Study: Plant-based fake meat linked to heart disease

Ultra-processed foods such as plant-based meat alternatives are associated with an increase in heart attacks and strokes, according to a new study.

What the study found

Researchers at Imperial College London and Sao Paulo University looked at 118,000 Brits aged 40-69 and reviewed their diets. They found that ultra-processed, plant-based foods increased the risk of cardiovascular disease by 5% and early death by 12%.

Ultra-processed foods are the least natural. They are industrially produced and usually synthesized from different compounds. Examples include snacks, sweetened drinks, and products containing artificial additives. They also include plant-based meat and dairy alternatives, which are heavily promoted as being environmentally friendly. Studies show that vegans and vegetarians consume more ultra-processed foods than meat eaters.

“These findings advance current knowledge by highlighting that a higher intake of plant-sourced foods may only bring about better cardiovascular health outcomes when largely based on minimally processed foods while a higher intake of plant-sourced UPF may have detrimental effects on health,” wrote the study’s authors.

Plant-based ultra-processed foods lead to health conditions

The researchers also noted that plant-based, non-ultra-processed foods like legumes, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables are associated with decreased cardiovascular disease. But once they are ultra-processed, they can lead to a host of health conditions.

“Despite being plant-based, these foods may contribute to risk factors such as dyslipidemia and hypertension due to their composition and processing methods,” said Dr. Fernanda Rauber, the study’s lead researcher. “Food additives and industrial contaminants present in these foods might cause oxidative stress and inflammation, further aggravating the risks. 

Rauber, specializing in preventative medicine at the University of São Paulo in Brazil, concluded that, “our results support the shift towards plant-based food choices that consider the degree of processing to improve cardiovascular health outcomes.”

Plant-based meat often loaded with ‘anti-nutrients’

Nutrition experts have been warning against fake meat. Nutritionist and Sacred Cow: The Case for (Better Meat) author Diana Rodgers says lab-grown meat, such as that sold by Upside Foods, is still not as healthy as McDonalds.

“I’d rather eat my shoe than lab-grown meat,” Rodgers stated.

British investigative food journalist Joanna Blythman has also warned against plant-based meat, which she says sometimes contain up to 30 artificial ingredients. 

“Artificial plant-based proteins tend to be loaded with 'anti-nutrients' - compounds that make it harder for our guts to absorb beneficial macro and micronutrients,” Blythman wrote in an article for the Daily Mail. “Essentially, it's less digestible than real meat, and certainly less nutritious.”