There is no doubt that plant consumption can be healthy, but not all plant-based foods are necessarily good for you because of the amount of processing and added ingredients needed to create the end product. Researchers at the University of Surrey in England have found vegetarians who eat plant-based meat alternatives (PBMA) are at a 42 percent greater risk of depression than vegetarians who avoid them.
Like all ultra-processed foods, PBMAs contain ingredients that are not normally used in home cooking and can compromise your health. The fact these meat substitutes are made from plants gives people a false sense of security because they believe they are automatically a better alternative than the meat they are mimicking.
Researchers studied data from the UK Biobank to draw their conclusions and published their findings in the journal Food Frontiers.
The scientists found virtually no difference in sodium, free sugar, total sugar or saturated fatty acids intake between the vegetarians who ate PBMAs and those who did not. However, in addition to the greater likelihood of depression, those who ate the meat substitutes had higher blood pressure and lower levels of apolipoprotein A, which is a protein associated with HDL cholestersol, which is considered a "good" cholesterol. They also had higher levels of C-reactive protein, which is a biomarker of inflammation.
"The overall findings are reassuring, suggesting that plant-based meat alternatives may be a safe option when they are part of an overall balanced diet," professor Nophar Geifman said. "However, the potential link between these types of food, inflammation and depression warrants further investigation."
Researchers believe more investigation is necessary due to some limitations of the study. The diet information of the study participants was only collected at the beginning of the study and did not account for any changes that may have happened over time.
"Ultra-processed plant-based meat alternatives can be a useful way for people to transition to a vegetarian diet effectively, and that helps with sustainable agricultural practices." professor Anthony Whetton said. "Further research, including longitudinal studies and trials with more diverse populations, is necessary to confirm these findings and the relationship between vegetarian foods and mood."