If you’re thinking about switching to a vegan diet, think again. A new study by experts shown that vegan goods do not clearly improve heart health.
According to Daily Mail, the study draws attention to the erroneous “health halo” around plant-based meats and calls on the food sector to reconsider its plans for developing meat substitutes of the future.
According to the results of an investigation with eighty-two individuals at risk of type 2 diabetes, plant-based meat substitutes might not provide any appreciable health advantages over conventional meats.
The research, which lasted eight weeks, split the individuals into two dietary groups: one that consumed conventional meat and the other that consumed plant-based meat substitutes like Beyond Meat and Impossible Beef.
In addition to real-time blood sugar monitoring, the volunteers’ cardiometabolic health was evaluated by initial and subsequent blood tests.
The results, which were published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, showed that the two groups’ major cardiovascular disease risk factors did not differ significantly.
The consumption of plant-based meats was associated with a 42.5% rise in salt intake, but the consumption of meat witnessed a drop in dietary cholesterol levels in both groups.
Additionally, only the meat-eating group showed a little improvement in blood pressure.
The current generation of plant-based meats has been criticized by Dr. Sumanto Haldar, a nutrition science lecturer at Bournemouth University and co-author of the study, for being heavily processed and frequently loaded with chemicals, saturated fats, and salt.
The speaker underscored the necessity for the food business to engage in innovation and provide more cost-effective and healthful meat substitutes that are in line with the established health advantages of a conventional plant-based diet consisting of whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables.
He continued: “This gives an impetus for the food industry to re-evaluate the development of the next generation of meat alternative products, so that they not only taste good, but also have improved nutritional attributes and are more affordable for the entire population.”
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