We looked at 700 plant-based foods to see how healthy they really are. Here’s what we found
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If you’re thinking about buying plant-based foods, a trip to the supermarket can leave you bewildered.
There are plant-based burgers, sausages and mince. The fridges are loaded with non-dairy milk, cheese and yoghurt. Then there are the tins of beans and packets of tofu.
But how much is actually healthy?
Our nutritional audit of more than 700 plant-based foods for sale in Australian supermarkets has just been published. We found some products are so high in salt or saturated fat, we’d struggle to call them “healthy”.
We took (several) trips to the supermarket
In 2022, we visited two of each of four major supermarket retailers across Melbourne to collect information on the available range of plant-based alternatives to meat and dairy products.
We took pictures of the products and their nutrition labels.
We then analysed the nutrition information on the packaging of more than 700 of these products. This included 236 meat substitutes, 169 legumes and pulses, 50 baked beans, 157 dairy milk substitutes, 52 cheese substitutes and 40 non-dairy yoghurts.
Plant-based meats were surprisingly salty
We found a wide range of plant-based meats for sale. So, it’s not surprising we found large variations in their nutrition content.
Sodium, found in added salt and which contributes to high blood pressure, was our greatest concern.
The sodium content varied from 1 milligram per 100 grams in products such as tofu, to 2,000mg per 100g in items such as plant-based mince products.
This means we could eat our entire daily recommended sodium intake in just one bowl of plant-based mince.
An audit of 66 plant-based meat products in Australian supermarkets conducted in 2014 found sodium ranged from 316mg in legume-based products to 640mg in tofu products, per 100g. In a 2019 audit of 137 products, the range was up to 1,200mg per 100g.
In other words, the results of our audit seems to show a consistent trend of plant-based meats getting saltier.
Michael Vi/Shutterstock
What about plant-based milks?
Some 70% of the plant-based milks we audited were fortified with calcium, a nutrient important for bone health.
This is good news as a 2019-2020 audit of 115 plant-based milks from Melbourne and Sydney found only 43% of plant-based milks were fortified with calcium.
Of the fortified milks in our audit, almost three-quarters (73%) contained the recommended amount of calcium – at least 100mg per 100mL.
We also looked at the saturated fat content of plant-based milks.
Coconut-based milks had on average up to six times higher saturated fat content than almond, oat or soy milks.
Previous audits also found coconut-based milks were much higher in saturated fat than all other categories of milks.
TY Lim/Shutterstock
A first look at cheese and yoghurt alternatives
Our audit is the first study to identify the range of cheese and yoghurt alternatives available in Australian supermarkets.
Calcium was only labelled on a third of plant-based yoghurts, and only 20% of supermarket options met the recommended 100mg of calcium per 100g.
For plant-based cheeses, most (92%) were not fortified with calcium. Their sodium content varied from 390mg to 1,400mg per 100g, and saturated fat ranged from 0g to 28g per 100g.
So, what should we consider when shopping?
As a general principle, try to choose whole plant foods, such as unprocessed legumes, beans or tofu. These foods are packed with vitamins and minerals. They’re also high in dietary fibre, which is good for your gut health and keeps you fuller for longer.
If opting for a processed plant-based food, here are five tips for choosing a healthier option.
1. Watch the sodium
Plant-based meat alternatives can be high in sodium, so look for products that have around 150-250mg sodium per 100g.
2. Pick canned beans and legumes
Canned chickpeas, lentils and beans can be healthy and low-cost additions to many meals. Where you can, choose canned varieties with no added salt, especially when buying baked beans.
3. Add herbs and spices to your tofu
Tofu can be a great alternative to meat. Check the label and pick the option with the highest calcium content. We found flavoured tofu was higher in salt and sugar content than minimally processed tofu. So it’s best to pick an unflavoured option and add your own flavours with spices and herbs.
4. Check the calcium
When choosing a non-dairy alternative to milk, such as those made from soy, oat, or rice, check it is fortified with calcium. A good alternative to traditional dairy will have at least 100mg of calcium per 100g.
5. Watch for saturated fat
If looking for a lower saturated fat option, almond, soy, rice and oat varieties of milk and yoghurt alternatives have much lower saturated fat content than coconut options. Pick those with less than 3g per 100g.
