A French study published in The Lancet Regional Health—Europe found that ultra-processed plant-based foods offer no measurable protection against heart disease, even when they contain nutritionally sound ingredients.
Researchers followed more than 63,000 adults in the cohort for a median of nine years, tracking diets and cardiovascular outcomes. Participants who consumed large amounts of unhealthy, ultra-processed plant-based foods faced a 46% higher risk of coronary heart disease and a 38% higher risk of overall heart disease. In contrast, those who ate mostly minimally processed, healthy plant-based foods had a 44% lower risk of coronary heart disease.
