Plant-Based Meat Alternatives Lower LDL Cholesterol by 12%, Meta-Analysis Finds

Replacing meat with plant-based burgers, sausages and ground meat lowers "bad" LDL cholesterol by 12%, a new meta-analysis of randomised trials finds. Total cholesterol fell by 6% and body weight by 1% in as little as a few weeks.

Researchers from the University of Granada and Universidad Francisco de Vitoria in Spain, led by Dr. Rubén Fernández-Rodríguez, pooled seven randomised trials with 369 adults without heart disease, publishing in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. On average LDL fell by 0.25 mmol/L, and mycoprotein-based products such as Quorn cut it by 0.37 mmol/L. Blood pressure, fasting glucose, HDL and triglycerides did not change, and the authors call for longer studies.

The authors conclude in the paper:

Our findings suggest substituting PBMAs for meat for ≤8 wk lowered TC (6%), LDL-cholesterol (12%), and body weight (1%) in adults without cardiovascular diseases.

PBMAs are plant-based meat alternatives and TC is total cholesterol. So the veggie burger is doing your arteries a favor, and beans and lentils are better still.

It confirms the Stanford trial in which swapping meat for plant-based meat lowered cholesterol, weight and TMAO, and this week Oxford found that peas, beans and soy beat meat and dairy on health, environment and cost.

Fake meat, real results.