Plant-based substitutes healthier for your heart than meat: Study

Eating plantbased meat alternatives may have profound benefits against cardiovascular disease risk factors such as cholesterol levels and blood pressure according to a review of research published from 1970 to 2023Plantbased meat alternatives are highly processed plantbased food products that typically replace meat in the dietWhile there is substantial variability in the contents and nutritional profiles of these alternatives the findings detailed in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology showed that the nutritional profiles tend to reflect a hearthealthy dietary patternWhile the plantbased meat market has experienced significant growth in recent years and more and more people are enjoying plantbased burgers surprisingly little is known about how these meat alternatives may impact health and in particular cardiovascular disease risk said lead author Matthew Nagra from the University of British Columbia CanadaThus we sought to review the available literature on the topic to identify what is currently known and to provide direction for future research he addedThe researchers reviewed the research published from 1970 to 2023 on plantbased meat alternatives their contents nutritional profiles and their impact on cardiovascular disease risk factors such as cholesterol levels and blood pressureAlso Read World Environment Day 2024 Did you know air pollution can cause heart diseaseTheir analysis shows that on average the plantbased alternatives tend to have a more hearthealthy nutritional profile than meat although the high sodium content of some products may be of concernHowever these alternatives do not raise blood pressure but instead improve some cardiovascular risk factors including cholesterol levels in several randomised controlled trialsldquoThere is currently a lack of longterm research evaluating how these alternatives may affect the risk of developing a heart attack or strokerdquo the researchers saidFor those looking to reduce their meat intake especially if itrsquos red meat replacing that with plantbased alternatives is likely a hearthealthy choice said Ehud Ur Professor from the varsityFor those who already limit their meat intake the alternatives can be incorporated into a healthy dietary pattern as an excellent protein source however it may be beneficial to choose options that are lower in saturated fat and sodium if consuming them regularly Ur saidThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever