Some vegan foods have a 15% higher risk of heart attack and stroke

Some vegetarian and vegan foods have been linked to a 15% increased risk of having a stroke or heart attack. Switching from meat to a plant-based diet generally results in a boost to your health.

But if plant-based alternatives are ultra-processed, they could be worse for you than unprocessed meat and animal products, according to the analysis of more than 118,000 people in the UK.

Vegan and vegetarian burgers, sausages and other meat alternatives can be high in fat, sugar, salt, preservatives and other chemicals and have sometimes gone through extensive factory processing, MailOnline reports. And things like cakes, biscuits, sweets and soft drinks may be plant-based, but that doesn’t necessarily make them healthier, the study suggests.

Research published in Lancet Regional Health – Europe, involving experts from Imperial College London, found that people who ate a lot of ultra-processed plant-based foods had a 7% higher risk of blocked heart vessels and a 15% higher risk of % higher dying compared to vegetarians who ate less processed food.

Eating more fresh fruits and vegetables was associated with an 8% reduction in the risk of heart disease. Vegetarians who ate the least ultra-processed foods had a 20% lower risk of heart disease.

Dr. Eszter Vamos, co-author of the study, said: “Fresh plant-based foods such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains and legumes are known for important health and environmental benefits. While ultra-processed foods are often marketed as health foods, this large study suggests that ultra-processed plant-based foods do not appear to have protective effects on health and are linked to poor health outcomes.”

Dr Duane Mellor, spokesman for the British Dietetic Association, pointed out that the study included all ultra-processed plant-based foods in one category – including meat alternatives alongside products such as plant-based crisps, cakes, sweets, drinks soft drinks and biscuits.

Dr Mellor said: “It’s important to stress that just because a food or drink is technically plant-based, it doesn’t mean it’s healthy.”