Even though there is substantial variability in the contents and nutritional profiles of plant-based meat alternatives (PBMAs), the nutritional profiles tend to reflect a heart-healthy dietary pattern. A review article appearing in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology, published by Elsevier, of the available studies directly comparing the impact of plant-based and animal-based meats consistently suggests that the plant-based alternatives improve cardiovascular risk factors.
PBMAs are highly processed plant-based food products that typically replace meat in the diet. In Canada, the growing demand for PBMAs coincides with public health recommendations to reduce ultra-processed food consumption, which prompts the need to investigate the long-term health implications of PBMAs.
The authors of the article reviewed the research published from 1970 to 2023 on PBMAs, their contents, nutritional profiles, and impact on cardiovascular disease risk factors, such as cholesterol levels and blood pressure. Their analysis shows:
- There is substantial variability in the contents and nutritional profiles of PBMAs.
- On average, PBMAs tend to have a more heart-healthy nutritional profile than meat, although the high sodium content of some products may be of concern.
- PBMAs have been shown to improve some cardiovascular risk factors, including cholesterol levels, in several randomized controlled trials.
- PBMAs have not been shown to raise blood pressure, despite the high sodium content of some products.
- There is currently a lack of long-term research evaluating how these alternatives may affect the risk of developing a heart attack or stroke.
- There is currently little research on the healthfulness of some common components of PBMAs, such as vital wheat gluten (seitan).
The authors of the review article were surprised to find that there is a near complete lack of research on vital wheat gluten, which is the primary protein source incorporated into many popular PBMAs, and cardiovascular risk factors.
