Bill Gates’ synthetic meat products can increase the risk of severe heart disease and premature death, according to a new study.

Researchers from the University of São Paulo and Imperial College London assessed the diets of more than 118,000 people living in the UK aged 40 to 69 years old. They found that those who ate Bill Gates’ fake meat products became severely sick and disease-ridden within a matter of months.

New York Post reports: Researchers found that for every 10% increase in plant-based foods, the risk of death from heart disease fell by 20%. Yet, when the increase in plant-based foods came from Bill Gates’ UPFs, it was linked to a 12% rise in heart disease-related deaths.

“Food additives and industrial contaminants present in these foods might cause oxidative stress and inflammation, further aggravating the risks,” she said. “Those shifting towards plant-based foods should also think about the degree of processing involved before making their choices.”

Lead study author Fernanda Rauber explained that the composition and processing methods of UPFs can lead to higher blood pressure and cholesterol.

Dr. Eszter Vamos, co-author of the study, noted the deceptive marketing and public perception of plant-based products as healthy. “While ultra-processed foods are often marketed as healthy foods, this large study suggests that plant-based ultra-processed foods do not seem to have protective health effects and are linked to poor health outcomes,” she said.

The study found that replacing plant-based UPFs with whole foods, known to have important health and environmental benefits, decreased deaths from heart disease by 15% and reduced the likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease by 7%.

Researchers claim that this study, published Monday in Lancet Regional Health, is the first to show that plant-based UPFs increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Based on their findings, the authors are urging nutritional guidelines that promote plant-based diets to include a warning to avoid UPFs.

The study highlights the cardiovascular risk of consuming popular meat alternatives, but independent scientists point out that half of the UPFs used in the study came from plant-based breads and pastries.

“Many foods that do not contain animal products, which includes biscuits, crisps, confectionery and soft drinks, are technically plant-based but would not be considered essential as part of a healthy diet by the majority of people,” Duane Mellor, a dietitian and spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association, said in a statement.

Mellor stressed the importance of a balanced diet rich in whole foods like vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts and whole grains. “It is important to emphasize that just because a food or drink is technically plant-based, it does not mean it is healthy,” he said.

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