Meatless alternatives to meat are an increasingly viable option for people looking to improve their own health, the planet’s health, or reduce the amount of suffering in the world. People living with hepatitis are usually encouraged to give special consideration to their diet, as healthy eating can help avoid some of the issues associated with a fatty or damaged liver.
Plant- or fungus-based meat alternatives can fulfil all the dietary and nutritional requirements provided by meat, as well as replicating the taste and ability to be cooked in the same ways.
A study led by researchers from the University of Granada and carried out in collaboration with the University of Castilla-La Mancha and the Francisco de Vitoria University has shown that replacing meat consumption with plant-based alternatives that simulate meat products would reduce total cholesterol by 6 per cent reduce low-density lipoproteins (often known as “bad” cholesterol) by 12 per cent, and even body weight by 1 per cent in the short term (1 to 8 weeks).
The research, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, analysed eight previous investigations, including data from seven randomised clinical trials that evaluated different interventions based on replacing meat consumption with plant-based alternatives, formulated using proteins extracted from fungi, vegetables and/or legumes. This is the first systematic review and meta-analysis that sought to determine the effectiveness of replacing meat with commonly available plant-based alternatives.
The results, despite the fact that few studies have explored their effects, reaffirm the probable benefits to people’s health of replacing meat consumption with these plant-based alternatives, especially since these alternatives successfully simulate meat in organoleptic characteristics (texture, aroma, flavour) and in nutritional composition, meaning they are a great alternative for anyone wanting to move to a more vegetable-based diet without giving up the experience of eating meat.
As researcher Fernández Rodríguez explained, “This study shows that replacing meat with plant-based alternatives has a positive effect on some cardiometabolic parameters such as LDL cholesterol—even in short periods of a week!”
“It is also important to emphasize that these effects could be greater in people with higher cholesterol levels or a poorer cardiometabolic health profile.”
The study highlights the need for more research in this area, including seeing exactly how much better this sort of diet is for the environment, given that plant-based foods use less land, water, and energy, and produce fewer greenhouse gases (a vegetarian diet can reduce your carbon footprint by 75 per cent).
Note: all “meat” pictured with this article is plant-based.
Posted 6 February 2025
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