2023-05-30 11:15:45
Recent research has explored the question of the extent to which ultra-processed plant-based foods are a healthier alternative to certain animal-based foods.
The study is the work of scientists from the Rovira i Virgili University (URV) in Tarragona, the Pere Virgili Health Research Institute (IISPV) in Tarragona and the Network Biomedical Research Center for Pathophysiology of Obesity and Nutrition (CIBEROBN), in Spain.
The results of the study show that some ultra-processed products of vegetable origin have a better nutritional profile than their counterparts of animal origin. However, these plant-based alternatives contain “significantly higher” amounts of sugar, salt and fiber compared to unprocessed foods.
The study also reveals that vegetable alternatives to fish and meat are lower in protein and saturated fatty acids. “You have to go towards a diet with a greater presence of plant foods, but away from ultra-processed foods: eat more legumes, nuts, whole grains, fresh food…”, the researchers recommend.
The research team has compared 922 food products taking into account two dimensions: according to their nutritional contribution and depending on the degree of processing of the raw material with which they are made. Regarding the nutritional profile, they observed that 68% of the vegetable alternatives appear in categories A and B of the Nutri-Score scale, considered healthier, while only 43% of processed foods of animal origin enjoy this classification . However, it must be taken into account that 75% of the unprocessed foods of animal origin that were analyzed belong to this category and are considered, in the case of fish and meat, healthier than their plant-based alternatives.
The same is true for foods that Nutri-Score classifies as less healthy, in categories D and E: while 17% of plant-based alternatives fall into this category, 35% of processed animal products do. Unprocessed animal foods appear less frequently (13%) in this category, making them healthier by comparison.
“In general, plant-based alternatives have a good nutritional profile, but 36% of the products sold on the Spanish market are considered ultra-processed foods,” explains Nancy Babio, co-author of the study. Taking a vegetable burger as an example, it has a healthier nutritional profile than its animal-based counterpart, but when compared to a piece of meat, it has a higher protein content and less salt and sugar.
“Although the industry has tried to improve the nutritional profile of alternative plant foods, we must bear in mind that they are still ultra-processed products,” warns Sara de las Heras-Delgado, co-author of the study. The research team concludes that, given the high rate of processing that they present, the vegetable alternatives require a multidimensional evaluation to determine their possible impact on health.
In addition to Babio and De las Heras-Delgado, the studio has also worked with Sangeetha Shyam, Èrica Cunillera, Natalia Dragusan and Jordi Salas-Salvadó.
Members of the research team. From left to right: Natalia Dragusan, Nancy Babio, Sara de las Heras-Delgado, Jordi Salas-Salvadó, Èrica Cunillera and Sangeetha Shyam. (Photo: URV)
The study is titled “Are Plant-Based alternatives healthier? A two-dimensional evaluation from nutritional and processing standpoints”. And it has been published in the academic journal Food Research International. (Source: URV)
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