Is eating plant-based meat good for us?

Its benefits to cardiometabolic health are more limited than we think.

Feature of the week

Eating plant-based meat may have more limited health benefits than we think

As concerns about carbon footprint, animal welfare, and perceived health benefits dominate discussions about the future of food, plant-based diets are becoming increasingly popular. Studies consistently show that shifting to a plant-based diet lowers the risks of heart disease and type-2 diabetes. But, according to a recent study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, plant-based meats might not offer the same benefits.

Researchers at the Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation analyzed the impact of plant-based versus animal meat intake on the cardiometabolic health of Asian individuals, particularly those at a higher risk for diabetes. After eight weeks of study, they found no significant difference in cholesterol profiles between the two diets.

These findings suggest that striving for a balanced and healthy diet rich in whole plant-based foods may be more beneficial than merely switching to alternative meat.

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Liu was elected to the US National Academy of Engineering as an international member for her research that brought organic electronic materials into aqueous media—opening new avenues for biomedicine, environmental monitoring, sensors and electronic devices.

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