A new review article published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology has concluded that plant-based meat alternatives are generally healthier for your heart than animal-based meat.
The review article evaluated research published between 1970 and 2023 on plant-based meat alternatives. Topics included the nutritional content of plant-based meat alternatives as well as the impact of their consumption on cardiovascular disease risk factors. Plant-based meat alternatives tend to be highly processed, and experts generally recommend that highly processed foods should be avoided. However, meats and meat products, particularly red and processed meats, are also not recommended as part of a healthy diet. This review sought to determine whether substituting plant-based meat alternatives for meat may lead to improved heart health.
The results showed that plant-based meat alternatives vary widely in their nutritional profiles, but that in general these meat alternatives tend to align with heart-healthy recommendations compared to animal meat. Plant-based meat alternatives were generally lower in saturated fat and higher in dietary fiber. Additionally, trials that replaced meat with meat alternatives showed improvements in risk factors such as cholesterol and body weight. Notably, there was no evidence that the processed nature of plant-based meat alternatives negate their benefits for heart health.
The authors noted that regularly replacing meat with plant-based alternatives is likely to be beneficial for heart health, especially if red meat is being replaced. Plant-based meat alternatives can also be an excellent source of protein in a heart-healthy diet. However, the authors cautioned that people who regularly consume plant-based meat alternatives should try to choose options that are lower in sodium and saturated fat. In the future, randomized controlled trials would be useful to determine the impact of plant-based meat alternatives on the risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and strokes.
Sources: Canadian Journal of Cardiology, Science Daily
