A new study published in the European Journal of Nutrition has shown that eating a common plant-based protein called Quorn in place of red and processed meat can lower cholesterol and reduce fat around the waist.
The crossover study included 20 healthy adult males who were randomized to eat 240 grams of red and processed meat for 14 days followed by 240 grams of Quorn for 14 days or vice versa. During the study, various health quantities were measured, including cholesterol, blood pressure, and waist circumference. Quorn is a popular meat substitute made from mycoprotein that has been previously shown to reduce cardiovascular risk markers. This study aimed to determine the benefits of Quorn relative to red and processed meats.
The results of the study showed that two weeks of Quorn consumption led to a 12% drop in LDL (or “bad”) cholesterol and a nearly 7% drop in overall cholesterol compared to consumption of red and processed meats. Participants also reduced their waist circumference by about 1 cm after two weeks of Quorn compared to two weeks of red and processed meats. Furthermore, two weeks of Quorn consumption led to clinically meaningful trends toward lower blood pressure.
The leading researcher on the study noted that these results are particularly important given the millions of people who currently suffer from high cholesterol and excess waist fat. Consumption of mycoprotein from Quorn resulted in fast and meaningful reductions in cardiovascular disease risk for participants. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high waist circumference are known risk factors for cardiovascular disease that are becoming increasingly common in the US and around the world. A simple dietary change such as swapping red and processed meats for mycoprotein appears to be a safe and effective way to begin to address these issues.
Sources: European Journal of Nutrition, Science Daily
