Study Finds Plant-Based Meats Better for Heart Health Than Animal Meats

The superb benefits of plant-based meat alternatives in improving cardiovascular risk factors than actual meat have been found and published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology.

The recent study team argued that plant-based meat alternatives (PBMA) are generally more beneficial for heart health than actual meat, even though the nutritional components vary by product. The research team reviewed studies on PBMA from 1970 to 2023 to evaluate the dietary components of PBMA foods and the impact of PBMA on cardiovascular disease risk factors such as blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Despite being classified as highly processed foods with high sodium content, the experts found that PBMA does not negatively affect cardiovascular risk factors, including blood pressure. In detail, PBMA can lower LDL cholesterol levels since those products have less saturated fat and more fiber. They added that replacing red meat with PBMA can help maintain protein intake and improve heart health.

Experts also agreed that PBMA is low in saturated fat and high in unsaturated fat and fiber, so it is a healthier choice than animal meat in terms of heart metabolic risk factors. They stressed that meat and animal foods contain precursors to TMAO, a substance produced when red meat is digested that can cause cardiovascular problems, including carnitine and choline, while PBMA does not.

Given the American Heart Association’s recommendation to minimize the intake of processed foods for heart health, experts were surprised to find that highly processed PBMA can be beneficial.

While they cautioned that highly processed PBMA is not necessarily healthy, they suggested that these options could still be more nutritious than meat, eggs, and other animal products. In other words, even if PBMA is processed or highly processed, its value lies in its ability to serve as a meat substitute, making it a worthwhile alternative.

However, experts warned against excessive consumption of PBMA, noting that food processing can alter healthy fibers, micronutrients, and vitamins and that processed foods are digested and absorbed faster than whole plant foods.