Replacing Red Meat With Plant-Based Meat Lowers Key Heart Risk Metabolite: Study

A recent study published in Scientific Reports explored whether replacing red meat with processed plant-based meat alternatives could influence biomarkers linked to cardiovascular disease.

Researchers focused particularly on Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), a compound produced by gut bacteria when the body digests nutrients such as choline and L-carnitine, commonly found in red meat. Elevated TMAO levels have been associated with a higher risk of Atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular conditions.

The research was part of the Finding Optimal Oral Diet 1 Trial, a randomized crossover study involving 41 adults aged 18 to 80 years. Participants followed two short-term dietary phases lasting six days each: one including red meat patties and the other including plant-based patties designed to mimic meat. A one-week washout period separated the phases. Before the trial began, participants also completed a seven-day vegan run-in diet to standardize metabolic conditions.

During each phase, participants consumed two patties per day while avoiding other animal products. Researchers measured body weight, blood pressure, and blood biomarkers before and after each diet period.

The results showed that the plant-based meat diet significantly reduced TMAO levels compared with the red-meat diet. Participants also experienced modest improvements in lipid markers, including reductions in total cholesterol and Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (LDL cholesterol).

However, the plant-based phase was associated with a small average weight gain of about 0.6 kilograms. Researchers suggest this may be due to higher sodium levels in processed plant-based products, which can cause temporary fluid retention. Slight increases were also observed in N-terminal Pro B-type Natriuretic Peptide, a marker linked to fluid balance and cardiac stress.

Overall, the study suggests that replacing red meat with plant-based alternatives may improve some heart-health biomarkers, but the nutritional composition of processed plant foods—particularly sodium content—should also be considered when evaluating their health impact.

REFERENCE: Ferreira, J. P., Marques, P., Zhang, G., Possik, E., Mavrakanas, T. A., Tsoukas, M. A., & Sharma, A. (2026). Processed plant-based meat-supplemented diet versus red meat-based supplemented diet randomized cross-over trial Finding Optimal Oral Diet-1 (FOOD-1) trial. Scientific Reports. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-41165-3, https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-41165-3