Summary of ZOE Science And Nutrition Podcast Episode: How healthy are meat and dairy alternatives?
— Description —
The demand for milk alternatives, plant-based proteins, and vegan snacks has doubled in the last five years, driven by a focus on healthier products for human and planetary health The proportion of people following vegetarian or vegan diets has quadrupled in the UK and the US, motivated by factors such as human and planetary health, animal welfare, and associated health benefits Plant-based diets are linked to lower risks of obesity, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer, potentially reducing cardiovascular mortality by about 20%
The rise of different milks is attributed to the perception that animal-based products are detrimental to health, alongside an increase in lactose intolerance and cow's milk allergy in young children While dairy milk is preferred for human health, the choice becomes complex when considering planetary health due to the variability in plant-based milks It's important to note that products labeled vegan or plant-based may not always be healthy, often containing added ingredients and destroyed plant structure.
How healthy are meat and dairy alternatives?
Key Takeaways
- The demand for milk alternatives, plant-based proteins, and vegan snacks has doubled in the last five years due to the focus on healthier products for human and planetary health.
- The proportion of people following vegetarian or vegan diets has quadrupled in the UK and the US, driven by factors such as human and planetary health, animal welfare, and the associated health benefits of plant-based diets.
- Plant-based diets are associated with lower risks of obesity, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer, and could reduce cardiovascular mortality by about 20%.
- The rapid rise of different milks is due to the perception that anything animal-based is bad for health, alongside an increase in lactose intolerance and cow's milk allergy in young children.
- Reducing meat consumption by 30%, especially processed and red meat, is necessary to prevent climate change, and meat substitutes play a role in transitioning to a plant-based diet, although their dietary quality varies.
- Products labeled vegan or plant-based may not always be healthy, as they often contain added ingredients and destroyed plant structure.
- Dairy milk is preferred over plant-based milk for human health, but the choice becomes more complicated when considering planetary health due to the variability in plant-based milks.
Plant-Based Diets: A Health Revolution
- The demand for milk alternatives, plant-based proteins and vegan snacks has doubled in the last five years, as consumers look to eat healthier products for both human and planetary health.
- The proportion of people following either a vegetarian or a vegan diet has quadrupled in the UK and the US in the past five years alone, largely motivated by a combination of factors, including human and planetary health as well as animal welfare.
- Healthy plant-based diets, which are the foundation of vegan diets, are associated with lower risk of obesity, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer. Adhering to a plant-based diet could reduce cardiovascular mortality by about 20%.
Plant-based Milks: Health Hype or Reality?
- The rapid rise of different milks is due to the perception that anything animal-based is bad for health, alongside an increase in lactose intolerance and cow's milk allergy in young children.
- Plant-based milks are lower in saturated fat and calories than cow's milk, but many favorable components of the original plant are destroyed and additional ingredients are added.
- There's no research to back up the claims that plant-based milks are healthier than dairy, and some alternatives like rice milk and oat milk lack essential nutrients.
- To prevent climate change, reducing meat consumption by 30% is necessary, especially processed and red meat, which have unfavorable health effects.
- Meat substitutes have an important place for transitioning to a plant-based diet, but the dietary quality varies, and some processed alternatives may be unhealthy.
- Just because a product is labeled vegan or plant-based doesn't mean it's healthy, as many have added ingredients and destroyed plant structure.
- Meat-based substitutes are a bit healthier than original meat-based products, but the best option is to consume plants in their original form.
- For human health, dairy milk is preferred over plant-based milk, but for planetary health, it's more complicated due to the variability in plant-based milks.
- The concern with plant-based milks is that people consume them thinking they have wonderful health benefits, but they may not deliver the expected benefits.
- When considering health, selecting milk over processed milks is recommended.