Over the summer, a widely circulated story in news outlets claimed that eating plant-based burgers led to heart disease. The Washington Post reported in June that new research found eating ultra-processed plant-derived foods like meat substitutes, fruit juices, and pastries increased the risk of heart attacks and strokes. The New York Post declared that vegan fake meats were linked to heart disease and early death. However, there was a major problem - this narrative was completely false.

Debunking the False Link between Plant-Based Burgers and Heart Disease

Study Overview

A study by a team of nutrition researchers at the University of São Paulo and Imperial College London used data from 118,397 people in the UK to examine the relationship between food consumption and health outcomes. The study found that increased consumption of ultra-processed plant foods was associated with higher rates of cardiovascular disease and premature death, while eating non-ultra-processed plants like fruits and vegetables was linked to better health. But plant-based meats were virtually absent from the study, with just 0.2 percent of calories coming from them. The bulk of the ultra-processed plant calories came from industrialised packaged breads, pastries, and biscuits. 1: The study's lead author, Fernanda Rauber, explained that with such a small contribution from plant-based meats, it was not possible to draw meaningful conclusions about them specifically. Not many people regularly eat vegan meat alternatives, so the media's focus on them seemed odd. 2: This leads us to question why the media focused on plant-based meats instead of other ultra-processed plant foods. It connects to deeper tensions within the science of "ultra-processed foods" and the recent category used in nutrition research to describe packaged foods with questionable ingredients.

The "Ultra-Processed" Concept

Journalists have a responsibility to verify research, but the framing of this study and its promotional materials may have led to misunderstandings. A news release from Imperial College London led with a photo of plant-based burgers and sausages, suggesting that many plant-based foods, including meat-free alternatives, were ultra-processed. But this was not a fair representation of the research or the small role of plant-based meats in most diets. 1: The study defined "ultra-processed" foods according to the Nova classification, which consists of four tiers. Tofu and tempeh, for example, were included in the ultra-processed group, despite their long history in East and Southeast Asian cuisines. This shows the confusion surrounding the concept. 2: Some of the world's top nutrition experts, like Walter Willett, also struggle to pin down the exact definition of "ultra-processed" foods. It's a concept prone to illogical free association, lumping together different types of foods.

Real-World Implications

While it makes sense to be cautious about ultra-processed foods, the "ultra-processed" framework has cast aspersions on some perfectly fine foods and made it harder to make informed food choices. 1: For example, some plant-based alternatives to meat are healthier than actual beef or pork. Beyond Meat, which has switched its fat source to avocado oil, fares well against beef in terms of saturated fat and other nutrients. But we shouldn't be afraid of these foods. 2: We need more research into the specific impacts of food additives on our health, especially on our microbiomes. The "ultra-processed" concept could be more intellectually modest and have more analytic value if it didn't make such broad and often incorrect claims.