But if those plant-based foods are highly processed, they could be doing more harm than good when it comes to your heart health.
A new study finds that eating too much ultra-processed plant-based foods — including certain frozen pizzas, breakfast cereals, savory snacks, packaged breads, pastries and cookies — could increase your risk of heart disease by up to 5 percent and your risk of death from heart disease by as much as 12 percent.
Conversely, the researchers found that participants who increased their intake of non-highly processed, plant-based foods by 10 percent had a 7 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease and a 13 percent lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease.
“Our main finding is that a plant-based diet can improve cardiovascular health, as long as it does not rely on ultra-processed foods,” says lead study author Fernanda Lauber, PhD, a researcher at the Center for Epidemiological Studies on Nutrition and Health, School of Public Health, University of São Paulo, Brazil. “As more people adopt plant-based diets, it will be important to examine the role of food processing in these dietary patterns, especially with regard to cardiovascular disease.”
“This study calls into question the common perception that plant-based foods are inherently healthier,” said Janna Assar, M.D., a family medicine physician at Banner Health in Phoenix. “This study highlights how extensive processing can negate the potential benefits of plant-based foods and highlights the need for dietary guidelines to take into account food processing, not just where the food comes from.”
Ultra-processed foods threaten heart health
According to Dr Lauber, ultra-processed foods are often industrial concoctions made by breaking down whole foods into their chemical components, modifying them and combining them with additives.
She and her colleagues emphasize that processed plant-based foods, which are high in unhealthy fats, sodium and added sugars, can contribute to metabolic disorders such as dyslipidemia (abnormal levels of fats in the bloodstream), atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, insulin resistance, obesity and diabetes.
Some of these plant-based foods contain preservatives, artificial sweeteners, food dyes, and even contaminants from industrial processing that may increase your risk of heart disease.
Just because a food is packaged doesn’t necessarily make it unhealthy, says Dr. Christopher Gardner, chair of the nutrition committee for the American Heart Association’s Council on Lifestyle and Cardio-Metabolic Health.
He suggests that consumers check the nutrition facts labels on most packaged goods and look for products that are high in fiber and other nutrients (such as vitamins, minerals, unsaturated fats and protein) and low in saturated fat, added sugars and sodium.
“It’s always best to choose fresh, whole foods that don’t come in packaging that requires a nutritional label, but we know that’s not always possible for everyone,” says Dr. Gardner, who is also a professor of medicine at Stanford University in California.
What about fake meat?
The study was unable to draw any specific conclusions about these types of products because they accounted for just 0.2% of total calories, and many meat alternatives, such as the popular Impossible Burger and Beyond Meat, were not yet on the market when the data was collected.
However, Dr Assar warns that some fake meats may also contain sodium, unhealthy fats and a variety of additives in an effort to mimic the taste and texture of meat. “The way they are processed and the ingredients used may pose adverse health effects,” said Dr Assar, who was not involved in the study.
Growing opposition to ultra-processed foods
Because this was an observational analysis, it could not establish causation — Lauber and her team stress that the study only established an association between heart disease and the consumption of ultra-processed, plant-based foods.
Additionally, participants may have inaccurately reported the types and amounts of foods they consumed, or lifestyle factors may have influenced these findings.
Still, Lauber points out that this latest study adds to a growing body of evidence showing that ultra-processed foods can have negative health effects: A review of 45 previous scientific analyses on the topic concluded that increased exposure to ultra-processed foods increases the chance of death from preventable diseases.
“I recommend a diet mainly of whole and minimally processed foods,” she says. When buying pre-made or prepared foods, her best tip is to read the ingredients list. If it only contains ingredients you know and have in your kitchen, it’s most likely made from real food and not ultra-processed.”
