Pea, rice and soy (PBMA) plant-based meat-free alternatives have been linked to positive changes in the gut microbiome, according to an independent UK study that challenged the definition of UHT foods.

Study co-author Miguel Toribio-Mateas of the South Bank University of London's School of Applied Sciences, along with Adri Bester, founded the Gut and Brain Laboratory.

Bester adds that sometimes this notion of finished foods is justified because they can contain high amounts of sugar, salt, fat and calories, but they have low nutritional value - this is one of the criteria for classifying foods as "ultra-processed".

“However, our hypothesis was that all products require some kind of manufacturing process, including PBMA, and that this does not necessarily make them over-processed by default. We have argued that the quality of the ingredients used to make these products plays a big role in maintaining health. ”

The researchers also argue that the potential of the PBMA product to promote both eubiotic and dysbiotic changes in consumers' gut microbiota lies in the nutrient profiles of each of its individual ingredients.

A study of 39 participants revealed small but statistically significant changes in the availability of butyrate production pathways. These were mainly the 4-aminobutyrate / succinate and glutarate pathways in the intervention group, in addition to the sequential increase in the total number of butyrate-producing taxa.

People tend to have emotional reactions to food, but bacteria give us an objective answer that doesn't depend on ideology.

Scientists confirm that the PBMA products provided to the participants in the experimental group caused changes in their gut microbiota that are consistent with eubiosis, which is a "healthy gut microbiome."

The researchers also observed a decrease in Tenericutes type and higher beta diversity between paired samples in the intervention group only, along with an increase in Tenericutes type in the control group.

This means that the periodic substitution of PBMA for animal meat as seen in a flexitarian diet may contribute to positive changes in the gut microbiome of consumers.

Exposure to individual ingredients.

Although Farm Without Meat donated plant-based minced meat, hamburgers, sausages, burgers and meatballs to the study, it was not otherwise included in the study.

Bester explains that the company contacted the Gut and Brain Lab as it looked for real evidence of the effects of its products on the consumer microbiome.

The researchers also emphasize that it is notable that the intervention products are products on the market and not products manufactured solely for research purposes.

However, the prebiotic effect observed in the trial can only be attributed to the nutritional profile of The Meatless Farm products.

The PBMA product category includes a wide variety of plant bases. Hence, there will be expected dietary differences between foods and food categories, especially with respect to the amount and types of fiber and polyphenols contained in each food.

The variety of ingredients in each product also plays a large role because fibers and polyphenols, when presented in a variety of bundles, act in concert with each other. This makes the end result more than the simple sum of the bacterial metabolism of each individual ingredient.

“In addition, yeast extract is often used as a flavoring agent in meat counterparts because of its meaty notes and has potential prebiotic, probiotic and paraprobiotic effects that depend on the manufacturing process,” explains Bester.

The researchers emphasize that some PBMAs may be less healthy than others.

They also note that some are beginning to question the health benefits of plant-based alternatives, with an increasing focus on the plant-based clean label movement. Indeed, in the meat analogue industry, concerns about sodium and protein levels are calling for more transparency.

However, by creating formulations that target the specific attributes that consumers seek when choosing healthy foods, herbal products have the opportunity to remain relevant in the market over the long term.

A sustainable approach to accidental consumption The researchers hope that the findings will positively contribute to the development of new PBMA products by all PBMA manufacturers.

In June, The Meatless Farm launched its debut round of retail investor funding, aiming to expand and strive for renaissance.