Laura Marchese, PhD Student at the Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, Deakin University and Katherine Livingstone, NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow and Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, Deakin University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Questions and Answers at 10almonds
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This newsletter has been growing a lot lately, and so have the questions/requests, and we love that! In cases where we’ve already covered something, we might link to what we wrote before, but will always be happy to revisit any of our topics again in the future too—there’s always more to say!
As ever: if the question/request can be answered briefly, we’ll do it here in our Q&A Thursday edition. If not, we’ll make a main feature of it shortly afterwards!
So, no question/request too big or small
I am now in the “aging” population. A great concern for me is Alzheimers. My father had it and I am so worried. What is the latest research on prevention?
One good thing to note is that while Alzheimer’s has a genetic component, it doesn’t appear to be hereditary per se. Still, good to be on top of these things, and it’s never too early to start with preventive measures!
You might like a main feature we did on this recently:
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Heart Healthy Diet Plan – by Stephen William
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We’ve covered heart-healthy cooking books before, but variety is good, and boredom is an enemy of health, so let’s shake it up with a fresh stack of recipes!
After a brief overview of the relevant science (which if you’re a regular 10almonds reader, probably won’t be new to you), the author takes the reader on a 28-day journey. Yes, we know the subtitle says 30 days, but unless they carefully hid the other two days somewhere we didn’t find, there are “only” 28 inside. Perhaps the publisher heard it was a month and took creative license. Or maybe there’s a different edition. Either way…
Rather than merely giving a diet plan (though yes, he also does that), he gives a wide range of “spotlight ingredients”, such that many of the recipes, while great in and of themselves, can also be jumping-off points for those of us who like to take recipes and immediately do our own things to them.
Each day gets a breakfast, lunch, dinner, and he also covers drinks, desserts, and such like.
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Bottom line: if you’d like to cook heart-healthy but are often stuck wondering “aaah, what to cook again today?”, then this is the book to get you out of any culinary creative block!
Click here to check out the Heart Healthy Diet Plan, and widen your heart-healthy repertoire!
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Garlic vs Ginger – Which is Healthier?
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Our Verdict
When comparing garlic to ginger, we picked the ginger.
Why?
Both are great, and it is close!
Notwithstanding that (almost?) nobody eats garlic or ginger for the macros, let’s do a moment’s due diligence on that first: garlic has more than 3x the protein and about 2x the fiber (and slightly higher carbs). But, given the small quantities in which people usually consume these foods, these numbers aren’t too meaningful.
In the category of micronutrients, garlic has a lot more vitamins and minerals. We’ll not do a full breakdown for this though, because again, unless you’re eating it by the cupful, this won’t make a huge difference.
Which means that so far, we have two nominal wins for garlic.
Both plants have many medicinal properties. They are both cardioprotective and anticancer, and both full of antioxidants. The benefits of both are comparable in these regards.
Both have antidiabetic action also, but ginger’s effects are stronger when compared head-to head.
So that’s an actual practical win for ginger.
Each plant’s respective effects on the gastrointestinal tract sets them further apart—ginger has antiemetic effects and can be used for treating nausea and vomiting from a variety of causes. Garlic, meanwhile, can cause adverse gastrointestinal effects in some people—but it’s usually neutral for most people in this regard.
Another win for ginger in practical terms.
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Health Tips for Males Too
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It’s Q&A Day at 10almonds!
Have a question or a request? You can always hit “reply” to any of our emails, or use the feedback widget at the bottom!
In cases where we’ve already covered something, we might link to what we wrote before, but will always be happy to revisit any of our topics again in the future too—there’s always more to say!
As ever: if the question/request can be answered briefly, we’ll do it here in our Q&A Thursday edition. If not, we’ll make a main feature of it shortly afterwards!
So, no question/request too big or small
❝Articles are very informative and helpful. Maybe it’s me but things seem to lean more toward females. That being said don’t forget us males❞
Rest assured, we could never forget you! We try to make as much as possible of our content applicable to as many as possible of our readers, but of course not everything can be relevant for everyone.
This is, presumably, in response to our recent feature on menopausal health, because previous to that, our next-most-recent main feature that centred women’s health was a month ago—that was about breast cancer, and did have a section on breast cancer in men too. You might also enjoy the book we reviewed recently about prostate health, or our regular sponsor offering testosterone therapy. Please feel free to check out our articles on saw palmetto against male pattern baldness and BPH, as well as mental health issues that disproportionally affect men.
