- New research found that vegetarians who ate plant-based meat alternatives had a 42% higher risk of depression as well as signs of greater inflammation.
- Plant-based meat alternatives are processed foods such as tofu, tempeh, meatless chicken, burgers, and bacon.
- Overall, eating plant-based meat alternatives didn’t have any extra health risks for vegetarians.
As concern over the environmental impacts of meat consumption grows, more consumers are switching to plant-based meat alternatives.
These processed foods, which can be based on soy, almonds, other nuts, or even fungi, offer convenient and tasty ways to add protein to your diet without relying on beef, chicken, or other meat sources.
Like other processed foods, some plant-based meat alternatives contain high amounts of sodium or other less-than-healthy ingredients, although the exact amount varies depending on how the products are manufactured.
Research on the health-related benefits and risks of plant-based meat alternatives has been limited, but a new study, published December 16 in Food Frontiers, aimed to change that.
The findings showed that eating plant-based meat alternatives didn’t have any extra health risks — or benefits — compared to not eating those processed foods.
However, the researchers observed that vegetarians who consumed plant-based meat alternatives had a 42% higher risk of depression as well as signs of greater inflammation compared to those who stuck to traditional vegetarian protein sources.
“The overall findings are reassuring, suggesting that plant-based meat alternatives may be a safe option when they are part of an overall balanced diet,” said study author Nophar Geifman, PhD, a professor of health and biomedical informatics at the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom, said in a news release.
“However, the potential link between these types of food, inflammation and depression warrants further investigation,” Geifman noted.
Health risks of plant-based meat alternatives
The new study compared the health of vegetarians who reported consuming plant-based meat alternatives to those who didn’t.
Plant-based meat alternatives range from lightly processed to highly processed and include:
- tofu, made from soy beans
- tempeh, made from fermented soy beans
- seitan, which is basically wheat gluten
- vegetarian burgers made from beans, nuts or other protein sources
- vegetarian bacon, hot dogs, chicken nuggets, or fish sticks made from pea protein, soy protein, textured vegetable protein, or wheat gluten
The cohort included over 3,300 vegetarians — including vegans — who were participating in the larger UK Biobank study.
Researchers confirmed that people were vegetarians using a 24-hour dietary recall questionnaire, which everyone completed at least two of.
Vegetarians who reported occasionally eating meat were excluded from the study, but those who ate fish were included. At the start of the study, people with diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure, or vascular or heart problems were also excluded.
Based on the dietary surveys, researchers divided participants into two groups — those who ate plant-based meat alternatives and those who didn’t.
The researchers pointed out that although non-consumers didn’t eat these processed foods during the 24-hour dietary recall, they may have eaten them at other times.
Traditional plant-based diets include natural whole fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. This kind of diet offers heart-related and other health benefits compared to diets that include meat.
In the new study, researchers followed people for an average of 14 years and measured a number of different biomarkers used to monitor a person’s health or risk of disease. They also obtained hospital data on whether participants were treated for certain chronic health conditions.
Amy Kimberlain, a registered dietitian and Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Spokesperson, pointed out that the study has some limitations. First, most participants were white, and the majority were female, so the results may not apply to other groups.
In addition, data on people’s diets were gathered mainly at the beginning of the study rather than throughout. So researchers wouldn’t know if a person’s diet has shifted since the start.
“There are a few variables to consider when we do nutrition research, which can make it more of a challenge,” Kimberlain told Healthline. “Humans are complex, and food is complex, making it a challenge to study, yet it’s essential.”
Possible link to depression and inflammation
Although the overall intake of calories, protein, total fat, and carbohydrates differed between vegetarians who ate plant-based meat alternatives and those who didn’t, both groups still fell within United Kingdom dietary guidelines for these nutrients.
Researchers also found no substantial differences in the intake of sodium, sugars, or saturated fatty acids between the two groups.
However, people who ate plant-based meat alternatives had a 42% higher risk of depression compared to those who didn’t eat these foods.
This aligns with a 2023 study, which found that people who consumed higher amounts of ultra-processed foods had an increased risk of depression. In that research, the link was strongest for consumption of artificial sweeteners and artificially sweetened beverages.
In addition, the authors of the new study found that people who ate plant-based meat alternatives had slightly higher blood pressure levels, higher C-reactive protein (CRP) levels — a measure of inflammation — and lower levels of apolipoprotein A, a protein associated with HDL (“good”) cholesterol.
Researchers wrote in the paper that despite these changes, eating plant-based meat alternatives did not significantly increase a person’s heart-related risks.
This contrasts with a study published in August 2024 that found that high consumption of ultra-processed plant-based foods may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
The new study also showed that eating plant-based meat alternatives was linked to a 40% lower risk of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) compared to those who didn’t eat these foods.
Emphasizes whole food, plant-based proteins
“The overall message [of this study] is that plant-based meat alternatives might be a convenient way to help someone transition to a vegetarian diet,” said Kimberlain.
“However, they should be included within an overall balanced diet, not the sole source of plant protein consumption.”
In general, she recommends that someone transitioning to a vegetarian diet focus on having an overall balanced diet that is rich in whole, minimally processed plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, beans, tofu, and whole grains.
“This will support overall health and help reduce the risk of many different health conditions,” she said.
Kimberlain offered a few suggestions for adding whole plant-based proteins to your diet:
- Stick to familiar flavors. “If you like tuna sandwiches, try making a ‘chickpea’ sandwich with the same seasonings/spices,” she said. “If you like Taco Tuesday, make tacos a part of the mix, but maybe give a butternut squash black bean taco a go.”
- Add beans to soups, salads or a grain bowls.
- Snack on peanuts or nuts, or add peanut or nut butter to a slice of toast in the morning.
- Add sunflower, pumpkin, or other seeds to oatmeal, salad, or soups.
- Use tofu, tempeh or edamame — all from soy beans — to stir fries or grain bowls.
“When removing animal protein, it might seem like a challenge to incorporate ‘meatless’ meals,” said Kimberlain. “The key is to think of different ways to add plant protein and make the meals and snacks interesting and flavorful.”
“The goal isn’t only to use plant-based meat alternatives, but to find ways to incorporate whole forms of plant proteins as much as possible,” she said.
Takeaway
Researchers examined health outcomes for over 3,300 vegetarians by comparing those who consumed plant-based meat alternatives to those who didn’t eat these processed foods.
Vegetarians who ate plant-based meat alternatives had a higher risk of depression, increased inflammation, slightly higher blood pressure, and lower levels of a protein associated with HDL (“good”) cholesterol.
In spite of these changes, the researchers wrote that, in general, eating plant-based meat alternatives did not have any extra health risks for vegetarians, although they called for additional research on the possible links to depression and inflammation.
