The study confirms that we can follow a Nordic diet to improve both our health and the climate — at least when it comes to preventing premature death,” says Christina Dahm.

Researchers caution that more work is needed to understand how this eating pattern may influence other conditions such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or cancer. Dahm and her team plan to explore these questions in future research.