The inexorable rise of veganism shows no signs of slowing. According to research conducted by Finder, the number of vegans in the UK increased by a staggering 1.1 million to 2.5 million between 2023 and 2024. Almost 5 per cent of the adult population now eat a plant-based diet.
In addition to the ethical considerations, vegan diets are often perceived as a healthier way to eat. And vegan diets rich in a variety of vegetables, fruits, pulses, wholegrains and legumes are proven to provide health benefits, protecting against a range of limiting conditions including diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers.
But not all vegan diets are created equal. And as our research shows, many of the alternatives to processed meat products are worse for your heart than the junk food they are designed to replace. This is due to high levels of salt and fat. One popular meat free burger, Moving Mountain B12 burger, for example, contains considerably more fat, saturated fat and salt than a McDonald’s hamburger of the same weight, and yet has lower protein.
A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition appears to confirm that vegan diets which rely on processed meat alternatives, rather than whole foods, can be detrimental to heart health. The study compared the cardiac effects of a meat diet to a diet where animal protein was substituted with plant-based ‘meat analogues’ (PBMAs), a category which includes products such as vegan sausages and vegan burgers.
Researchers at Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation tested 89 participants who had an elevated risk of Type 2 diabetes. Over eight weeks, 44 substituted animal meat with PBMAs, while the rest ate normally. Cardiometabolic markers including ‘bad’ LDL-cholesterol, blood pressure and glucose levels were monitored.
The results showed glucose levels were more stable in the animal meat eaters who also displayed modest improvements in blood pressure, suggesting that fake vegan meats are potentially more detrimental to heart health than the meat products they are designed to replace.
In addition to high salt and fat, PBMAs are also ultra-processed foods (UPFs), which are increasingly linked to a range of conditions including certain cancers and heart disease. And it is not just vegan meat alternatives that are nutritionally inferior in terms of heart health. Many vegan dairy replacements also contain higher saturated fat levels.
The Telegraph‘s food and health writer Sam Rice says: “Vegan diets are often seen as being healthier by default. While the evidence bears this out, unfortunately foods that are marketed on their vegan credentials are often UPFs, which largely defeats the purpose of trying to eat a healthier diet. Replacing meat with ultra-processed facsimiles is not necessarily a healthy swap as in order to make vegan replacement products palatable they often include high levels of saturated fat, salt and sugar, all of which we need to keep a handle on for optimal health.”
She explains that based on current evidence there are no clear benefits to swapping to plant-based meats “purely from a health perspective.”
“Certainly, their ultra-processed nature would, in my view, make moderate amounts of good quality meat a better option,” she adds.
How popular vegan alternatives stack up against a McDonald’s meat patty
All values are per 100g
