-- Shares Facebook Twitter Reddit Email This article was originally published on The Conversation . We're hearing a lot about ultra-processed foods and the health effects of eating too many. And we know plant-based foods are popular for health or other reasons.
So it's not surprising new research out this week including the health effects of ultra-processed, plant-based foods is going to attract global attention. And the headlines can be scary if that research and the publicity surrounding it suggests eating these foods increases your risk of heart disease, stroke or dying early. Here's how some media outlets interpreted the research.
The Daily Mail ran with : Vegan fake meats are linked to increase in heart deaths, study suggests: Experts say plant-based diets can boost health – but NOT if they are ultra-processed The New York Post's headline was: Vegan fake meats linked to heart disease, early death: study But when we look at the study itself, it seems the media coverage has focused on a tiny aspect of the research, and is misleading. So does eating supermarket plant-based burgers and other plant-based, ultra-processed foods really put you at greater risk of heart disease, stroke and premature death? Here's what prompted the research and what the study actually found. Remind me, what are ultra-processed foods? Ultra-processed foods undergo processing and reformulation with additives to enhance flavour, shelf-life and appeal.
These include everything from packet macaroni c.