A new scientific review has compared the health impacts of unprocessed animal foods with those of ultra-processed plant-based alternatives.
The study focuses on meat alternatives, plant-based milks, and margarines, which are all typically classified as ultra-processed. The authors note that these foods differ from animal products in several ways — they do not contain cholesterol or heme iron, have lower concentrations of saturated fat, sulfur, and branched-chain amino acids, and provide dietary fiber.
According to the review, consuming plant-based alternatives may have several health advantages; for example, replacing dairy milk with soymilk has been shown to reduce total cholesterol (TC), LDL cholesterol (LDL-C), and C-reactive protein, and is also associated with a lower risk of breast cancer.
Furthermore, plant-based meat alternatives are said to reduce TC, LDL-C, body weight, plasma ammonia, and trimethylamine oxide (TMAO) when consumed instead of conventional meat. Substituting butter with soft margarine reportedly reduces TC and LDL-C, and is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular events and mortality.
“It cannot be assumed that all processing makes a product unhealthy”
The review concludes that while ultra-processed plant-based foods are not as healthy as whole plant foods, they may offer better cardiometabolic outcomes than unprocessed animal products. Additionally, plant-based alternatives may provide a valuable transitional tool for those looking to change their diets. The authors conclude that public health guidance should reflect these findings.
Earlier this year, a joint report by PAN International and GFI Europe also called for a more nuanced approach to plant-based alternatives. It argued that the association between ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption and negative health outcomes is largely driven by sugary drinks and processed animal meat, citing research which shows that cardiovascular disease risk linked to UPF intake disappears when these two groups are excluded.
Furthermore, a recent study conducted at the Food Sciences unit of Finland’s University of Turku has found that food classification systems may overlook the health benefits of some processed plant-based products.
“Classification systems primarily take into account the processing technique used for the product and the type and number of added ingredients, rather than the biochemical composition of the product,” said University Research Fellow Ville Koistinen. “It cannot be assumed that all processing makes a product unhealthy, because ultimately it is only the nutritional components of the edible product that matter, and how they are absorbed by our bodies. These determine the nutritional value and healthiness of food products.”
