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Reduce the risk of developing chronic disease Live long At the same time Helps the planet? eat a A plant-based dietExperts say.
So why not fill your plate with boxed macaroni and cheese, deep-dish frozen veggie pizza, or fast-food french fries and have a donut or three for dessert?
When all of them Ultraprocessed Selections may be meat-free, but they are not without risk, said Duane Mellor, a registered dietitian and senior author at Aston Medical School in Birmingham, UK.
“We can’t always consider plant-based methods healthy, given that all sugar is plant-based,” Mellor said in a statement. “Many foods that do not contain animal products, including biscuits, crisps, snacks and soft drinks, are technically plant-based but are not considered part of a healthy diet by the majority of people.”
Actually, eating like that Plant-based junk foods Awakens dramatically Bad cholesterol and high blood pressure and lead to associated heart disease and early death, according to a new study the authors call the “first” to show that ultraprocessed plant foods are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
“Eating plant-based products is beneficial, works against health problems, or it represents a risk – it all depends on the level of processing of these foods,” said researcher Renata Levy of Epidemiological Research. Center for Nutrition and Health at the University of São Paulo known as Nupens/USP in Brazil.
Ultraprocessed foods They undergo many industrial processes such as heating, breaking down nutrients and proteins, shaping and compressing, and chemicals are added to enhance color, smell, taste and texture. These types of foods are designed to be more palatable to the human taste buds and are often very convenient and require little time to prepare.
Unprocessed foods include fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs, and milk. Less processed foods Includes cooking ingredients such as salt, herbs and oils and foods that combine cooking ingredients with unprocessed foods such as canned goods and frozen vegetables.
“Food additives and industrial contaminants in these foods may cause oxidative stress and inflammation, exacerbating the risks,” said first author Fernanda Rauber, a researcher at Nubens/USP.
“Thus, our results support a shift toward plant-based food choices that consider the level of processing to improve cardiovascular health outcomes,” Rauber said in a statement.
Eat fresh and frozen minimally processed plants
The study was published Monday in the journal Lancet Regional Health – Europe, used data collected from the UK Biobank, a longitudinal study involving participants from England, Scotland and Wales. More than 118,000 people between the ages of 40 and 69 answered questions about their diet. That information was then linked to hospital and death records on the development of cardiovascular risk factors.
The study found that ultraprocessed foods made from plants increased the risk of cardiovascular disease by 5%, while increasing the risk of early death by 13%.
Researchers have found that every 10% change Plant-based ultraprocessed foods Fresh, frozen or minimally processed vegetables reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease by 7%, while reducing the risk of dying from heart disease by 13%.
The study also looked at plant-based meat products such as sausages, nuggets and burgers. However, it is difficult to determine how much of a risk those foods pose, said Peter Scarborough, a professor of population health at the University of Oxford in England. He is not engaged in studies.
“Only 0.5% of all plant-based ultraprocessed foods included in this paper are plant-based meat substitutes,” Scarborough said in a statement.
More than half of the plant-based ultraprocessed foods studied in the paper were packaged breads, pastries, buns, cakes and cookies.
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Many ultraprocessed foods are plant-based, but experts say they’re not healthy.
“So it’s very difficult to conclude from this article that plant-based meat substitutes are bad for your health,” Scarborough added.
Additionally, Tom Saunders, professor of nutrition and dietetics at King’s College London, who was not involved in the study, said much of what the paper reported was already known.
“A well-balanced plant-based diet, etc., is acceptable The Mediterranean Sea Or DASH diets are beneficial for cardiovascular health and emphasize avoiding already unhealthy foods such as crisps, sugar-sweetened beverages, cakes, biscuits and snacks,” he said in a statement.
“These latter foods are unhealthy regardless of whether they are industrial or homemade.”
