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So say scientists who argue plant-based meat alternatives simply can’t measure up in terms of nutritional components.
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Plant-based meat not nutritionally same as real stuff: Study Back to video
Duke University researchers compared 36 food samples — 18 widely known plant-based meat alternatives to 18 grass-fed ground beef options from an Idaho ranch. For each sample, the number of metabolites, small molecules that make up the nutrients in foods, were measured.
The study, published in the Scientific Reports journal, found the beef contained 22 metabolites that were not found in the plant-based substitutes. The plant-based meat, meanwhile, contained 31 metabolites that were not found in the meat. Researchers found the largest disparities were in vitamins, amino acids and types of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids found in both food products among other variables.