Is plant-based meat actually better for you? - Carolyn Beans

譯者: Ng Kai Yuan 審譯者: 穎君 紀

In 2021, a survey of over 1,000 Americans found that nearly two-thirds

2021 年，一項超過一千位美國人 參與的問卷調查發現，

將近三分之二的人去年 已食用植物性肉類替代品。

had eaten plant-based meat alternatives in the past year.

Many cited potential health and environmental benefits

許多人說他們食用的原因是 植物肉對健康和環境都有好處。

as their motivation.

But are these alternative meats actually better for us and the planet?

但這些肉類替代品對 我們和地球真的比較好嗎？

First, let’s introduce the contenders.

首先，來介紹我們的選手—

Meat from butchered animals, which we’ll call farmed meat,

屠殺動物來的肉，我們叫它飼養肉，

is a complex structure of muscle fibers, connective tissues, and fat.

結構非常複雜，由肌肉組纖、 結締組織和脂肪組合而成。

You may recognize meat from its role in the human diet,

人類在剛誕生的時代

stretching back to our species’ very beginnings.

就已經開始吃飼養肉了。

Our next challenger, the plant-based meat alternative,

下一位挑戰者， 植物性肉類替代品—

may look and taste like meat,

外觀、味道都跟真肉沒兩樣，

but it’s built with proteins, carbohydrates, fats,

實則由各類植物性蛋白質， 碳水化合物，脂肪，

and other molecules from plants.

和來自植物的分子組合而成。

Transforming plant molecules into something that resembles meat

把植物分子轉變為類似肉的東西很費功夫。

takes effort.

Meat’s fibrous texture is created by long rod-like proteins.

肉的纖維結構由長棒狀蛋白質組成，

To replicate this structure,

所以，為了複製這個結構，

a plant’s ball-shaped proteins can be pushed through an extruder device

植物的球狀蛋白質須經過擠壓機推擠，

which forces them to unwind and join into long filaments.

才能被壓鬆延展，拉成長條線狀物。

To mimic animal fat, companies mix in fats and oils extracted from plants.

許多廠商從植物中提煉出脂肪和油 加進植物肉，以模仿動物脂肪。

One popular brand adds a beet juice pigment

有一家知名品牌添加了甜菜汁色素，

that changes the patty’s color as it cooks.

讓肉餅在烹飪過程中會變色。

Another adds an iron-containing molecule called heme,

另一間公司添加名叫血紅素的含鐵分子，

which their team says is key to its meaty flavor.

表示這是讓植物肉嘗起來像肉的關鍵。

The resulting products come in many forms.

這些公司的成品以各種形式登場。

Finally, our last entrant: lab-grown meat.

現在終於來到我們 最後一位參賽者：培養肉。

Also known as cell-based meat and cultured meat,

培養肉又稱細胞基體肉或培植肉，

these products begin as animal stem cells

它最初是動物的幹細胞，

that researchers coax to multiply and form into muscle.

經由研究人員培養 使其分裂增殖，形成肌肉。

It’s worth noting that lab-grown meats are largely still in development,

值得一提的是培養肉的培養技術 大多還在開發階段，

so the exact process may change when they’re produced

所以培養肉步入量產階段時

具體製造流程可能會改變。

at greater commercial scale.

So which meat or lookalike is best for your health?

那，哪種肉或替代肉 最有益健康呢？

Farmed meat is a vital source of protein and nutrients for many people.

對大多數人而言，飼養肉是 主要的蛋白質和養分來源，

But researchers have also found links between diets

但是研究人員還發現

大量食用紅色肉類和加工肉製品，

high in red and processed meats

and health concerns like type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

將提高罹患第 2 型糖尿病和 心臟病等疾病的風險。

One 2012 study concluded that swapping red meat

一項 2012 的研究指出， 一天把一餐裡的紅色肉類

for other options like chicken, nuts, or legumes for one meal a day

替換成雞肉，堅果類或豆類，

can potentially reduce mortality risk by 7 to 19%.

可能將死亡風險降低 7% 到 19% 。

There is not enough data to know whether replacing red meat

沒有足夠的數據能夠證實

把紅肉換成植物肉可達到同樣的效果。

with a plant-based patty would have the same effect.

Plant-based meats, while containing just as much protein, calories, and iron

植物性肉類雖然和飼養肉包含 一樣多的蛋白質、卡路里和鐵質，

as farmed meat,

are highly processed and, therefore, high in sodium.

但因經過高度加工，因此含鈉量多，

And many contain coconut oil, which has a lot of saturated fat,

許多植物肉內含椰子油， 其中含有不少飽和脂肪，

and, like red meat, may elevate heart disease risk.

和紅肉一樣，可能提高心臟疾病風險。

Lab-grown meat, meanwhile,

培養肉提供的營養和帶來的健康風險

has the potential to offer the same nutritional qualities and health risks

可能跟飼養肉沒什麼不同，

as farmed meat.

But we won’t know for sure until product development is further along.

但是直到產品開發更進一步前 我們都不太確定。

So which contender is better for the environment?

所以哪位選手對環境比較有友善？

Animal agriculture generates an estimated 14.5%

動物農業排出的溫室氣體約佔人為產出

of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions.

溫室氣體的 14.5% 。

Researchers estimate that producing plant-based meat substitutes

研究人員預估生產植物性肉類替代品

results in, on average, around 90% less greenhouse gas emissions

比起生產等量天然牛肉時， 減少 90% 的溫室氣體排放。

than an equivalent amount of beef,

63% less than pork, and 51% less than poultry.

與天然豬肉相比，約減少 63% ， 與天然雞肉相比，約減少 51% 。

Plant-based meat alternatives also tend to require far less land and water

生產植物性肉類所需的土地 和用水量遠遠少於飼養肉，

than farmed meat.

And their production results in much lower levels of pollutants running off farms

且生產時，排放到農田和下水道 的污染物也減少許多，

and entering waterways—

which threaten both the environment and public health.

這些污染物會威脅環境和公衆的衛生。

As for lab-grown meat,

至於培養肉，

today the industry largely takes its stem cells

現今的工厰獲得的幹細胞大部分

from the muscle tissue of livestock.

都是從牲畜的肌肉組織提取。

But how many animals will be required for these biopsies

但是一旦生產規模擴大，將會需要

once production scales up?

多少動物活體部位？

It also isn’t clear to what degree alternative meats

我們也還不清楚肉類替代品

will reduce the environmental impact of the farmed meats industry.

未來能減緩多少飼養肉產業 對環境所帶來的衝擊。

What if, instead of replacing meat with alternatives,

如果不徹底汰換掉飼養肉，

people continue to consume the same amount of farmed meat

人們繼續享用和之前一樣多的飼養肉，

while also eating newer options?

同時食用新興肉類替代品會怎樣？

While the verdict is still out on which meat is nutritionally superior,

雖然還不確定哪種肉類比較營養，

if you care about your personal impact on animal welfare,

但如果你在意自己對動物福祉、

public health, and the environment,

公共衛生和生活環境的影響力，

plant-based meat tends to come out on top.

那植物肉會是你的首選。

And switching to meat alternatives doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing decision.

改吃肉類替代品也不是非此即彼的選擇。

In fact, a 2022 study estimated that forgoing red meat at just one meal a day

其實，一項 2022 年的研究估計 一天只要少吃一餐紅肉

can decrease your personal dietary carbon emissions by as much as 48%.

就可減少 48% 的個人飲食碳排。