Acute effects of a reformulated plant-based meat alternative compared to beef within a high-fat meal on inflammatory and metabolic factors: a randomized crossover trial

Plant-based meat alternative (PBMA) consumption has increased amid significant reformulation efforts. Although reformulated PBMAs have characteristics that could provide cardiometabolic benefits over animal proteins (e.g., higher fiber, certain phytochemicals/micronutrients), their acute health effects remain unclear. Moreover, whether baseline adiposity (i.e., normal weight or overweight/obesity) affects the response to PBMA intake is unknown. We conducted a randomized crossover study where healthy participants (N = 30) with a normal body mass index (BMI; 18.5-24.9 kg/m²; <i>n</i> = 15) or overweight/obese BMI (>25.0 kg/m²; <i>n</i> = 15) consumed two high-fat meals on separate occasions containing a reformulated PBMA (Beyond Meat Cookout Classic^TM) or similar beef product (80% lean ground beef). Meals were matched for energy (950 kcal) and macronutrient matched (71 g fat/31-35 g carbohydrate/41-42 g protein). At each trial, an intravenous catheter was inserted and biomarkers of inflammation (i.e., interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α), intestinal permeability (i.e., lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP), soluble CD14 (sCD14), LBP:sCD14 ratio), and metabolic factors (triglycerides, HDL-C, glucose) were measured at baseline and hourly for 4 hours post-meal. Paired <i>t</i> tests and two-way mixed model ANOVAs were used to examine within-meal-condition changes and differences in incremental area under the curve (iAUC) across meal and BMI conditions, respectively. Regardless of protein source, high-fat meals increased IL-6, TNF-α, LBP, sCD14, LBP:sCD14, and triglycerides and decreased HDL-C (<i>p</i> ≤ 0.01). In BMI subgroup analyses, an interaction effect for IL-6 iAUC was observed (<i>p</i>_MealxBMI< 0.05), but post hoc analyses were not significant (<i>p</i> ≥ 0.07). Overall, inclusion of a reformulated PBMA within a high-fat meal resulted in a similar cardiometabolic response to a nearly identical meal containing animal protein (ClinicalTrials.gov:NCT06445296).