A team of scientists have found in a new research that eating less meat may help save the earth along with reducing the risk of heart attacks in humans.

The research was done by Alan Dangour of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine along with his colleagues as per a report published in New Scientist.

The livestock industry’s potential was explored by the team to assist the UK minimize its carbon emissions by the year 2030 to almost half as compared to 1990 levels.

They discovered that the industry could reduce its emissions but only if the livestock produced and meat consumed by the UK is cut down by 30 percent.

Other measures which can prove to be helpful are farms optimizing their energy efficiency by capturing carbon in manure.

As many as 18,000 deaths caused due to heart attacks in UK would be reduced which amounts to 17 percent. This could happen if they consume lesser saturated fats found in meat.

The effect would not be limited to rich nations and the team found that the same health benefits could be achieved in Brazil.

Dangour said, “We’re not saying go vegetarian, we’re saying reduce how much livestock produce you consume, the savings could be even higher if reduced death rates from colorectal cancer and obesity had been included.”