Love the Food that Loves you Back: A Planetary Health and Women's Heart Health Partnership

Abstract

Planetary health and human health are inextricably linked in a complex relationship. Gender-based health vulnerabilities fall disproportionately on women regardless of a country's economy and resources. Women and girls are often the most affected by environmental degradation in food and water systems, along with gender-specific disparities. Addressing food production and nutrition can play a key role in the nursing profession's advocacy for planetary health and heart disease prevention in addressing gender-specific disparities. This article reviews research on the intersection of planetary health, heart health, nutrition strategies, and gender-specific disparities, utilizing the planetary health perspective that views human health and the Earth's health as deeply connected. Data supports nutritional solutions including a plant-based diet to improve environmental health, increase food security and planetary health, and decrease heart disease, the leading cause of death worldwide. Nurses play a critical role in assessing patients ‘food security and educating about the benefits of healthy and sustainable foods as well as how food choices can impact planetary health. Gender-sensitive research, including collection, analysis, and reporting of sex-disaggregated data, is needed to better understand the implications of planetary health threats, solutions, and policies.

Keywords

planetary health heart disease gender disparities plant-based diet

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