DO PLANT-BASED MEAT ALTERNATIVES AFFECT MENTAL HEALTH?

Experts say yes; study notes 42% increased risk of depression as compared to those who refrain from the ultra-processed foods

Vegetarians consuming plant-based alternatives to meat—suggested as one of the means to lower the environmental impact of meat consumption—could have a 42 percent increased risk of depression compared to vegetarians who refrain from them, according to a study.

Published in the journal Food Frontiers, the study also found higher blood pressure and inflammation levels, along with lower levels of 'good' cholesterol (HDL), in vegetarians who ate plant-based meat alternatives.

Researchers at the University of Surrey, UK, analysed data from over 3,300 vegetarians in the UK Biobank—about half were consumers of plant-based meat alternatives, and half were non-consumers.