When You Eat Impossible Meat Every Day, This Is What Happens To Your Body

When it comes to meat alternatives like the Impossible Meat, there's certainly no dearth of them in the market. Whether it's vegan veggie burgers made by Boca Burgers or any one of the products you can purchase at either Whole Foods or Trader Joe's, you can count on having a variety of meatless options on your grocery store shelf. Truly you can have your pick of food made from soy, beans, vegetables, and various plant proteins.

But that didn't stop one crafty entrepreneur from creating yet another offering in the already competitive meat substitute market. Specifically, Stanford University professor Dr. Patrick O. Brown set out on a mission to create a meat alternative that looks and tastes as close to meat as possible. The result was the Impossible Burger, which debuted in 2016, followed by a host of other products.

So does Impossible Meat really live up to the hype? Is it healthier than regular old beef burgers or the plethora of other plant-based patties already available? And what happens to your body if you eat Impossible Meat every day? Read on to find out!

While it may seem like there are a ton of meatless options out there, which might be overwhelming when it comes to selecting a brand, registered dietitian Amanda A. Kostro Miller says it's definitely a good thing for some folks. "Offering more plant-based options has been on the rise, and it's great for making menu items more inclusive of vegans and vegetarians," she told The List.

As for Impossible Meat in particular, Kostro Miller says there's one especially enticing highlight about it if you eat it every day. "What's great is that the Impossible Burger has 19 grams of protein per patty, which can be a significant amount of protein for someone who does not eat meat," she continued. Even if you do eat meat, that's a significant amount of protein, which can help you meet your nutritional goals.

Of course, burgers and other foods that contain meat also have plenty of protein, but Impossible Meat is something that most everyone can enjoy together, no matter the diets they follow.

Our digestive systems are extremely complex and frankly quite marvelous mechanisms that allow us to absorb the nutrients that we need from foods and discard the rest. The good news for folks who eat Impossible Meat every day is that it can help keep things running smoothly along that tract, and that's good news. "Your gastrointestinal system may improve in terms of bowel regularity," registered dietitian nutritionist Torie Silverstone shared with The List. "This is because Impossible Meat contains about three grams of fiber per four ounce serving as compared to no fiber in animal meat." That's another point for Impossible Meat over beef, pork, and poultry.

Helping to keep you regular isn't the only thing that Impossible Meat can do for your digestive system, either, says Silverstone. "Also, the soy protein in Impossible Meat may support the development of positive gastrointestinal bacteria," she continued. Given how important those bacteria are for a healthy tract (via Harvard Medical School), that's a significant benefit.

Iron is an important part of anyone's diet, according to Medical News Today. It plays a vital role in several of the body's processes, including the manufacture of hemoglobin, the regulation of your temperature, and your immune system. It also helps to balance your energy levels, which explains why you may feel tired if you're iron deficient.

The good news for people who eat Impossible Meat every day is that it's chock full of this important mineral, as noted by registered dietitian Amanda A. Kostro Miller. "The Impossible Burger has 25 percent of the daily recommended intake of iron, which is helpful for vegetarians and vegans," she explained to The List.

Iron is especially essential when you're pregnant, as your red blood cell function kicks into high gear in order to support the growing fetus. So when those food cravings hit you, a meal with Impossible Meat may be a nutritionally smart menu choice for both you and baby.

One thing that the scientists behind Impossible Meat did very well is fortify it with essential nutrients. And though the product can be consumed by almost everyone every day, one particular vitamin can help certain groups of people, says registered dietitian Rachel Berman. "B12 is an important vitamin that assists with red blood cell formation and nerve function," she told The List. "Many vegans and some vegetarians may not be getting enough B12 since it is only found in animal products." Those animal products include poultry, eggs, fish, and meat, none of which you'll find on the menu at a vegan restaurant.

So rich in vitamin B12 is Impossible Meat that one serving can deliver a hefty dose of this important nutrient, as noted by Berman. "The Impossible Burger fortifies with this nutrient to 130 percent of Daily Recommended Value which may help prevent deficiencies for people who don't eat meat or other animal proteins," she added. That's one more supplement you don't have to worry about if you eat Impossible Meat every day.

Are you committed to your gym regimen no matter what? Do you never miss that early morning jog no matter what day of the week it is? If so, kudos to you! And if you happen to eat Impossible Meat every day, that just might be doing you a fitness-related favor. "You will get stronger because those that traditionally follow a plant-based diet with low levels of complete protein may not be taking in adequate amounts of essential amino acids necessary for muscle building," registered dietitian Trista Best revealed to The List. That can also be an issue for vegetarians and any other folks who just don't get enough protein on the reg.

