Adelaide, we're hearing a lot about ultra-processed foods and the health effects of eating too much. And we know that plant-based foods are popular for health or other reasons.
So it's not surprising that new research, including the health effects of ultra-processed, plant-based foods, is going to capture global attention this week.
And the headlines can be scary if that research and the publicity surrounding it show that eating these foods increases your risk of heart disease, stroke or dying early. Here's how some media outlets interpreted the research. How did it happen?The Daily Mail ran with this:
Study Shows Vegan Fake Meat Linked to Increase in Heart Deaths: Experts Say Plant-Based Diets Can Boost Health – But Not When They're Ultra-Processed
The New York Post headline was: Vegan Fake Meat Linked to Heart Disease, Early Death: Study But when we look at the study itself, it seems that the media coverage has focused on a small aspect of the research, and is misleading. .
So does eating supermarket plant-based burgers and other plant-based, ultra-processed foods really increase your risk of heart disease, stroke and premature death?
Here's what inspired the research and what the study actually found. Remind me, what are ultra-processed foods?
Ultra-processed foods undergo processing and reformulation with additives to enhance taste, shelf-life, and appeal. These include everything from packaged macaroni cheese and pork sausages to supermarket pastries and plant-based mincemeat.
There is now strong and widespread evidence that ultra-processed foods are associated with an increased risk of many physical and mental chronic health conditions.Although researchers question which foods should count as ultra-processed foods, or whether they are linked to poor health at all, the general consensus is that, in general, we should eat less of them.
We also know that plant-based diets are popular. These are linked to a lower risk of heart disease and chronic health conditions like stroke, cancer and diabetes. And supermarkets are stocking more plant-based, ultra-processed food options.
How about the new study?The study looked for any health differences between eating plant-based, ultra-processed foods compared to eating non-plant-based, ultra-processed foods.Researchers focused on the risk of cardiovascular disease (such as heart disease and stroke) and death.
Plant-based, ultra-processed foods in this study included mass-produced packaged breads, pastries, buns, cakes, biscuits, cereals, and meat substitutes (fake meat). Ultra-processed foods that were not plant-based included milk-based beverages and desserts, sausages, nuggets, and other reconstituted meat products.
The researchers used data from the UK Biobank. This is a large biomedical database containing anonymised genetic, lifestyle (diet and exercise) and health information and biological samples from half a million UK participants.This databank allows researchers to determine the relationship between this data and a variety of diseases, including heart disease and stroke. They used data from approximately 127,000 people who provided details of their diets between 2009 and 2012. Researchers linked it to their hospital records and death records. On average, researchers tracked each participant's diet and health for nine years.
What did the study find?
For every 10% increase in total energy from plant-based, ultra-processed foods, the risk of cardiovascular disease (such as heart disease or stroke) increases by 5% and the risk of dying from heart disease increases by 12%.But each 10% increase in consumption of plant-source, non-ultra-processed foods was associated with a 7% lower risk of heart disease and a 13% lower risk of dying from heart disease.
The researchers found no evidence of an association between consumption of all plant-based foods (regardless of whether they were ultra-processed) and an increased or decreased risk of heart disease or dying from it.
This was an observational study, where people recalled their diet using questionnaires. When combined with other data, it can only tell us whether someone's diet is associated with a particular risk of a health outcome. So we cannot say that, in this case, ultra-processed foods caused heart disease and deaths from it.Why is media coverage focused on fake meat?
Most media coverage focuses on the obvious health risks associated with eating fake meat, such as sausages, burgers, nuggets and even steaks.
These are considered ultra-processed foods. They are made by breaking down and extracting the proteins from whole plant foods like peas, soy, wheat protein, nuts and mushrooms. The products are then reformulated with additives to make them look, taste and feel like traditional red and white meat. However this was only one type of plant-based, ultra-processed food analyzed in this study.This was only an average of 0.2% of the dietary energy intake of all participants.
