Study reveals that plant-based meat alternatives (PBMAs) may offer cardioprotective benefits compared to animal meat, but their classification as ultra-processed foods warrants further long-term research.
By Dr. Liji Thomas, MDReviewed by Benedette Cuffari, M.Sc.Jun 30 2024 Plant-based meat alternatives are increasing in popularity, especially among younger and health-conscious consumers who want to replace animal meat in their diet. A recent study published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology determines the cardioprotective effect of PBMAs in Canadians.What are PBMAs? PBMAs are highly processed foods used as meat substitutes.
Since PBMAs are produced from extracts of whole foods or are synthesized in a laboratory, they are also considered ultra-processed foods. In general, ultra-processed food consumption is associated with an increased risk of total mortality and CVDs by 21% and over 35%, respectively. These risks are raised by 2% and 4%, respectively, for each one-serving increase in daily ultra-processed food consumption.
Related StoriesSome trials did not report apolipoprotein B values, considered the most accurate CVD risk predictor compared to total or low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. Different control diets in the studies and various combinations of PBMAs contributed to heterogeneity in the analysis. In several trials, replacing meat with PBMAs was associated with reduced total and LDL cholesterol, ApoB-100, and body weight. The cholesterol-lowering effects of PBMAs may be due to various factors, such as substituting olive oil for butter, mayonnaise, dairy fat, or margarine. These types of dietary substitutions are associated with reduced cardiometabolic risk and CVD mortality in other studies.
Pea protein is another major source of non-soy-based legume protein in PBMAs. Recent studies indicate that consuming 400 grams of legumes each week may reduce the risk of CVDs by over 10%; however, this benefit cannot be directly extrapolated to PBMAs, which contain only processed protein.
Meat Blood Blood Pressure Cardiology Cholesterol Diet Food Gluten Mortality Olive Oil Protein Wheat
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