Vegetable protein-based products, like burgers that attempt to replicate the taste and texture of meat, have been gaining mainstream acceptance on fast food menus. This is a promising development for human and planetary health, according to Frank Hu, Fredrick J. Stare Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology and chair of the Department of Nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. But he said in a July 3, 2019 Harvard Gazette article that it’s important to monitor the health effects of these products.
“Some of those products, even though they contain high amounts of plant-based protein, may also contain unhealthy ingredients, such as high amounts of sodium or unhealthy fats,” he said. “Being plant-based doesn’t necessarily mean it’s healthier.”
Read Harvard Gazette article: The vegans are coming, and we might join them
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A burger grown in the lab? (Harvard Chan School news)