Analysis of 700 plant-based foods finds the ‘healthy’ alternatives are loaded with salt and fat – and lacking in bone-boosting calcium

Plant-based diets are often seen as healthier alternatives to eating meat and dairy, with around one in five adopting this diet for health reasons.

The way of eating, which has risen in popularity by at least a third since 2017, can include everything from ditching meat to going completely vegan, without eggs, milk or cheese.

However, these foods may be packed with sodium, which could raise blood pressure, packed with obesity-causing saturated fat and devoid of bone-building calcium, a major analysis suggests.

Researchers evaluated more than 700 plant-based foods sold in supermarkets, including burgers, sausages, milk, cheese and yogurt, as well as vegan staples such as beans and tofu.

They found that just half a cup of tofu contained 2,000 milligrams of sodium, which is almost an entire day’s worth according to U.S. guidelines.

Plant-based milk has long been touted as a healthier alternative to dairy milk, although experts warned it can be packed with saturated fat

Plus, trendy coconut milk was packed with saturated fat, more than six times as much as other milk alternatives.

And more than 90 percent of the cheeses analyzed were not fortified with calcium, which is essential for growth and maintaining bone health.

“We found that some products contain so much salt or saturated fat that we would find it difficult to call them ‘healthy,'” the researchers wrote. The conversation.

However, the research was conducted in Australia – and the nutritional value may vary slightly in the US, where around one in 100 people claim to be vegan.

In 2022, the team visited two of each of Melbourne’s four major supermarkets and collected nutritional information for plant-based meat, milk, cheese and yoghurt.

In total they looked at 704 products. These include 236 meat substitutes, 169 legumes, 50 baked beans, 157 non-dairy milks, 52 cheese substitutes and 40 dairy-free yogurts.

The sodium content in plant-based meat on supermarket shelves appears to have increased since 2019.

Among the meat alternatives, the team noted that there were “wide variations in their nutritional value.”

However, sodium was the ‘biggest concern’.

While some products contain only one milligram per 100 grams (about half a cup), others contain a total of 2,000 milligrams for the same serving. This is equivalent to almost two Big Macs from McDonald’s.

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends consuming no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day, and the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) has a limit of 2,000 in Australia.

“This means we can eat our entire daily recommended sodium intake in just one bowl of plant-based minced meat,” the researchers wrote.

They compared the findings to a 2019 audit of 66 plant-based meat products in Australia, which found sodium rose to 1,200 milligrams per half cup.

“In other words, the results of our audit appear to show a consistent trend of plant-based meat becoming increasingly salty,” the team wrote.

Dairy-free cheese and yogurt were also looked at. Only a third of yoghurt products showed calcium in their ingredient lists, and only 20 per cent met Australia’s recommended intake of 100 milligrams per 100 grams.

American health authorities recommend approximately 1,000 to 1,200 milligrams of calcium per day.

Additionally, the team found that the vast majority of plant-based cheeses (92 percent) were not fortified with calcium.

Not getting enough calcium has been linked to several health problems, including brittle nails, slower hair growth and thin skin.

It can also increase the risk of osteoporosis and brittle or weakened bones.

The dairy-free cheeses also contain anywhere from 390 to 1,400 milligrams of sodium per serving.

About a third of plant-based milks were not fortified with it calcium.

But the researchers warned that coconut milk, which is often used in curries, sauces and dressings, contains on average six times more saturated fat than almond, oat or soy milk.

Diets high in saturated fat have long been linked to long-term health problems such as heart disease, stroke, obesity and diabetes.

This isn’t the first time plant-based milk has come under fire from nutritionists.

Majored last year A study by Stanford researchers presented at the American Society for Nutrition concluded that nine in 10 dairy-free milks out of 233 on the market were “nutritionally inferior” to cow’s milk.

Particularly alarming were the scientists’ findings about the amount of sugar added to milk alternatives to improve taste.

Cow’s milk, on the other hand, is naturally slightly sweet due to its naturally occurring sugar, lactose.

“About a third of plant-based milk products contain sugar or added sugar in amounts more similar to flavored milks such as strawberry or chocolate milk,” the researchers said.

Many plant-based milks are supplemented with bone-boosting calcium, but about a third are not, the study found.

Furthermore, they found that only 28 of 233 drinks contained as much or more protein, vitamin D and calcium as cow’s milk.

The new Australian study found that plant-based milk contains about 100 milligrams less calcium than regular milk – the mineral essential for building and repairing bone tissue.

The plant-based milk was also found to contain only two grams of protein per cup. One cup of Trader Joe’s skim milk contains 14 grams of protein.

The Australian research team recommended vegans use beans and legumes instead of meat alternatives.

Additionally, they suggested adding herbs and spices to tofu instead of salt since it is already so salty.

The research was published in the journal on Wednesday Journal of Food Composition and Analysis.