There are more and more "plant meats" and the taste is so real that it is hard to tell the difference. Will eating too much of it affect your health?

Audit expert: Wang Guoyi

Postdoctoral fellow in Nutrition and Food Safety, China Agricultural University

With the continuous improvement of living standards, people have more requirements for diet and other aspects. It is not enough to just eat enough, but also to eat well, eat healthily and eat environmentally friendly.

Especially the current young groups are more committed to pursuing a green and scientific lifestyle, and are also keen on developing more new categories in terms of diet.

Recently, many of my friends have been researching "plant meat". It is said that plant meat is more nutritious than animal meat and tastes good. The name also sounds very green and healthy, but is this really the case?

Source｜Introduction to a plant-based meat brand

Don’t rush to place an order impulsively. Before that, let’s first understand what plant-based meat is.

Plant-based meat is a type of artificial meat

Plant-based meat is not really “meat”; it is actually a type of artificial meat.

Plant-based meat is made from crops such as soybeans, wheat, and peas. Through a variety of processes such as hot shear extrusion, purification, puffing, and shaping, the plant protein structure is transformed into a meat-like fibrous structure, making it as close to real meat as possible in terms of taste, color, and flavor.

At this point, some friends may ask, since plant-based meat is made from plant protein, what is the difference between it and our traditional vegetarian meat products?

In a broad sense, plant-based meat and the vegetarian meat sold in traditional vegetarian restaurants (such as vegetarian chicken, vegetarian duck, etc.) are the same product. The difference is that traditional vegetarian meat is only similar to meat in appearance and shape, while the plant-based meat that has become popular in recent years is more concerned with pursuing real meaty taste in the eating experience, such as juiciness, tenderness, and chewy taste.

Plant-based meat looks more appetizing than vegetarian meat

Source｜Product Introduction

It’s easier to identify the mock meat in vegetarian restaurants

Source: Baidu

Therefore, the price of plant-based meat is much more expensive than that of vegetarian meat.

Plant-based meat is as expensive as real meat

Source: Screenshot of a food ordering software

Is plant-based meat healthier?

Let’s talk about the question that we are most concerned about. Is plant-based meat without animal protein really healthier?

According to reports from some research teams, the content of vitamin B1, folic acid, iron, calcium, potassium and other elements in plant meat is higher than that in beef.

Samples of grass-fed ground beef compared to samples of “popular plant-based meat alternatives”

Source: Duke University, North Carolina

The protein component of plant-based meat comes from plant protein, so “low cholesterol” is correct, but low fat is not necessarily true.

Generally speaking, the fat content in different parts of animal meat varies. For example, the fat content of hard rib meat is high, reaching more than 80%, while the fat content of lean meat can be reduced to 10%. Therefore, when claiming that plant meat is low in fat, we have to look at what part of the animal meat it is compared with.

Source: Dingxiang Doctor

Secondly, the raw material of plant meat has a low fat content, but this does not mean that the final processed plant meat has a low fat content. During the processing, in order to increase the rich taste, manufacturers may add various seasonings and oils, and the fat content of these additional substances should not be underestimated.

Is plant-based meat easier to digest?

There is another saying about plant meat. Compared with animal meat, the main ingredient of plant meat is plant protein, and plant protein is easier to absorb than animal protein. Is this true?

Protein is also called the "foundation of life". It is an important component of human cells and tissues. It can promote body metabolism and provide energy for the human body. Protein is a large molecule that cannot be directly absorbed by the human body. It requires the participation of digestive enzymes to break down protein into small molecule amino acids before it can be absorbed by the human body.

The process of protein digestion and absorption in the body

Source: Sohu@HongjiuBiology

The availability of protein absorption is generally expressed by the digestible essential amino acid score (DIAAS) value. What is the DIAAS value of our common foods?

As can be seen from the table, the absorption rate of animal protein is significantly higher than that of plant protein, so if you want to supplement protein by eating only plant meat, it is feasible, but the amount consumed must be much more than normal animal meat.

Source: MMC Butler

In addition, soybeans contain more protein than corn and wheat, and their amino acid composition is closer to that of the human body than other animal proteins, so it is recommended to eat plant meat foods made from soybean crops.

To sum up, because the amino acid composition of animal protein is closer to that of the human body, the digestion, absorption and utilization rate of animal protein is higher than that of plant protein.

Is it possible to eat only plant-based meat?

In recent years, the attention paid to plant-based meat has increased rapidly, and some well-known catering brands such as KFC and McDonald's have successively launched plant-based meat-related products.

Can plant-based meat completely replace animal meat? The answer is no.

Compared with animal meat, plant meat is low in fat, high in protein, and rich in dietary fiber, but it also lacks essential nutrients for the human body, such as vitamin B12, omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids, and zinc. If you only eat plant meat for a long time without consuming animal meat, you may experience symptoms of protein deficiency and anemia. Therefore, if you also want to try plant meat, remember: whether it is plant meat or animal meat, meat that can provide nutrition is good meat! A balanced diet, consuming plant protein and animal protein together, can have a healthy body~

Source: pxhere