A sweeping new study is turning the plant-based industry on its head after researchers found that people who follow ultra-processed vegan or plant-focused diets may face dramatically higher risks of heart disease.
For years, plant-based diets have been promoted as inherently healthier.
This message has been pushed heavily by governments, major food companies, and environmental activists.
However, researchers say the picture changes entirely once these diets rely on the highly processed packaged foods that now dominate supermarket “plant-based” shelves.
The study,publishedin The Lancet, followed more than 63,800 adults in France and found that the heart-health benefits associated with plant-based eating only occur when people consume whole, minimally processed foods, not fake meats, packaged salads drenched in additives, or ultra-processed “healthy” convenience meals.
Lead authorClémentine Priouxof Sorbonne University said:
“Our findings reinforce the necessity of advocating not only for a reduction in animal products but also encouraging the consumption of minimally processed plant–based foods to improve cardiovascular health.”
Instead, researchers found the opposite happening.
Over an average follow-up of nine years, people sticking to whole-food plant-based diets were 44% less likely to develop coronary heart disease.
But those eating diets dominated by ultra-processed plant-based products saw:
Source: Global Research
