Mycoprotein-based meat substitution: the impact on markers of gut and cardiovascular health

Diets comprising high intakes of red and processed meat are associated with increased disease risk, including both colorectal cancer and cardiovascular disease. These associations combined with the environmental concerns surrounding meat consumption have led to recommendations to curtail meat consumption in favour of non-animal protein sources. Amongst candidate meat substitutes is mycoprotein, a fungal-based protein derived from the fungi Fusarium Venenatum. In addition to being high in protein and low in fat, mycoprotein is high in fibre, which makes for an interesting meat substitute. In the same way we have a wealth of evidence that red and processed meat is associated with disease, it is the inverse with fibre, with evidence from epidemiology and randomised controlled trials showing improvement in disease risk and disease markers when consuming more fibre. Mycoprotein-based meat substitution would therefore entail removing a dietary component with toxic potential (i.e. meat) from the equation and replacing with a compound with well characterised benefits (i.e. fibre). In this webinar, the findings of the Mycomeat study will be presented. Mycomeat was a randomised crossover-controlled trial which explored the effects of replacing red and processed meat with mycoprotein on markers of gut and cardiovascular health in healthy volunteers.

What will I gain from this webinar

• Have an understanding of the associations between red and processed meat and colorectal cancer and cardiovascular disease, as well as the putative mechanisms underpinning these associations.
• Be able to describe why mycoprotein-based meat substitution may be advantageous in both gut and cardiovascular health.
• Learn about the Mycomeat study, and the effects of mycoprotein-based meat substitution on gut genotoxicity, the gut microbiome, gut metabolome and cardiovascular markers, as well as where future research in mycoprotein and health could be directed.