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Are you proud to replace your beloved prime rib with soy steak? Be careful, the latter may not be as healthy as you think.
They are often believed to be healthier because they are full of fiber. Except that in reality, vegan steaks increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes, according to a recent study.
Ultra-processed steaks
Red beans, chickpeas, lentils, soya… but also methylcellulose (E461), corn and potato starches, vegetable oils, yeast extracts: vegan steaks contain many ingredients, not always excellent for our health .
If manufacturers lead us to believe that these represent a “healthy” alternative to meat, not all experts are unanimous, like Emily Gelsomin, specialist in clinical nutrition at Massachusetts General Hospital:
“Since diets high in saturated fat are associated with increased rates of cardiovascular disease and premature death, they (plant-based burgers) may not be the type of steaks to go for if your ambitions are purely about eating. health“, she says in the newspaper Harvard Health Publishing.
An assertion also supported by a group of Singaporean researchers.
Increased risk of type 2 diabetes
To better understand the health effects of these “fake meats”, scientists from the National University of Singapore recruited 89 Singaporeans at increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
The latter were divided into two groups: the first followed a classic diet containing meat, the second had to consume ultra-processed plant substitutes (from brands: Impossible Beef, Omni Foods, the Vegetarian Butcher, Beyond Meat, The Vegetarian Butcher…).
Blood tests were performed at the beginning and end of the experiment. The participants’ glucose levels were also closely observed.
Result ? The cholesterol levels of the two groups were similar two months after the start of the experiment. On the other hand, those who ate meat had “more stable blood sugar levels”. Meat eaters also had lower blood sodium levels than others.
Consequently, the first group, which consumed plant-based meats, was at greater risk of type 2 diabetes, the researchers assure.
Choose your plant-based steaks wisely
The advice of our nutrition expert to avoid these unnecessary risks?
“THE plant-based steaks, in the same way as other products, must be as little processed as possible. It is therefore preferable to make them yourself, especially using red beans for example.“, recommends Alexandra Murcier.
The dietician-nutritionist also recommends take those “whose list of ingredients is as short as possible”.
You have been warned!
Slide: How to choose the right plant-based steaks?