No Major Heart Health Benefits from Plant-Based Meats, New Study Finds

In a recent study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers conducted an eight-week-long randomised controlled trial to evaluate the impacts of consuming a plant-based meat analogue diet versus one composed of an omnivorous animal-based one.

In recent years, a resurgence in global Plant Based Diets popularity has been witnessed, with environmental, health, and animal welfare concerns primarily driving this observation.

Previous research has established vegetarian and vegan diets as healthier than meat-based diets (MBDs), particularly in cardiometabolic outcomes. Furthermore, large and data-rich controlled trials have suggested that the gradual transition from ABD to PBDs can reduce the risk of chronic, non-transmittable diseases. These food products aim to mimic the organoleptic properties of meat-based food products while meeting the ethical and health benefits of vegetarian/vegan ones.

Unfortunately, given that PBMAs are still novel introductions, scientific evidence for their health benefits remains severely limited. While a few studies have suggested weight-loss benefits to PBMA consumption, their cardiometabolic risk outcomes are hitherto confounding.

Conducted at the Clinical Nutrition Research Centre in Singapore, the study involved a cohort of adults aged 30-70, who were omnivorous with elevated blood glucose levels but no diabetes.

Participants were screened via questionnaires on lifestyle, food frequency, and health history. Standard measurements of height, weight, and waist circumference were taken, along with fasting blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin levels. After baseline evaluations, participants were randomly assigned to either the ABMD or PBMD group. Over eight weeks, participants gradually substituted their regular diets with the provided animal or plant-based diets.

The study found that protein and saturated fat intake increased over time, especially in the ABMD group, while carbohydrate intake decreased. The PBMD group saw significant reductions in cholesterol, sodium, and potassium. Compliance was high, with 87% in the PBMD group and 95% in the ABMD group adhering to the diet.

Despite these dietary changes, there were no significant effects on lipid profiles, including LDL cholesterol. The cardiovascular risk scores did not show differences between the groups or changes from baseline to the end of the study. Weight and BMI also did not improve, though both groups did experience a reduction in waist circumference over the eight weeks.

The findings suggested that the current PBMDs do not reflect the cardiovascular advantages of their constituent plant foods, possibly due to essential nutrient loss during the latters' processing for the formers manufacture.

Reference: Toh, D. W. K., Fu, A. S., Mehta, K. A., Lam, N. Y. L., Haldar, S., & Henry, C. J. (2024). Plant-Based Meat Analogs and Their Effects on Cardiometabolic Health: An 8-Week Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Plant-Based Meat Analogs With Their Corresponding Animal-Based Foods. In The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Vol. 119, Issue 6, pp. 1405–1416). Elsevier BV, DOI = 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2024.04.006,