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Story at-a-glance

• Processed plant-based diets increase heart disease risk by 65%, with ultraprocessed "meat" alternatives containing inflammatory ingredients that damage cardiovascular health despite marketing claims
• Healthy whole-food plant diets reduce heart disease markers by 48%, while unhealthy processed plant foods trigger chronic inflammation and dysfunctional cholesterol profiles
• Plant-based meat substitutes contain glyphosate and high amounts of linoleic acid (LA) from vegetable oils. These products also lack beneficial animal fats found in real meat products
• Chronic inflammation from processed plant foods promotes plaque formation, leading to endothelial dysfunction, atherosclerosis, and increased risk of heart attacks and strokes
• Eating real, whole vegetables, collagen-rich foods, and fermented foods reduces inflammation and provides better cardiovascular protection than processed alternatives

Plant-based diets, especially ones that are touted as “meat” alternatives, are all the rage these days. According to a market analysis by The Humane League, this industry was valued at $14 billion in 2021, and is expected to grow by a tremendous amount in 2032 — $235 billion, to be exact.1

While manufacturers market their products as safe, research shows the opposite — so-called "plant-based" diets are not only unhealthy, but also actively accelerate arterial deterioration by triggering inflammation. Moreover, the inclusion of other ultraprocessed foods, such as sugary beverages and refined grains contribute to further damage.

Plant-Based Diets, Especially Ultraprocessed Varieties, Harm Your Heart

In a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Cardiology, researchers sought to uncover how different types of plant-based diets impact heart health.2

The team selected 7,708 U.S. adults who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 1999 and 2004, focusing on differentiating healthy plant-based diets indices (hPDI) rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes from unhealthy plant-based diets indices (uPDI), which contain ultraprocessed foods, refined grains, sugary beverages, and sweets/desserts.

Participants were evaluated through dietary questionnaires and cardiac biomarkers were measured at the University of Maryland School of Medicine between 2018 and 2020.3,4

• The biomarkers used for testing — To measure cardiovascular biomarkers, the researchers looked at cardiac troponin T (cTnT) and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) in the participants’ blood. Higher levels of these proteins typically indicate a higher risk of heart disease.

Troponin is found inside your cardiac cells but leaks into your bloodstream when the heart becomes damaged. Specifically, cTnI is unique to the heart muscle. Meanwhile, cTnT exists in other muscles, but the heart has a slightly different structure, which isn’t found anywhere else in your body.5

• Healthy eating leads to better heart function — Adults who regularly consumed the healthiest plant-based diets had about 48% lower odds of elevated cTnI compared to those with the least healthy plant-based eating patterns. Essentially, better plant food choices translated into nearly halving the chance of hidden heart damage, underscoring the tangible benefits of prioritizing food quality.

• Unsurprisingly, unhealthy diets will impact heart health — Adults whose eating habits relied on highly processed plant foods experienced notably increased risks. Participants eating mostly unhealthy plant-based foods had 65% higher odds of having elevated levels of cTnI.

• There were no significant associations between the diet types and other heart biomarkers — These include cTnT or N-terminal pro b-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP6), another hormone linked to heart strain.

• Processed plant-based diets harm your cardiovascular health — Overall, the most notable discovery was that diets high in unhealthy, ultraprocessed foods (even when being plant-based) resulted in a marked increase risk of heart disease. As noted by the researchers:7

“In this nationally representative sample of U.S. adults, higher adherence to hPDI was inversely associated with elevated cTnI and higher adherence to uPDI was positively associated with elevated cTnI. This association persisted after adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle behaviors, and health status.”

Ultraprocessed Plant Diets Also Trigger Other Conditions

In a similar study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, researchers examined how plant-based diets affect cardiovascular disease risks in adults worldwide. Specifically, they explored both the protective and harmful impacts of different plant-based eating patterns, carefully distinguishing between whole-food approaches and diets high in processed plant ingredients.8

Their goal was to determine which types of plant diets genuinely reduce cardiovascular risk, and which ones increase your likelihood of developing serious heart problems like heart attacks, strokes, or coronary artery disease.

• Not all plant-based diets provide the health benefits people commonly expect — Relying heavily on refined grains, sweets, and highly processed foods significantly raised markers of cardiovascular risk linked to chronic inflammation and abnormal cholesterol profiles (dyslipidemia). Simply put, choosing processed plant-based foods over whole-foods harms your cardiovascular health.

