{"id":22340,"date":"2025-02-17T09:01:41","date_gmt":"2025-02-17T10:01:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/?p=22340"},"modified":"2025-02-17T10:25:00","modified_gmt":"2025-02-17T10:25:00","slug":"is-fake-meat-better-for-you-than-real-meat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/?p=22340","title":{"rendered":"Is Fake Meat Better for You Than Real Meat?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p id=\"article-summary\" class=\"css-79rysd e1wiw3jv0\">Here\u2019s what we do \u2014 and don\u2019t \u2014 know.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"sizeMedium css-1d5j3k5\" aria-label=\"media\" role=\"group\" data-testid=\"VideoBlock\">\n<div class=\"css-1xb94ky\">\n<div class=\"css-11kuxu4\" style=\"width:100%;padding-bottom:66.66666666666666%;overflow:hidden\">\n<div class=\"css-122y91a\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"css-ktho12 e3rygrp0\"><span class=\"css-cch8ym\"><span class=\"css-14fe1uy e1z0qqy90\"><span>By Sean Dong<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<section class=\"meteredContent css-1r7ky0e\">\n<div class=\"css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn\" data-testid=\"companionColumn-0\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">You\u2019ve probably heard these two bits of nutrition advice: Eat <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2023\/11\/15\/well\/eat\/plant-based-diet-nuts-beans-grains.html\" title>more plants<\/a>, and <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/05\/06\/well\/eat\/ultraprocessed-foods-harmful-health.html\" title>cut back on ultraprocessed foods<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">So where does that leave fake-meat burgers, sausages, nuggets and other products sold by companies like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods? They are made from plants like soybeans and peas, but they are also highly processed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">If you ask the companies, <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/01\/16\/climate\/plant-based-meat-processed-foods.html\" title>they will tell you that their products are good for you<\/a>. Nutrition experts say that there may be benefits, too. But while it\u2019s clear that eating <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/08\/20\/well\/eat\/red-meat-diabetes-study.html\" title>red meat and processed meat<\/a> is associated with health risks like heart disease, some types of cancer and earlier death, we really don\u2019t yet know how fake-meat alternatives might affect our health in the long term.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"css-1u37br4 eoo0vm40\" id=\"link-3ff41b40\">How do their nutrients compare?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The nutrient profiles of fake-meat products can vary widely, but two <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/onlinecjc.ca\/article\/S0828-282X(23)01882-2\/fulltext\" title rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">scientific<\/a> <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0963996924002540\" title rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">reviews<\/a>, both published in 2024, suggest a few patterns.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"Dropzone-1\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn\" data-testid=\"companionColumn-1\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Compared with regular meat like ground beef, pork sausages and chicken, the plant-based versions typically have fewer saturated fats (a category of fats that have been linked to <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/11\/07\/well\/heart-disease-risk.html\" title>heart disease<\/a>) and similar or slightly lower levels of protein.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">A four-ounce burger made with 85 percent lean ground beef, for instance, contains 6.5 grams of saturated fat. An equivalent size <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/impossiblefoods.com\/beef\/plant-based-impossible-burger\" title rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Impossible Burger<\/a> has a little less than that (six grams of saturated fat), and a <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondmeat.com\/en-US\/products\/the-beyond-burger\" title rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Beyond Burger<\/a> has a lot less (just two grams). On the other hand, a <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gardein.com\/beefless-and-porkless\/classics\/ultimate-plant-based-burger\" title rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Gardein Ultimate Plant-Based Burger<\/a> has nearly 40 percent more saturated fat (nine grams) when compared with ground beef.<\/p>\n<div class=\"css-1336jj\">\n<div class=\"css-121kum4\">\n<div class=\"css-171quhb\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"css-asuuk5\">\n<div class=\"css-7axq9l\" data-testid=\"optimistic-truncator-noscript\">\n<div data-testid=\"optimistic-truncator-noscript-message\" class=\"css-6yo1no\">\n<p class=\"css-3kpklk\">We are having trouble retrieving the article content.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-3kpklk\">Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"css-1dv1kvn\" id=\"optimistic-truncator-a11y\">\n<hr \/>\n<p>Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/myaccount.nytimes.com\/auth\/login?response_type=cookie&amp;client_id=vi&amp;redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2025%2F02%2F17%2Fwell%2Feat%2Fis-fake-meat-healthy.html&amp;asset=opttrunc\">log into<\/a>\u00a0your Times account, or\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/subscription?campaignId=89WYR&amp;redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2025%2F02%2F17%2Fwell%2Feat%2Fis-fake-meat-healthy.html\">subscribe<\/a>\u00a0for all of The Times.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"css-1g71tqy\">\n<div data-testid=\"optimistic-truncator-message\" class=\"css-6yo1no\">\n<p class=\"css-3kpklk\">Thank you for your patience while we verify access.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-3kpklk\">Already a subscriber?\u00a0<a data-testid=\"log-in-link\" class=\"css-z5ryv4\" href=\"https:\/\/myaccount.nytimes.com\/auth\/login?response_type=cookie&amp;client_id=vi&amp;redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2025%2F02%2F17%2Fwell%2Feat%2Fis-fake-meat-healthy.html&amp;asset=opttrunc\">Log in<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-3kpklk\">Want all of The Times?\u00a0<a data-testid=\"subscribe-link\" class=\"css-z5ryv4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/subscription?campaignId=89WYR&amp;redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2025%2F02%2F17%2Fwell%2Feat%2Fis-fake-meat-healthy.html\">Subscribe<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Here\u2019s what we do \u2014 and don\u2019t \u2014 know.By Sean DongYou\u2019ve probably heard these two bits of nutrition advice: Eat more plants, and cut back on ultraprocessed foods.So where does that leave fake-meat burgers, sausages, nuggets and other products sold by companies like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods? They are made from plants like soybeans and peas, but they are also highly processed.If you ask the companies, they will tell you that their products are good for you. Nutrition experts say that there may be benefits, too. But while it\u2019s clear that eating red meat and processed meat is associated with health risks like heart disease, some types of cancer and earlier death, we really don\u2019t yet know how fake-meat alternatives might affect our health in the long term.How do their nutrients compare?The nutrient profiles of fake-meat products can vary widely, but two scientific reviews, both published in 2024, suggest a few patterns.Compared with regular meat like ground beef, pork sausages and chicken, the plant-based versions typically have fewer saturated fats (a category of fats that have been linked to heart disease) and similar or slightly lower levels of protein.A four-ounce burger made with 85 percent lean ground beef, for instance, contains 6.5 grams of saturated fat. An equivalent size Impossible Burger has a little less than that (six grams of saturated fat), and a Beyond Burger has a lot less (just two grams). On the other hand, a Gardein Ultimate Plant-Based Burger has nearly 40 percent more saturated fat (nine grams) when compared with ground beef.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and\u00a0log into\u00a0your Times account, or\u00a0subscribe\u00a0for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber?\u00a0Log in.Want all of The Times?\u00a0Subscribe.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":22342,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22340","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22340","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=22340"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22340\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22343,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22340\/revisions\/22343"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/22342"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=22340"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=22340"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=22340"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}