The findings challenge the notion that the processing of plants in order to create meat alternatives automatically creates products that have a negative impact on human health.
OLIVER MORRISON: Popular products such as plant-based mince, burgers, sausages and meatballs, are often perceived as low-quality, ultra-processed foods, and is one factor believed to holding back this sector’s development from passing trend into one firmly established in the mainstream. But a team of researchers argues that the mere industrial processing of ingredients of plant origin does not make these products ultra-processed by default.
They studied the changes to the gut microbiota of a group of 20 participants who replaced several meat-based meals per week with meat alternatives over a period of four weeks. These were supplied by UK-based meat alternative brand Meatless Farm. A control group of 19 participants ate the same baseline diet which included daily meat, eggs and dairy…
The results indicated a positive change in gut bacteria populations among those eating the fake meats. “The changes we observed in the intervention group were fairly positive,” said the study’s lead, Miguel Toribio-Mateas, a researcher based at the School of Applied Sciences at London South Bank University…
While there are limitations to this study, including the sample size and the fact it relied on 16S rRNA sequencing data alone, he said the findings challenge the notion that the processing of plants in order to create meat alternatives automatically creates products that have a negative impact on human health…
The study revealed ‘small but statistically significant’ changes in the presence of butyrate-producing bacteria in those eating the meat alternatives. The researchers put this down to these products being rich in polyphenols (compounds found in plants that greatly benefit the human body and help fight disease) as well as fibre (participants in the intervention group increased their weekly fibre intake by an average of 2.7g a day during the four weeks), both substrates that butyrate-producing bacteria are known to thrive on…
The academics also noted that the products provided to the study contained a range of soluble and insoluble fibres from chicory root, carrot, pea, and potato including hemicellulose, pectin, lignin and cellulose, which have all been found to have a range of benefits to human health… The participants in the intervention did also report some graphic facts during the study. This included ‘better and more frequent bowel movements, with overall better consistency and, unfortunately, a little more gas than usual’. “In my experience that’s just gut bugs doing their work,” noted Toribio-Mateas…
Emerging studies also suggest that butyrate is able to travel into the brain, protecting the nervous system as it travels there and having a positive impact on neurological disorders, including anxiety and depression. “The science is still emerging but having a thriving community of butyrate-producing bacteria in your gut is always likely to be good news,” the study said…
In terms of consumer behaviour, the study challenges the idea that all food processing is detrimental to the nutritional value of products, an idea that has become ‘quite ingrained in many people’s minds’, said the academic. “The results of our study challenged that presumption, and microbes provided us with an objective response. The bottom line is that the quality and nutritional value of the ingredients does not seem to be diminished by the manufacturing process in the case of PBMAs, at least for the manufacturer that kindly donated the products for our study. SOURCE…
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