The proof going vegan IS NOT better for you? Research shows that plant-based meat products are full of salt and fat

Going vegan won’t improve your health, an experiment suggests.

Researchers have discovered that plant-based meat products offer no ‘clear benefit’ for heart health.

People who ate fake sausages, burgers and mince also apparently had worse blood pressure than their meat-eating counterparts.

Experts today labeled the ‘health hype’ surrounding plant-based meat as unwarranted and urged the food industry to ‘re-evaluate the development of the next generation of meat alternatives’.

Co-author of the study, Dr. Sumanto Haldar, a lecturer in nutritional science at Bournemouth University said: ‘Currently the production of these plant-based meat alternatives often involves a significant amount of processing.

Vegan contestants swapped meat for ultra-processed alternatives from brands like Impossible Beef, Omni Foods, the Vegetarian Butcher and Beyond Meat, including Beyond Meat’s ‘Beyond Sausage Original Brat’

Writing in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, academics said: ‘Among the classic risk factors for cardiovascular disease, no clear effects were observed between the animal-based meat diet and plant-based meat groups’. Pictured, Impossible Foods’ ‘Impossible Beef’, a plant-based alternative offered to attendees

‘The final products can be high in salt, saturated fat and additives to match the taste and texture of real meat products.’

He added: ‘It is clear that there is still much room for improvement of plant-based meat analogues on the market to justify the perception of superior health benefits of these products.

“As it stands, the plant-based meat alternatives currently available do not offer the same health benefits as a traditional plant-based diet, which generally consists of whole foods such as whole grains, legumes and a host of fruits and vegetables.

‘This gives impetus to the food industry to rethink the development of the next generation of alternative meat products, so that they not only taste good, but also have improved nutritional properties and are more affordable for the whole population.’

WHAT SHOULD A BALANCED DIET LOOK LIKE?

Meals should be based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally whole grains, according to the NHS

• Eat at least 5 portions of different fruits and vegetables every day. All fresh, frozen, dried and canned fruit and vegetables count

• Based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, preferably whole grains

• 30 grams of fiber per day: This is the same as eating all of the following: 5 portions of fruit and vegetables, 2 wholegrain crackers, 2 thick slices of wholegrain bread and a large baked potato with the skin on

• Have some milk or dairy alternatives (such as soy drinks) by choosing low-fat and less sugar

• Eat some beans, legumes, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins (including 2 portions of fish each week, one of which should be fatty)

• Choose unsaturated oils and spreads and consume in small quantities

• Drink 6-8 cups/glasses of water a day

• Adults should have less than 6g of salt and 20g of saturated fat for women or 30g for men per day

Source: NHS Eatwell Guide

82 participants at risk of type 2 diabetes were divided into either carnivorous (42) or plant-based (40) diet groups in an eight-week trial.

Vegan participants swapped meat for ultra-processed alternatives from brands like Impossible Beef, Omni Foods, the Vegetarian Butcher, Beyond Meat and The Vegetarian Butcher.

Ground beef and pork, chicken breast, burger patties, sausages and chicken nuggets made up the six meat options delivered to the meat eater’s home.

Before the study, volunteers underwent blood tests to allow researchers to assess their cardiometabolic health.

They were equipped with glucose monitors to check blood sugar levels in real time.

Researchers then took another blood sample to monitor changes in cholesterol and other key markers of heart health.

Writing in American Journal of Clinical Nutritionsaid academics: ‘Among the classic risk factors for cardiovascular disease, no clear effects were observed between the animal-based meat diet and plant-based meat groups.’

Dietary cholesterol decreased among both groups.

While levels of trans fats – unsaturated fatty acids – were highest among meat eaters, their sodium intake fell over the eight weeks.

Instead, it increased by 42.5 percent among fake meat consumers.

‘Modest improvements’ in blood pressure were also noted in meat eaters, but not in those on a plant-based diet.

“These findings suggest that despite the well-documented health benefits of traditional plant-based diets, their health benefits should not be confused with those of plant-based meat diets,” researchers added.

Interest in a plant-based diet has increased in recent years, with vegans citing ethical, environmental or health reasons.

The exact number of vegans in the UK is almost impossible to determine.

But a recent study suggested that around 600,000 people are believed to be on a plant-based diet, while another in 2021 claimed that almost a third of Britons were using alternative milk.

Last year Meatless Farm – one of the UK’s leading faux meat retailers – went into administration.

It sold £11m worth of plant-based mince, burgers and chicken in 2021, but struggled as demand for meat-free products waned.

And in August, it was revealed that vegan brand Beyond Meat saw sales fall by almost a third as it struggled with falling demand.

Meanwhile, research from The merchant suggested that the range of meat-free items offered in supermarkets fell by 10 per cent in the six months to March 2023 as companies cut back on product lines.