Beyond Meat says its burgers are healthier than beef. Health experts aren’t so sure

Canadians ca n’t get enough of Beyond Meat ‘s plant-based burger that ‘s designed to taste just like beef. It has attracted not merely vegetarians but besides meat eaters such as Jim Allen, who recently dined on a Beyond Burger at A & W, believing it was the goodly choice. “ I was quite eager to try it, ” said Allen, who lives in Toronto. “ Everybody ‘s saying get away from bolshevik meat and eat more plants. ”

Canada ‘s new food lead advises Canadians to consume less kernel and eat more goodly plant-based protein foods such as beans and lentils. But does Beyond ‘s burger modify as a healthy protein option ? Beyond Meat says yes. On its web site, the California-based company markets its plant-based products as “ better for you ” options that don’t come with the major health risks associated with certain kinds of kernel. however, nutriment experts CBC News interviewed argue that there ‘s no hard scientific data — at least not so far — to show that a refined plant-based patty trumps beef. “ Where is their research saying that — that this is better than eating a little, portion-controlled, lean man of kernel ? ” said Toronto-based dietician and dietician Rosie Schwartz. Toronto-based registered dietitian Rosie Schwartz said the Beyond Burger is highly processed, and may not necessarily be healthier than a small, portion-controlled, lean piece of meat. (CBC) The Beyond Burger contains close to 20 ingredients, including refined coconut vegetable oil, pea protein isolate and flavorer. Schwartz says that qualifies it as a highly processed food — something that Canadians are advised to limit in their diet, along with serve and fatty kernel. “ When Health Canada says we should be choosing more plant-based protein alternatives, I believe they ‘re talking about whole foods. They ‘re not talking about ultra-processed foods, ” said Schwartz.

Beyond Meat CEO weighs in

Food scientist Ben Bohrer says when comparing a Beyond Burger with gripe, the nutritional composing is fairly similar. A Beyond patty contains 270 calories, five grams of saturate fat and 390 milligrams of sodium. In comparison, Walmart ‘s Great Value Beef Burger has 30 fewer calories and two more grams of impregnate fatness. It besides has 300 magnesium less sodium, but it ‘s not pre-seasoned like the Beyond patty.

“ They try to match grind beef a close as they can, ” said Bohrer, a professor at the University of Guelph. “ If you ‘re doing that, then I do n’t know how you could say that there ‘s advantages to the intersection that you ‘ve made. ” Beyond Meat CEO Ethan Brown argues such comparisons are excessively simplistic because they do n’t factor in the report health risks — such as cancer and affection disease — that are associated with feed loss and work kernel. Nutrition experts say there is no research showing a Beyond Burger is a healthier food choice compared to eating beef. (CBC) “ The media has an duty to get this stuff right, ” said Brown in a earphone interview. “ If consumers are reading these [ newsworthiness ] pieces, and going aside thinking they precisely vitamin a well might be eating red kernel, that ‘s not fair to them. ” As proofread, Beyond Meat sent CBC News information on numerous health studies looking at the implications of eating kernel.

Research lacking

The most holocene discipline the caller pointed to was published in June by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. It found that upping one ‘s red meat intake — processed red meat, in particular — increased the risk of previous death. “ I ‘m imploring people to please do their research, ” said Brown. “ The health implications of red and processed meat very stretch far beyond saturated fat levels. ” Ethan Brown, founder and CEO of Beyond Meat, says comparing the nutritional composition of a Beyond Burger with beef is too simplistic because it doesn’t factor in the reported health risks — such as cancer and heart disease — that are associated with eating red and processed meat. (Brendan McDermid/Reuters) Dr. Frank Hu, senior writer of the Harvard study, says the research so far demonstrates that eating excessively much crimson kernel, particularly process kernel, can be harmful to one ‘s health. “ Replacing red meat with other sources of protein, specially plant-based protein food, can reduce [ the ] risk of chronic disease and premature death, ” said Hu, a professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Harvard. But he said we do n’t however have research showing that a processed plant-based hamburger is a healthier food choice.

“ Based on the data we have, we can make a prediction they ‘re better, ” said Hu. “ But this type of analyze hasn’t been done so far to directly compare the health effects of the two types of burgers. ” Beyond Meat, however, is sticking to its claims. “ Given the abundance of research intelligibly demonstrating the link between red and serve meat pulmonary tuberculosis and health risks, we stand firm behind our impression that Beyond Meat products are an improvement nutritionally, ” Dariush Ajami, Beyond Meat ‘s headman initiation officer, said in an e-mail. He added that the Beyond burger besides has the benefit of containing no cholesterol or animal-derived saturated fat, and is lower in saturate fat than burgers made from fattier cuts of beef. A&W’s Beyond Meat burger, with bun and sauces, contains 1,110 milligrams of sodium. The restaurant chain says customers can modify their burgers to reduce the sodium. (A&W) As for customer Allen, he ‘s decided that unless new research tells him differently, he’ll continue to presume that Beyond ‘s plant-based burger is healthier. however, he does n’t plan to purchase it again at a fast-food restaurant. That ‘s because he discovered that once the bun and toppings are added, A & W ‘s version has 1,110 milligrams of sodium.

“ I ‘m defeated, ” said Allen, who ‘s trying to cut down his sodium intake. Health Canada recommends that adults aim for approximately 1,500 mg of sodium casual and not exceed 2,300 mg. A & W told CBC News that customers can modify their burger to suit their dietary needs, such as swapping the bun for a lettuce wrap .