Low nutritional quality in many vegetarian meat substitutes
The availability of foods based on plant proteins to substitute for meat has increased dramatically as more people choose a plant-based diet. At the same time, there are many challenges regarding the nutritional value of these products. A study from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden now shows that many of the meat substitutes sold […]
Feeling anxious or blue? Ultra-processed foods may be to blame: Researchers find U.S. adults who consume more ultra-processed food report more adverse mental symptoms
Do you love those sugary-sweet beverages, reconstituted meat products and packaged snacks? You may want to reconsider based on a new study that explored whether individuals who consume higher amounts of ultra-processed food have more adverse mental health symptoms. Although ultra-processed foods are convenient, low cost, quick to prepare or ready-to-eat, these industrial formulations of […]
Increased heart disease risk from red meat may stem from gut microbe response to digestion
Chemicals produced in the digestive tract by gut microbes after eating red meat may help explain part of the higher risk of cardiovascular disease associated with red meat consumption, according to new research published today in the American Heart Association’s peer-reviewed journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology (ATVB). In the United States and around the […]
Microbial link between Western-style diet and incidence of colorectal cancer uncovered
New research builds the case that a Western-style diet — rich in red and processed meat, sugar and refined grains/carbohydrates — is tied to higher risk of colorectal cancer through the intestinal microbiota. Investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital with collaborators looked at data from more than 134,000 participants from two U.S.-wide prospective cohort studies. […]
Fungi-based meat alternatives to help save Earth’s forests
The market-ready meat alternative is very similar in taste and texture, but is a biotech product which — by replacing beef — involves much less land resources and greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture and land-use change. This goes under the assumption of a growing world population’s increasing appetite for beefy bites, and it is the […]
Low-meat and meat-free diets associated with lower overall cancer risk
Eating meat five times or less per week is associated with a lower overall cancer risk, according to a study published in the open access journal BMC Medicine. Cody Watling and colleagues from the University of Oxford, UK investigated the relationship between diet and cancer risk by analysing data collected from 472,377 British adults who […]
Meat, MS and the microbiome: Eating more meat, and changes in the blood, immune system and gut ecology all correlate with worse MS symptoms
Eating more meat, having less of certain bacteria in the gut, and more of certain immune cells in the blood, all link with multiple sclerosis, reports a team of researchers led by UConn Health and Washington University School of Medicine. The work, published in the 27 January issue of EBioMedicine, teased out subtle connections that […]
Devising new meat alternatives with 3D printing — and cocoa butter
No longer just a dream of vegetarians and vegans, fake meat is becoming more widely available in grocery stores and restaurants. And more options are almost certainly on the way. In a study reported in ACS Food Science & Technology, one team has developed a new combination of plant-based ingredients tailored for 3D printing meat […]
Reduced meat diet has many advantages: Study compares the impact of different diets on health, animal welfare and the environment
Which diet is better: moderately reduce meat consumption and eat more fruit, vegetables and wholegrain products, as recommended by the German Nutrition Society? Follow Germany’s southern neighbors’ example and eat more fish and seafood? Or even switch completely to a vegan diet? A new study by the University of Bonn (Germany) shows that the answer […]
Save the planet (and your health) by steering clear of sweets and pastries
Keen to do your bit for the environment? Cut back on sweets, pastries, fried foods and processed meat. According to a new study published this month, reducing these foods in our diet is not only better for our health but also the planet. Australia and New Zealand households eat more discretionary and junk foods than […]