Veggie burgers are not a healthy alternative to meat according to major new study

A new major study published last week showed that, while often marketed as healthy, eating plant-based ultra-processed foods (UPF) carry major health risks.

The research, published in a prestigious Lancet Journal was a collaboration between the University of São Paulo, Imperial College London and the UK Biobank study. The authors scrutinised dietary questionnaires from 118,000 UK residence aged 40 to 69 years. These data were then linked to hospital records to obtain information on diseases and death rates over the following nine years.

They found that eating processed plant-based foods significantly increased the risk of a heart attack, stroke and ultimately early death. These included meat-free alternatives such as some sausages, veggie burgers, vegan sausage rolls and nuggets, all of which which can be classified as ultra-processed foods (UPFs).

They also confirmed that eating fresh plants such as fruit, vegetables, whole gains, nuts, seeds, mushrooms and beans significantly reduced the risk of vascular disease. It is worth noting that it is already known, from previous studies, that eating more non-processed plants, improves immediate markers of well-being such as cognitive function, sleep, gut health and exercise performance and reduces the long term risks of diabetes, cancer, obesity, arthritis, dementia, skin aging and osteoporosis.

To be more precise, the authors of this new study reported that for every 10% incremental increase in the amount of healthy unprocessed plants eaten there was a  7% lower risk of heart and stroke  Conversely, for every 10% increase in ultra-processed plants eaten, there was a 5% increased risk. Not surprisingly, they also confirmed that people who eat a lot of any UPF, whether animal or plant-based, had an even higher risk (>30%) of, not only getting cardiovascular diseases but dying from them. 

This new data supports a study from Poland which was highlighted by National World earlier in the year. They analysed the nutritional content of veggie, meat substitute and meat meals in over 50 fast food outlets across the World. The veggie meals were generally highly processed, deep fried plant products such as faux chicken, often packed with trans fats, salt, artificial favours, preservative, colours and industrial contaminants which can cause oxidative stress and inflammation.

Veggie meals often have had their fibre removed which increases and speeds up absorption of their high calorie carbohydrates and sugar content which over time contributes to raised cholesterol, obesity and diabetes. Although meat has its own risks, the researchers concluded overall UPF from plants in the fast food outlets carried similar health risks as the meat options.  

The authors of both these trials were keen to point out that these results should not put people off trying to reduce their meat intake. Making a positive step to increase unprocessed plants and decrease meat consumption, to less than three times a week is one of the healthiest commitments you can do to help your current and future wellbeing. It is a well-established fact that cancer rates are lower among vegetarians.

An Oxford University study found that eating meat no more than three times a week could prevent 31,000 deaths from heart disease, 9000 from cancer and 5000 from stroke a year. It is very clear that UPF from meats are the worse culprits. Cheap sausages, bacon, sliced ham and tinned meats have all been linked to a 30% greater chance of premature death from any cancer. On the bright side, meat eaters who also have a high intake of vegetables, fruit, whole grains and spices only have a moderately increased cancer risk, as opposed to salad-dodging carnivores. 

Unprocessed plants have many mechanisms of benefit. They are high in fibre, vitamins, minerals, protein, slow release carbohydrates The natural phytochemicals in plants reduce excess inflammation, improve oxidative pathways, and act as prebiotics to enhance gut health. They can counterbalance the carcinogens, such as nitrosamines, in meat by converting nitrates to nitric oxide.

In conclusion, Dr Eszter Vamos, and other authors of this new study agree that reducing meat and increasing fresh plant-based foods will have important health and environmental benefits. However, based on the available evidence, nutritional guidelines promoting plant-based diets should focus not only on reducing the amount of animal-products people eat, but also on the importance of the level of processing involved in the food, and avoiding UPFs.