How healthy is plant-based meat? What the research shows | Prof. Christopher Gardner

🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily 30 https://bit.ly/ZOEDaily30 *Naturally high in copper which contributes to normal energy yielding metabolism and the normal function of the immune system Learn how your body responds to food. Take our FREE quiz 👉 http://zoe.com/podcast Meat consumption continues to be high in both the US and the UK. Yet many governments advise reducing meat consumption, particularly red meat, due to both environmental and health concerns. In this episode, we delve into the sizzling world of meat alternatives. They promise sustainability, animal welfare, and better health. Buzzwords like "plant-based" and "meat-free" proudly adorn their packaging. But are they actually healthy? Or should we consider them as ultra-processed foods and avoid them? Christopher Gardner is a Professor of Medicine at Stanford University and the Director of the Stanford Prevention Research Centre, and a world-leading expert in how the food that we eat impacts our health. Follow ZOE on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoe/ Timecodes: 00:00 Introduction 01:36 Quickfire questions 03:40 What is a meat alternative? 05:28 What's driving the trend for more alternatives? 08:03 Should you eat less red meat? 08:53 What is in these meat alternatives? 10:51 Traditional meat vs meat alternatives 14:16 Are meat alternatives ultra-processed? 15:24 Latest scientific studies 24:46 What were the findings? 32:24 Is the quality of the protein as good as real meat? 35:55 Are meat alternatives healthy? 41:54 Are whole food based meat alternatives healthier? 43:09 What are the practical tips around meat alternatives? 45:47 How do ultra-processed foods come into this? 48:54 What are other ways people can transition away from red meat? 54:28 What are the differences between bad and good quality meat? 📚 Books from our ZOE Scientists: - Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector: https://amzn.to/455DqMz - Fibre Fuelled by Dr Will Bulsiewicz: https://amzn.to/4bzmUXP - Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati: https://amzn.to/4blJsLg Referenced in today’s episode: Study With Appetizing Plantfood—Meat Eating Alternative Trial (SWAP-MEAT), published in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7657338/ SWAP-MEAT Athlete (study with appetizing plant-food, meat eating alternatives trial) a randomized crossover trial, published in Nutrition Journal. Link: https://nutritionj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12937-022-00820-x Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here: https://gf6hx47iu5g.typeform.com/topicsuggestion Episode transcripts are available here: https://joinzoe.com/learn/category/podcasts