The rise of the veggie burger
Fact: Americans eat about 50 billion beef burgers a year.
Fact: Every year, the average American eats enough red meat to make 800 quarter-pound burgers!
Fact: Red meat, such as hamburger, delivers health risks from too much carnitine, lecithin and choline, which change the bacteria in your gut to produce inflammation in your body. That can lead to an increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, cancer and brain dysfunction. A large study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that eating one additional serving a day of unprocessed red meat over the decadeslong course of the study raised the risk of mortality by 13 percent. An extra daily serving of processed red meat (bacon, hot dogs, salami) raised the risk by 20 percent.
Enter the processed, meat-imitating veggie burger. Sounds like a good idea. After all, it’s made from plants. Because some of the most popular versions are designed to imitate the taste of beef — for example, through the genetic engineering of heme (aka soy leghemoglobin), which conveys a meaty flavor — red-meat lovers might be persuaded to reduce or eliminate beef burgers from their diet.
But these processed patties have as much saturated fat and calories as an equivalent-size 85 percent lean beef burger! And we don’t know if these substitutes are just as bad for your long-term health as a beef burger. They contain coconut oil, and Dr. Mike thinks the data showing that coconut oil is an accelerator of brain inflammation and dementia is substantial. Plus, these veggie burgers are doing nothing to promote veggie love. Instead they are saying veggies are only good if they taste like red meat. Not true!
So, here are the facts about the two most popular brands of “veggies masquerading as meat” burgers:
Beyond Meat Burgers contain water, pea protein isolate, expeller-pressed canola oil, refined coconut oil, rice protein, natural flavors, cocoa butter, mung bean protein, methylcellulose, potato starch, apple extract, salt, potassium chloride, vinegar, lemon juice concentrate, sunflower lecithin, pomegranate fruit powder and beet juice extract (for color).
Four ounces delivers 250 calories, 18 total grams of fat, with 6 grams of saturated fat, 390 milligrams of sodium, only 2 grams of fiber, 20 grams of protein and 25 percnet of your recommended daily value for iron.
The Impossible Burger ingredients are water, soy protein concentrate, coconut oil, sunflower oil, natural flavors, 2 percent or less of: potato protein, methylcellulose, yeast extract, cultured dextrose, food starch modified, soy leghemoglobin, salt, soy protein isolate, mixed tocopherols (vitamin E), zinc gluconate, thiamine hydrochloride (vitamin B1), sodium ascorbate (vitamin C), niacin, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), riboflavin (vitamin B2) and vitamin B12.
One 4-ounce patty contains 240 calories, 14 grams of total fat, with 8 grams of saturated fat, 370 milligrams of sodium, 3 grams of fiber and 19 grams of protein, plus 1 grams added sugar, and weirdly 5.3 milligrams of the B vitamin thiamine — 2,350 percent of your recommended daily value (a high intake is 50 milligrams a day) — and 130 percent of B12.
Four ounces of 85 percent lean, all-beef burger contains 260 calories, 15.6 grams of total fat with 6 grams of saturated fat, 88 milligrams sodium, between 1 percent and 13 percent of daily values for many vitamins (except A and C) and minerals.
So, while you can opt for a meaty-flavored veggie burger occasionally, they may not be the healthy alternative you’re seeking. Here are some substitutes:
When eating out, opt for a veggie meal that’s upfront about what it is: A kale salad with walnuts and avocados or vegetable pasta with 100 percent whole-wheat spaghetti, garlic and olive oil (skip the cheese).
At home, why not whip up a tasty Quinoa Black Bean Burger (recipe at doctoroz.com/recipe/ quinoa-black-bean-veggieburgers) that’s loaded with protein and fiber from the beans and quinoa, plus egg whites, and seasoned with garlic, onion, tomato and extra-virgin olive oil.
And if you want some animal protein, try Dr. Mike’s favorite salmon burger, made with canned wild salmon, Dijon mustard, onions and wholewheat breadcrumbs. Get the recipe at doctoroz.com/recipe/salmonburger.
MIND your diet
Research indicates that the MIND diet, aka the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay, may help protect your brain from Alzheimer’s disease. The Mediterranean and DASH, which stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, diets each focus on eating a lot of produce, healthy oils, and fish and lean animal proteins only as side dishes. DASH also slashes sodium intake. These diets are great for heart health, which also helps protect the brain, but when combined … well, they knock it out of the park.
Rush University researchers tracked over 900 older folks and found that those who most closely followed the MIND diet reduced their risk of Alzheimer’s by 53 percent; moderate adherents reduced Alzheimer’s risk by 35 percent. So what’s the MIND diet?
Daily: 1.5 cups of 100 percent whole grains (buckwheat, quinoa); an ounce of nuts (walnuts, almonds); a salad with ½ cup of leafy greens, plus up to nine servings of other veggies and 6 ounces (maximum) of wine.
Weekly: 3 or more ounces of omega-3-rich fish like salmon (6-9 ounces is ideal); 6 ounces of skinless, white meat chicken; 1.5-2 cups of legumes/ beans; two servings of blueberries and strawberries (one serving daily is optimal). Extra-virgin olive oil for most oil needs.