It’s plant-based, but it could still cause health damage, study warns

A plant-based diet can offer numerous health benefits, but a new study suggests that the quality of these foods matters significantly.

A plant-based diet can offer numerous health benefits, but a new study suggests that the quality of these foods matters significantly.

Consuming sugar and chips, although technically plant-based, may increase the risk of heart attacks and premature death.

The study, published Monday in The Lancet Regional Health — Europe, found that plant-based ultra-processed foods — such as donuts, pop and chips — increased the risk of cardiovascular disease by five per cent and early death by 12 per cent.

Conversely, the study found that replacing plant-based ultra-processed foods with fresh, frozen, or minimally processed plants, such as veggies and fruits, reduced the risk of developing cardiovascular disease by seven per cent and lowered the risk of dying from heart disease by 15 per cent.

“Modern plant-sourced diets may incorporate a range of ultra-processed foods, such as sugar-sweetened beverages, snacks, confectionery, but also the ‘plant-sourced’ sausages, nuggets, and burgers that are produced with ingredients originating from plants and marketed as meat and dairy substitutes,” the authors stated in the study.

“We observed that higher dietary contribution of plant-sourced non-ultra-processed foods were associated with a lower risk of fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular events, while contribution of plant-sourced ultra-processed food was associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular events,” the authors added.

Canadians get nearly 50 per cent of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods, according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation. These foods, such as candy, soft drinks, pizza and chips, have been significantly altered from their original state with added salt, sugar, fat, additives, preservatives and artificial colors.

And consumption of these highly processed foods can lead to poorer overall health quality, such as cancer, major heart and lung conditions, mental health disorders and early death.