Compare this to breads, pastries, buns, cakes and biscuits, which are other types of plant-based, ultra-processed foods. These accounted for 20.7% of the total energy consumption in the study.
It's hard to say why the media focused on fake meat. But there is a clue in a media release issued to promote the research.Although the term "fake meat" was not mentioned in the media release, an image of plant-based burgers, sausages, and meat balls or rissoles was prominently displayed.
The study's introduction also mentions plant-based, ultra-processed foods, such as sausages, nuggets and burgers.
So it's no surprise that people can be confused. Does this mean that fake meat is OK?
not necessarily. The study analyzed total intake of plant-based, ultra-processed foods, which also included imitation meat, although it made up a very small portion of people's diets.From this study alone we cannot tell whether there would be a different outcome if someone ate large amounts of fake meat. In fact, a recent review of fake meats found that there was not enough evidence to determine their effects on health. .
We also need more recent data to reflect current eating patterns of fake meat. The study used dietary data collected from 2009 to 2012, and mock meat has become more popular since then.
What if I really like fake meat? We've known for some time that ultra-processed foods can harm our health.This study tells us that regardless of whether ultra-processed food is plant-based or not, it can still be harmful.
We know that fake meat can contain large amounts of saturated fat (from coconut or palm oil), salt and sugar.
So like other ultra-processed foods, these should also be eaten occasionally. The Australian Dietary Guidelines currently recommend that people should only consume such foods occasionally and in small amounts. Are some imitation meats healthier than others?
Check the label and nutrition information panel.Look for those that are lowest in fat and salt. Burgers and sausages that are "pressed cakes" of minced ingredients such as nuts, beans and vegetables would be preferable to reformulated products that resemble meat.
You can also eat complete plant-based protein foods like legumes. These include beans, lentils, gram and soybean. Along with being rich in protein and fiber, they also provide essential nutrients like iron and zinc.Some of the umami flavor associated with meat can be replicated by using spices and mushrooms along with them in your dishes. (talk)NSA
NSA
So it's not surprising that new research, including the health effects of ultra-processed, plant-based foods, is going to capture global attention this week.
And the headlines can be scary if that research and the publicity surrounding it show that eating these foods increases your risk of heart disease, stroke or dying early. Here's how some media outlets interpreted the research. How did it happen?The Daily Mail ran with this:
Study Shows Vegan Fake Meat Linked to Increase in Heart Deaths: Experts Say Plant-Based Diets Can Boost Health – But Not When They're Ultra-Processed
The New York Post headline was: Vegan Fake Meat Linked to Heart Disease, Early Death: Study But when we look at the study itself, it seems that the media coverage has focused on a small aspect of the research, and is misleading. .
So does eating supermarket plant-based burgers and other plant-based, ultra-processed foods really increase your risk of heart disease, stroke and premature death?
Here's what inspired the research and what the study actually found. Remind me, what are ultra-processed foods?
Ultra-processed foods undergo processing and reformulation with additives to enhance taste, shelf-life, and appeal. These include everything from packaged macaroni cheese and pork sausages to supermarket pastries and plant-based mincemeat.
There is now strong and widespread evidence that ultra-processed foods are associated with an increased risk of many physical and mental chronic health conditions.Although researchers question which foods should count as ultra-processed foods, or whether they are linked to poor health at all, the general consensus is that, in general, we should eat less of them.
We also know that plant-based diets are popular. These are linked to a lower risk of heart disease and chronic health conditions like stroke, cancer and diabetes. And supermarkets are stocking more plant-based, ultra-processed food options.
How about the new study?The study looked for any health differences between eating plant-based, ultra-processed foods compared to eating non-plant-based, ultra-processed foods.Researchers focused on the risk of cardiovascular disease (such as heart disease and stroke) and death.
