Mixed
Consuming plant-based meat alternatives instead of animal meat reduces dietary acid load, evidenced by lower urinary excretion of sulfate, ammonium, phosphorus, and urea nitrogen, and higher urine pH and citrate levels in healthy adults.
If you are concerned about kidney health or urinary stone risk, switching from animal meat to plant-based meat alternatives (consuming at least 2 servings daily) can help reduce the acid load on your kidneys. This shift lowers harmful urinary acids and increases protective citrate, potentially offering benefits similar to eating more vegetables, without requiring a complete change in taste preferences.
Eating plant-based meat products, compared with eating animal meat, was associated with lower urinary excretion of sulfate, ammonium, phosphorus, and UUN and higher urinary excretion of citrate.
Why this rating
Randomized crossover trial with high adherence and objective biochemical markers, though limited to healthy adults and short duration (8 weeks per phase).
Source
Urinary Response to Consuming Plant-Based Meat Alternatives in Persons with Normal Kidney Function
Catherine Ward et al. · Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology · 2024
DOI 10.2215/cjn.0000000000000532
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