• Processed plant diets consistently lead to higher levels of inflammation in the body — Chronic inflammation isn’t something you typically feel right away, but it silently contributes to serious cardiovascular conditions. Researchers found that people who regularly consumed processed plant foods had higher levels of inflammatory markers, such as C-reactive protein (CRP). According to the study:9

“Diets high in processed meats, dairy and other animal products have been shown to contribute to the circulation of pro inflammatory markers that promote endothelial dysfunction as well.

For example, the health professionals follow-up study demonstrated that the individuals following a traditional western diet had higher circulating levels of CRP and tissue-type plasminogen-activating antigen when compared to those following a diet higher in vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.”

• Inflammation increases your risk for heart disease — In relation to the point above, the researchers explained how inflammation eventually leads to heart attacks:10

“Chronic exposure to higher levels of circulating CRP and other inflammatory mediators can promote plaque formation and subsequently lead to worsening cardiac outcomes. Furthermore, endothelial dysfunction promotes atherosclerosis as a result of platelet aggregation, increased endothelial permeability, cytokine production and leucocyte adhesion.”

• Improvements occurred when diets shifted toward whole, minimally processed plant foods — Individuals who made this switch experienced noticeable reductions in inflammation markers and improvements in their lipid profiles, including increased high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL). The researchers went on to say that lower LDL improves your chances of surviving from stroke should it occur in the far future:11

“[A]n observational study by Sun et al. published in 201912 found that participants with lower LDL-C levels were more likely to sustain a hemorrhagic stroke.”

• Your body eventually becomes healthier — According to the review, beneficial changes in inflammation and lipid profiles were typically observed within just weeks to a few months after switching from processed to whole-food plant diets. The whole-food plant-based diet (WFPB) group lost weight faster compared to control groups. Specifically, the WFPB group lost 12.1 pounds within six months, while the control group hardly lost weight.

• The importance of the gut microbiome — Inflammation triggered by processed diets occurs because these foods disrupt your gut microbiome. Highly processed plant-based foods are often low in beneficial fiber and high in additives and sugars that damage your gut lining. That said, the researchers noted that eating a healthy plant-based diet promotes a diverse, functioning microbiome, “resulting in reduction in intestinal inflammation and improvements in nutrient absorption.”13

• Meat contributes to better cardiovascular health — While the researchers noted that healthy plant-based diets tend to fare better compared to people who ate ultraprocessed foods, those who added meat had better heart health:

“Kinjo et al. found that individuals in Japan who had a low intake of animal products were at a higher risk for mortality from hemorrhagic strokes.”14

These findings demonstrate how processed plant-based diets, despite their "plant" label, undermine your health. Carefully choosing whole, nutrient-dense plant foods will profoundly impact your heart function for the better, ultimately protecting you from serious cardiovascular events.

Plant-Based Diets Are High in Different Toxins

Digging deeper into alternative plant-based products, it turns out that many of them are made from soy (in addition to being genetically modified).15,16 Therefore, it's not surprising that they're also contaminated with the herbicide glyphosate.

• An inquiry into fake meat — To investigate potential contamination, the consumer advocacy group Moms Across America (MAA) commissioned Health Research Institute Labs (HRI Labs), an independent lab specializing in nutrient and toxin analysis in food.

The study measured the presence of glyphosate and its primary breakdown product, aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), in two popular meat substitutes — the Impossible Burger and the Beyond Burger. Results showed the Impossible Burger contained 11.3 parts per billion (ppb) of the compounds, while the Beyond Burger had 1 ppb.17

• Fake meat manufacturers strike back — Following the report’s publication, Impossible Foods responded with a public rebuttal, sharply criticizing MAA. The company dismissed the group as "an anti-GMO, anti-vaccine, anti-science, fundamentalist group that cynically peddles a toxic brew of medical misinformation and completely unregulated, untested, toxic quack 'supplements' …"18

• Toxins are abundant in fake meat products — Glyphosate contamination is just one concern when it comes to synthetic meat products. Another significant issue is the high content of omega-6 polyunsaturated fats, particularly linoleic acid (LA) — a major driver of modern chronic diseases.

Meat Substitutes Are Just Processed Food — Eat Real Plants Instead

If you’re buying veggie meat because they’re marketed as healthy alternatives, you’re doing a great disservice to your health. As noted in the published research and the investigation by MAA and HRI Labs, plant-based alternatives are high in inflammatory ingredients. In essence, all of these products are ultraprocessed foods, no matter how much they’re claimed to be good for you.

So, if you're worried about heart disease or if you’ve been following an unhealthy plant-based diet, it's time to steer your habits to a healthier direction. Here are my recommendations:

1. Switch to real vegetables — Replace packaged foods with fresh, whole vegetables. Leafy greens, carrots, sweet potatoes, broccoli, and squash are excellent choices. These nutrient-rich vegetables will give your body antioxidants and fiber to reduce inflammation and improve your gut health.

