Are vegan substitutes unhealthy?

Created on: May 7, 2026
Last edited on: May 7, 2026

Vegan substitutes are not automatically unhealthy. Health cannot be meaningfully assessed by labels such as "vegan" or "animal-based". Studies even show that plant-based alternatives can have health benefits compared to meat products.

Note: Veganism as an ethical principle against animal abuse initially has nothing to do with health, and we would live vegan even if there were no health benefits. Nevertheless, it is important to us to provide fact-based information here.

Are vegan substitutes automatically unhealthy?

No - as with all foods, the nutrient profile and composition are decisive. If one fairly evaluates vegan meat against comparable animal products, vegan alternatives often perform better in terms of health.

Example:

• Animal salami often contains high amounts of saturated fatty acids, nitrite curing salt, and no relevant fiber.
• Vegan salami is usually based on soy, wheat, or pea protein and often contains significantly less saturated fatty acids, no cholesterol, and also provides fiber.

The decisive factors are:

• Calories
• Fatty acid profile
  
• Protein content and quality 
• Salt amount 
• Actual long-term effects on disease risks

Is processed meat carcinogenic?

The International Agency for Research on Cancer of the WHO (IARC) classifies processed meat as a Group 1 carcinogen. This applies to beef and pork, but also to poultry, once it has been processed (e.g., cured or smoked). The classification into Group 1 refers to the strength of the evidence and means that regular consumption demonstrably increases the risk - especially for colorectal cancer. 

This is not just about cheap meat or poor husbandry. The data concerns processed meat generally - regardless of whether it is organic meat, premium, or conventional.

Why the debate often misses the point

Many people compare highly processed vegan products with unprocessed animal products. However, scientifically, this is not a fair comparison. To avoid drawing wrong conclusions, the question must be: What happens to health when people replace processed meat products with comparable plant-based alternatives? This question has been examined in large meta-analyses. Meta-analyses synthesize the results of several studies and are considered particularly conclusive.

What do studies say about vegan meat alternatives? 

The direct comparison with meat products is crucial. As already indicated, the health of foods is not evaluated in a vacuum, but rather in terms of what happens when one food is replaced by another. 

A recent meta-analysis specifically compares animal (red and partly white) meat and plant-based meat alternatives such as:

• Beyond Meat
• Quorn
• The Vegetarian Butcher etc.

The replacement of meat with vegan substitutes results in:

• Lower total cholesterol 
• Lower LDL cholesterol
• Slightly lower body weight

Without disadvantages in markers such as blood sugar, blood pressure, or HDL cholesterol. Particularly important: In the markers studied, there is no health superiority of animal meat. The assertion that vegan substitutes are automatically unhealthy is therefore not supported by current evidence. 

What about micronutrients?

The truth also is that the debate here becomes more nuanced. Animal products can have advantages for certain micronutrients like vitamin B12, heme iron, or choline. However, what is crucial for health is not a single nutrient - but the entire product and the overall risk associated with it over long periods. At the same time, the weight of negative factors of animal products - for example, in processed meat - is often underestimated. 

Most micronutrients can be covered by a well-planned plant-based diet. Vitamin B12 should be supplemented in a vegan diet - which is uncomplicated today.

 

Conclusion - Is meat substitute healthy or unhealthy?

A blanket answer divided by "vegan or animal-based?" falls short. When meat products are fairly compared with vegan alternatives, studies consistently show:

• No health superiority of meat
• Often advantages of plant-based alternatives
• Especially regarding cardiovascular risks 

Not all meat substitute products are healthy - just as not all animal products are unhealthy. However, the current data does not show that vegan substitutes are generally unhealthier than comparable meat products. 
Regardless of the health question, there is the ethical aspect: For vegan products, no animal ends up as a commodity in the slaughterhouse and on the shelf. 

You can find out more on WHY VEGAN, and practical guides on vegan nutrition can be found on HOW VEGAN 🤝

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