The planetary diet: a nutritional utopia in conflict with human evolution

The Planetary Health Diet proposed by the EAT-Lancet Commission aims to promote global health and environmental sustainability through a predominantly plant-based, carbohydrate-rich nutritional model. Despite its appeal, its universal application raises concerns regarding human metabolic compatibility, nutrient sufficiency, and evolutionary coherence.

This article critically evaluates the Planetary diet through the lenses of evolutionary biology, clinical nutrition, cancer metabolism, and anthropological diversity. An alternative framework is proposed: The autogenous diet, which aligns more with human physiological and ecological heritage.

A narrative synthesis was conducted of peer-reviewed literature from evolutionary nutrition, clinical trials, oncology, and chronobiology. Comparative analysis highlights the metabolic divergence between high-carbohydrate, standardized diets and fat-adapted, ancestral nutritional models.

The planetary diet fails to meet several human biological requirements. It neglects nutrient-dense animal foods rich in DHA, vitamin B12, and bioavailable iron; promotes chronic glycemic load and insulin signaling; and ignores interindividual genetic and epigenetic variability. By contrast, the autogenous diet contains a species-appropriate macronutrient distribution (moderate protein, high fat, low carbohydrate), prioritizes local and minimally processed foods, aligns with circadian biology and fasting cycles, and elicits tumor-suppressive mechanisms.

The universalization of the planetary diet represents a biological and cultural oversimplification. Nutritional strategies must account for evolutionary metabolism, regional diversity, and clinical outcomes. Ancestral, autogenous diets may offer a more effective and ecological solution that can meet nutritional requirements based on fundamental physiology.