However, don’t go eating them right away if your digestive function is impaired. If you’re experiencing bloating after meals or have frequent loose stools, your gut isn’t ready for high-fiber foods. Instead, ease into them by eating whole fruits and cooked starches that digest easily without causing gastrointestinal upset.

2. Minimize LA from your diet — Stop consuming all ultraprocessed products, as they likely contain vegetable oils like corn oil, soybean oil, and sunflower oil, flooding your body with LA. Instead, start cooking meals at home with healthier fats like grass fed butter, ghee, or tallow.

In addition, beware that LA is everywhere, even in the meat you eat. Considering this, keep your LA intake below 5 grams a day to protect your health, but if you can keep it below 2 grams a day, that’s even better. To help your monitoring efforts, download the upcoming Mercola Health Coach app, which contains the Seed Oil Sleuth feature. It’ll help you calculate your LA intake to a tenth of a gram.

 

3. Incorporate collagen-rich foods — Adding collagen helps rebuild your gut lining and heals inflammation there. Start including bone broth in your daily meals. Drinking one cup of bone broth a day is a simple and effective way to begin.

As a general rule, your protein intake should be around 15% of your total daily calories. Then, one-third of that should come from collagen.

4. Add fermented foods — While collagen helps heal your gut, that’s only one part of the equation. You also need to reseed your microbiome with fermented foods, preferably ones made from natural sources. Kimchi, grass fed yogurt (homemade), natto, and sauerkraut are good choices.

Frequently Asked Questions About Ultraprocessed Plant-Based Diets

Q: Are all plant-based diets good for heart health?

A: No. While whole-food plant-based diets (rich in vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains) offer significant cardiovascular benefits, diets high in ultraprocessed plant foods — like refined grains, sweets, sugary drinks, and lab-grown meat substitutes — are associated with increased inflammation, elevated cardiac biomarkers (like cTnI), and greater risk of heart disease. Choosing quality plant foods is essential.

Q: How do ultraprocessed plant-based foods damage the body?

A: These foods often contain refined oils, additives, and sugars that disrupt the gut microbiome, promote chronic inflammation, and raise inflammatory biomarkers such as C-reactive protein (CRP). Long-term, this can lead to arterial damage, endothelial dysfunction, and atherosclerosis, which significantly raise the risk for heart attacks and strokes.

Q: What role does linoleic acid (LA) play in chronic disease?

A: Linoleic acid — an omega-6 polyunsaturated fat (PUF) commonly found in vegetable oils like soy, corn, and canola — is excessively abundant in plant-based meat substitutes. High intake of LA has been linked to metabolic dysfunction and chronic illnesses. Minimizing LA intake by avoiding ultraprocessed foods and industrial vegetable oils is crucial for better overall health.

Q: Are plant-based meat alternatives contaminated with toxins?

A: Yes. Tests found that popular meat substitutes such as the Impossible Burger and Beyond Burger contained glyphosate, a toxic herbicide. The Impossible Burger had 11.3 parts per billion of glyphosate and its metabolite AMPA, while Beyond Burger had 1 ppb. This raises concerns about the safety of these products.

Q: What dietary changes are recommended for better heart health?

A: Here are practical strategies to protect your cardiovascular function:

• Replace fake meat with whole vegetables and minimally processed plant foods.

• Limit LA intake by avoiding seed oils and ultraprocessed products.

• Add collagen-rich foods like bone broth to support gut lining repair.

• Eat homemade fermented foods (e.g., sauerkraut, kimchi, natto) to restore microbiome balance.

• Transition slowly if digestive issues are present, starting with easier-to-digest foods like cooked starches.

Sources and References

• 1 The Human League, April 25, 2023
• 2, 3, 7 American Journal of Preventive Cardiology Volume 23, September 2025, 101029
• 4 American Journal of Preventive Cardiology Volume 23, September 2025, 101029, Figure S1
• 5 Cleveland Clinic, “Troponin Test”
• 6 MedlinePlus, “Natriuretic Peptide Tests (BNP, NT-proBNP)”
• 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14 Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Feb 14;20(4):3337
• 12 Nat Med. 2019 Mar 11;25(4):569–574
• 15 Food Chemistry Volume 153, 15 June 2014, Pages 207-215
• 16 Applied Food Research Volume 2, Issue 2, December 2022, 100154
• 17 Moms Across America July 8, 2019
• 18 Impossible, The Unofficial Correction of “Moms Across America” May 18, 2019