Experts praise the environmental and health advantages of avoiding animal products, but recent research indicates that eating highly processed vegan cuisine may raise your risk of heart mortality.
Packaged goods, beverages, cereals, and ready-to-eat items that contain flavors, emulsifiers, colors, and other additives are examples of ultra-processed foods. UPFs usually lack vitamins and fiber and are heavy in sugar, saturated fat, and salt.
More than 118,000 British citizens between the ages of 40 and 69 had their diets evaluated by researchers from Imperial College London and the University of São Paulo.
They discovered that a plant-based diet improves heart health in general, but only if it includes fresh plant-based foods like whole grains, legumes, and fruits and vegetables.
Researchers discovered that the chance of dying from heart disease decreased by 20% for every 10% increase in plant-based diet.
However, a 12% increase in heart disease-related fatalities was associated with the surge in plant-based diets brought on by UPFs.
According to lead study author Fernanda Rauber, the ingredients and manufacturing processes of UPFs can raise cholesterol and blood pressure.
“Food additives and industrial contaminants present in these foods might cause oxidative stress and inflammation, further aggravating the risks,” she said.
“Those shifting towards plant-based foods should also think about the degree of processing involved before making their choices.”
The study’s co-author, Dr. Eszter Vamos, pointed out that the public views plant-based goods as healthful and that their marketing is misleading.
“While ultra-processed foods are often marketed as healthy foods, this large study suggests that plant-based ultra-processed foods do not seem to have protective health effects and are linked to poor health outcomes,” she added.
According to the study, substituting whole foods, which are known to have significant health and environmental advantages, for plant-based UPFs lowered the risk of cardiovascular disease by 7% and heart disease fatalities by 15%.
This study, which was released Monday in the Lancet Regional Health, is the first to demonstrate that plant-based UPFs raise the risk of cardiovascular disease, according to researchers.
The authors are calling for a warning to avoid UPFs to be included in nutritional guidelines that support plant-based diets in light of their findings.
Independent experts note that half of the UPFs used in the study were from plant-based breads and pastries, despite the report’s emphasis on the cardiovascular risk of consuming popular meat substitutes.
According to a statement from dietitian and British Dietetic Association spokesperson Duane Mellor, “Many foods that do not contain animal products, which includes biscuits, crisps, confectionery and soft drinks, are technically plant-based but would not be considered essential as part of a healthy diet by the majority of people,”
Mellor emphasized the value of eating a well-balanced diet full of entire foods, such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and whole grains.
“It is important to emphasize that just because a food or drink is technically plant-based, it does not mean it is healthy,” he said.A study found that vegan imitation meats are associated with heart disease and early death.