Plant-based, ultra-processed foods in this study included mass-produced packaged breads, pastries, buns, cakes, biscuits, cereals, and meat substitutes (fake meat). Ultra-processed foods that were not plant-based included milk-based beverages and desserts, sausages, nuggets, and other reconstituted meat products.
The researchers used data from the UK Biobank. This is a large biomedical database containing anonymised genetic, lifestyle (diet and exercise) and health information and biological samples from half a million UK participants.This databank allows researchers to determine the relationship between this data and a variety of diseases, including heart disease and stroke. They used data from approximately 127,000 people who provided details of their diets between 2009 and 2012. Researchers linked it to their hospital records and death records. On average, researchers tracked each participant's diet and health for nine years.
What did the study find?
For every 10% increase in total energy from plant-based, ultra-processed foods, the risk of cardiovascular disease (such as heart disease or stroke) increases by 5% and the risk of dying from heart disease increases by 12%.But each 10% increase in consumption of plant-source, non-ultra-processed foods was associated with a 7% lower risk of heart disease and a 13% lower risk of dying from heart disease.
The researchers found no evidence of an association between consumption of all plant-based foods (regardless of whether they were ultra-processed) and an increased or decreased risk of heart disease or dying from it.
This was an observational study, where people recalled their diet using questionnaires. When combined with other data, it can only tell us whether someone's diet is associated with a particular risk of a health outcome. So we cannot say that, in this case, ultra-processed foods caused heart disease and deaths from it.Why is media coverage focused on fake meat?
Most media coverage focuses on the obvious health risks associated with eating fake meat, such as sausages, burgers, nuggets and even steaks.
These are considered ultra-processed foods. They are made by breaking down and extracting the proteins from whole plant foods like peas, soy, wheat protein, nuts and mushrooms. The products are then reformulated with additives to make them look, taste and feel like traditional red and white meat. However this was only one type of plant-based, ultra-processed food analyzed in this study.This was only an average of 0.2% of the dietary energy intake of all participants.
Compare this to breads, pastries, buns, cakes and biscuits, which are other types of plant-based, ultra-processed foods. These accounted for 20.7% of the total energy consumption in the study.
It's hard to say why the media focused on fake meat. But there is a clue in a media release issued to promote the research.Although the term "fake meat" was not mentioned in the media release, an image of plant-based burgers, sausages, and meat balls or rissoles was prominently displayed.
The study's introduction also mentions plant-based, ultra-processed foods, such as sausages, nuggets and burgers.
So it's no surprise that people can be confused. Does this mean that fake meat is OK?
not necessarily. The study analyzed total intake of plant-based, ultra-processed foods, which also included imitation meat, although it made up a very small portion of people's diets.From this study alone we cannot tell whether there would be a different outcome if someone ate large amounts of fake meat. In fact, a recent review of fake meats found that there was not enough evidence to determine their effects on health. .
We also need more recent data to reflect current eating patterns of fake meat. The study used dietary data collected from 2009 to 2012, and mock meat has become more popular since then.
What if I really like fake meat? We've known for some time that ultra-processed foods can harm our health.This study tells us that regardless of whether ultra-processed food is plant-based or not, it can still be harmful.
We know that fake meat can contain large amounts of saturated fat (from coconut or palm oil), salt and sugar.
So like other ultra-processed foods, these should also be eaten occasionally. The Australian Dietary Guidelines currently recommend that people should only consume such foods occasionally and in small amounts. Are some imitation meats healthier than others?
Check the label and nutrition information panel.Look for those that are lowest in fat and salt. Burgers and sausages that are "pressed cakes" of minced ingredients such as nuts, beans and vegetables would be preferable to reformulated products that resemble meat.
You can also eat complete plant-based protein foods like legumes. These include beans, lentils, gram and soybean. Along with being rich in protein and fiber, they also provide essential nutrients like iron and zinc.Some of the umami flavor associated with meat can be replicated by using spices and mushrooms along with them in your dishes. (talk)NSA
NSA