A new WHO factsheet titled, Plant-based diets and their impact on health, sustainability and the environment, highlights that some plant-based meat and dairy substitutes may not be much better for people’s health.
Many of these plant-based substitutes, also known as analogues, can be defined as ultra-processed foods (UPFs).
This means they have a high energy density and tend to be high in sodium, saturated fat and free sugars, and lacking in dietary fibre, vitamins and minerals found in unprocessed foods (including animal-based foods) and minimally processed plant-based foods.
“The aspiration for healthier living and a healthier environment is changing people’s diets – and that is wonderful,” said Dr Kremlin Wickramasinghe, Acting Head of the WHO European Office for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases, “but we need to remember that plant-based diets can be very different from one another and should not automatically be considered healthy.”
Dr Afton Halloran, author of the new publication, added that, “Today, when the idea of healthy diets has become commercialized, we need to pay more attention to foods. When we eat plain fruits and vegetables, we can be sure that they are good for our health. But when we buy ready-made foods that are marketed as healthy, we need to pay more attention to what they are made of.”
Plant-based diets low in salt, saturated fats and sugars offer protection against premature mortality. Healthy diets are an important way to prevent and control noncommunicable diseases, including heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes.
LSL News.