And of course, if you have specific questions/requests about men’s health (or any other health topic) we’re only ever an email away (or use the handy feedback widget, as you did to make this request)!
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Why a common asthma drug will now carry extra safety warnings about depression
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Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) recently issued a safety alert requiring extra warnings to be included with the asthma and hay fever drug montelukast.
The warnings are for users and their families to look for signs of serious behaviour and mood-related changes, such as suicidal thoughts and depression. The new warnings need to be printed at the start of information leaflets given to both patients and health-care providers (sometimes called a “boxed” warning).
So why did the TGA issue this warning? And is there cause for concern if you or a family member uses montelukast? Here’s what you need to know.
First, what is montelukast?
Montelukast is a prescription drug also known by its brand names which include Asthakast, Lukafast, Montelair and Singulair. It’s used to manage the symptoms of mild-to-moderate asthma and seasonal hay fever in children and adults.
Asthma occurs when the airways tighten and produce extra mucus, which makes it difficult to get air into the lungs. Likewise, the runny nose characteristic of hay fever occurs due to the overproduction of mucus.
Leukotrienes are an important family of chemicals found throughout the airways and involved in both mucus production and airway constriction. Montelukast is a cysteinyl leukotriene receptor antagonist, meaning it blocks the site in the airways where the leukotrienes work.
Montelukast can’t be used to treat acute asthma (an asthma attack), as it takes time for the tablet to be broken down in the stomach and for it to be absorbed into the body. Rather, it’s taken daily to help prevent asthma symptoms or seasonal hay fever.
It can be used alongside asthma puffers that contain corticosteriods and drugs like salbutamol (Ventolin) in the event of acute attacks.
What is the link to depression and suicide?
The possibility that this drug may cause behavioural changes is not new information. Manufacturers knew this as early as 2007 and issued warnings for possible side-effects including depression, suicidality and anxiousness.
The United Kingdom’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has required a warning since 2008 but mandated a more detailed warning in 2019. The United States’ Food and Drug Administration has required boxed warnings for the drug since 2020.
Montelukast can help children and adults with asthma. adriaticfoto/Shutterstock Montelukast is known to potentially induce a number of behaviour and mood changes, including agitation, anxiety, depression, irritability, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and suicidal thoughts and actions.
Initially a 2009 study that analysed data from 157 clinical trials involving more than 20,000 patients concluded there were no completed suicides due to taking the drug, and only a rare risk of suicide thoughts or attempts.
The most recent study, published in November 2024, examined data from more than 100,000 children aged 3–17 with asthma or hay fever who either took montelukast or used only inhaled corticosteroids.
It found montelukast use was associated with a 32% higher incidence of behavioural changes. The behaviour change with the strongest association was sleep disturbance, but montelukast use was also linked to increases in anxiety and mood disorders.
In the past ten years, around 200 incidences of behavioural side-effects have been reported to the TGA in connection with montelukast. This includes 57 cases of depression, 60 cases of suicidal thoughts and 17 suicide attempts or incidents of intentional self-injury. There were seven cases where patients taking the drug did complete a suicide.
This is of course tragic. But these numbers need to be seen in the context of the number of people taking the drug. Over the same time period, more than 200,000 scripts for montelukast have been filled under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.
Overall, we don’t know conclusively that montelukast causes depression and suicide, just that it seems to increase the risk for some people.
We’re still not sure how the drug can act on the brain to lead to behaviour changes. Elif Bayraktar/Shutterstock And if it does change behaviour, we don’t fully understand how this happens. One hypothesis is that the drug and its breakdown products (or metabolites) affect brain chemistry.
Specifically, it might interfere with how the brain detoxifies the antioxidant glutathione or alter the regulation of other brain chemicals, such as neurotransmitters.
Why is the TGA making this change now?
The new risk warning requirement comes from a meeting of the Australian Advisory Committee on Medicines where they were asked to provide advice on ways to minimise the risk for the drug given current international recommendations.
Even though the 2024 review didn’t highlight any new risks, to align with international recommendations, and help address consumer concerns, the advisory committee recommended a boxed warning be added to drug information sheets.
If you have asthma and take montelukast (or your child does), you should not just stop taking the drug, because this could put you at risk of an attack that could be life threatening. If you’re concerned, speak to your doctor who can discuss the risks and benefits of the medication for you, and, if appropriate, prescribe a different medication.
If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Nial Wheate, Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Macquarie University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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