- Alternative plant-based meat and dairy markets have exploded in popularity in recent years.
- Researchers at the University of Bath found evidence to suggest that these products are better for both our health and the environment.
- Today’s plant-based alternatives may be easier for people to make when looking for vegetarian options.
Plant-based meat and dairy products are fast-growing industries.
The experts valued the world market for plant-based meat at over $5 billion last year, with forecasts expecting it to rise by 19% from 2022 to 2030.
And the market for plant-based dairy alternatives reportedly totaled $11 billion in 2020 with projections to reach $32 million in 2031.
Now a new study from the University of Bath says plant-based meat and dairy are better for human health and the environment.
The new study recently appeared in the journal future foods.
alternative products to meat They first appeared in the 1960s and were made from soybeans. Later alternatives made of textured vegetable protein (DVT) also appeared on the scoreboard.
Today’s plant-based meat alternatives use ingredients such as soy, pea protein, oils, potato starch, and various binders and flavorings to mimic closely the texture and taste of real meat.
Plant-based alternatives for dairy products from cow’s milk received a start much earlier, with the first report of soy milk in China about 2,000 years ago.
Although soy milk products continue to be popular, they now share store shelves with dairy alternatives made from oats, rice, almonds, hemp, and coconut.
And today’s alternative dairy products have expanded from just a milk-type drink to include alternatives for yogurt, butter, cheesesY frozen.
For the study, Dr. Bryant and his team reviewed 43 studies that looked at environmental and health factors of meat and plant-based dairy alternatives. The researchers also examined consumer attitudes toward plant-based foods.
Based on their research, the team found that 90% of consumers who ate plant-based meat and dairy products followed a flexitarian dietthat allows a moderate consumption of animal meat.
The researchers also found that people tended to choose plant-based meat products that were similar in taste, texture and price to real meat.
“Plant-based meat is an easy and convenient way to directly replace meat in familiar dishes, making it easier than eating whole plant-based foods alone for people who want to eat less meat.” Dr Chris BryantHonorary Research Associate of the Department of Psychology at the University of Bath, Research Consultant through Bryant Research Ltd and lead author of this study, said Today’s medical news.
“If you can still eat a burger or bolognese without having to create entirely new plant-based dishes, that makes it a lot easier and, for many people, more enjoyable,” he added.
According to Dr. Bryant, the purpose of this study was to investigate the health and environmental sustainability of alternatives to plant-based animal products.
“There seems to be a lot of misinformation on this topic and misconceptions based on the idea that such products are ‘processed’ or ‘unnatural,'” Dr. Bryant said. MNT.
“Many people may have an intuition that this means these products are unhealthy or bad for the environment, but as the study showed, the evidence suggests otherwise. In fact, plant-based animal product alternatives are healthier and more environmentally sustainable than the animal products they replace,” he explained.
The researchers reported evidence that plant-based dairy and meat products help reduce Emissions of greenhouse gasesrequire less water and landand produce less pollution than animal products.
And Dr. Bryant’s team found that plant-based alternatives weren’t just valid options for weightloss and building musclebut they offered an easier option to add ingredients to offer additional health benefits, such as amino acids, vitaminsY antioxidants.
“Based on this review of the evidence, plant-based animal product alternatives tend to be healthier than animal products,” Dr. Bryant noted.
“In particular,” he specified, “overweight patients may benefit from swapping chicken for mycoproteinwhich will increase your fiber intake, increase satiety with fewer calories, and decrease insulin response.”
“Plant-based animal product alternatives can also help low cholesteroland provide benefits for intestinal health,” he continued. “Making these simple changes can have substantial health benefits.”
MNT also spoke with lauren sepeclinical nutritionist and intern nutritionist at the Kellman Wellness Center in New York City, about this study.
Sepe stated that many of the points raised in the study on health and environmental problems around animal meat are general concerns, so he warned from a general point of view. nutrition perspective that today’s plant-based meat substitute products are a “mixed bag” due to some of the less healthy ingredients they may contain.
“Some of the ingredients in these alternatives seem questionable to me, and in large quantities they may not be the healthiest option,” he explained.
“That said, for people looking for the meatless burger experience, these are a good occasional option. I do not recommend them as a staple of the diet, because although people see plant-based foods as healthier options, many are still highly processed, so you have to be selective in your choice,” warns Sepe.
He added that while these types of foods certainly have a role to play in providing people with plant-based options as alternatives to meat options, more research into the overall health of these lab-produced foods is required.
“I like the fact that this study brings to light the detrimental conditions on these farms and the environmental impacts, but leaves out the option of smaller local farms, which is actually a completely different category than feedlot animals. conventional,” she said.
“Some plant-based products are better than others. Moving a customer from a highly processed meat option to a highly processed plant-based option may not be an entirely better option. I see many of these products as good occasional substitutes and as a stepping stone to healthier plant-based options for some people.”
– Lauren Seppe
