SWAP-MEAT: Study With Appetizing Plant Food - Meat Eating Alternatives Trial

This study aims to investigate the impact of replacing meat consumption with plant-based meat alternative consumption on cardiovascular health, the gut microbiome, and metabolic status.

Plant-based meat alternatives that closely emulate animal protein provide a new opportunity to decrease meat consumption worldwide. Decreasing meat consumption and shifting to a plant-based diet has been linked to improvements in physical health, including decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes (Kahleova, Levin, \& Barnard, 2017). However, the extent to which plant-based meat alternatives specifically can modulate biomarkers of physical health, particularly TMAO and IGF-1, and the gut microbiome remain relatively unexplored. It is also largely unknown to what extent consumers can feasibly and sustainably exchange meat products for plant-based meat alternatives for extended periods of time. Plant-based meat alternatives offer a promising way to support consumers' shift to a plant-based diet, and in turn, to potentially improve levels of TMAO and IGF-1 and decrease cardiovascular risk. Thus, the investigators hypothesize that consumer levels of TMAO and IGF-1 will be improved after 8 weeks of consuming plant-based meat alternative products, as compared to 8 weeks of consuming traditional meat products.

Eligibility Criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:

* Age ≥18
* Meat consumption (beef, pork/sausage, chicken) on average ≥ once a day
* Willing to consume meat (beef, pork/sausage, chicken) ≥ 2 times a day

Exclusion Criteria:

* Weight \< 110 lb
* BMI ≥ 40
* LDL-C \>190 mg/dL
* Systolic blood pressure (SBP) \> 160 mmHg OR Diastolic blood pressure (DBP) \> 90 mmHg
* Use of any of the following drugs/supplements within the last 2 months:

  * systemic antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals or antiparasitics (intravenous, intramuscular, or oral);
  * corticosteroids (intravenous, intramuscular, oral, nasal or inhaled);
  * cytokines;
  * methotrexate or immunosuppressive cytotoxic agents;
* Chronic, clinically significant, or unstable (unresolved, requiring on-going changes to medical management or medication) pulmonary, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, hepatic or renal functional abnormality, as determined by medical history, Type 1 diabetes, dialysis.
* History of active cancer in the past 3 years except for squamous or basal cell carcinomas of the skin that have been medically managed by local excision.
* Unstable dietary history as defined by major changes in diet during the previous month, where the subject has eliminated or significantly increased a major food group in the diet.
* Recent history of chronic excessive alcohol consumption defined as more than five 1.5-ounce servings of 80 proof distilled spirits, five 12-ounce servings of beer or five 5-ounce servings of wine per day; or \> 14 drinks/week.
* Any confirmed or suspected condition/state of immunosuppression or immunodeficiency (primary or acquired) including HIV infection, multiple sclerosis and Graves' disease.
* Regular/frequent use of smoking or chewing tobacco, e-cigarettes, cigars or other nicotine-containing products.
* Regular use of prescription opiate pain medication