The reason Impossible Meat can make you stronger is due to the protein it contains, says Best, as it contains the building blocks essential for muscle development. "Impossible Burgers, and many plant-based meats, are made with soy, a complete plant based protein that contains all nine essential amino acids," she shared.

Some folks become vegetarian or vegan because they care about the environment and the well-being of animals. Others simply might not like the taste of meat, so eschewing animal proteins isn't too difficult.

If you're in the former category and you find yourself missing the thrill of chowing down a big juicy burger, perhaps you find solace doing the same to an Impossible Burger every day. That can certainly help satisfy your craving for beef, says registered dietitian Amanda A. Kostro Miller. "Out of many plant-based burgers, the Impossible patty looks very similar in color/texture and tastes very much like a beef burger," she explained to The List. "Many veggie patties resemble that of a chicken patty, but the Impossible is perhaps one of the closest patties to substitute a beef burger."

Kostro Miller especially enjoys the plant-based burger option available at Burger King. "As a vegetarian myself, the one meat item that I always really crave is a good burger, and the Impossible Whopper can satisfy a vegetarian's craving," she added. Talk about an endorsement for Impossible Meat!

Thinking about switching to a vegan diet? Here's what happens to your body when you go vegan.

Have you ever had the experience of impulsively buying a sweet treat that you loved in your youth only to discover that it's not nearly as delicious as you remember? That's likely because your palate has gotten more refined, according to Bon Appétit, and you no longer like the taste of super sweet foods. That also could be why you love asparagus and Brussels sprouts as an adult, but loathed them in childhood.

Ditching animal proteins to eat Impossible Meat every day may have a similar effect, as noted by registered dietitian nutritionist Torie Silverstone. "Impossible meat has artificial additives that may change your taste buds positively or negatively," she shared with The List. "It is possible your palate will change by growing accustomed to highly seasoned, processed, plant-based meat that tastes different than regular meat." 

That effect can go either way, says Silverstone, which could make or break your commitment to a plant-based diet. "You may miss real meat or you may like impossible meat," she continued.

You may be tempted to assume that veggie burgers are healthy because they're made from vegetables or other plant-based materials. But that's actually a misconception, as not all veggie burgers are created equal, including the Impossible Burger. "If you're thinking about eating veggie burgers in order to eat healthy, think again," registered dietitian Amanda A. Kostro Miller told The List. "Veggie burgers, just like regular meat burgers, should be used as the occasional treat and do not replace consumption of fresh/roasted/steamed veggies in your daily meals." That's especially the case when you factor in the added calories from the bun, cheese, and high-calorie condiments like mayonnaise.

However, that doesn't mean veggie burgers like those made with Impossible Meat can't help you achieve other dietary goals, says Kostro Miller. "However, if you want to eat less meat, veggie burgers are a great option," she added. So your mileage may vary, depending on what your motivations are.

In addition to not being the most sensible thing you can eat for dinner every day, Impossible Meat doesn't exactly have a short list of ingredients. As it turns out there's a reason for that, as noted by registered dietitian Amanda A. Kostro Miller. "In any plant-based meat, you may see ingredients that are added in for stability, texture, flavoring or coloring," she explained to The List.

Without all of those ingredients, the product wouldn't taste very good or have good structural integrity, something that comes naturally to its animal-derived counterparts. "Unlike a regular beef burger (which can sometimes be just the beef), plant-based burgers need to have a lot of ingredients/additives in order to give the patty a burger-like look, mouthfeel and flavor profile," Kostro Miller said.

It's not that there's anything inherently unsafe about the ingredients in Impossible Meat, which have all been deemed safe by the FDA, according to Reuters. Some folks just prefer to eat foods with as few additives as possible.

Are you looking to lose weight like nearly half of all Americans are, according to WebMD? As it turns out, if you eat Impossible Meat every day, it might not be the best way to lose some pounds. "You may gain weight because there is a chance you will eat larger portions of Impossible Meat, as compared to regular meat, due to the perceived health benefits of plant-based meat," registered dietitian nutritionist Torie Silverstone explained to The List. She added that one four-ounce serving of Impossible Meat may have less calories than higher-fat ground beef, but it has more calories than leaner ground beef.

There's another reason you may start putting on the pounds if you nosh on Impossible Burgers daily, says Silverstone. "Weight gain may also happen because of decreased satisfaction from eating Impossible Meat as compared to animal meat," she continued. "That may lead to consuming larger portions."

That said, if you consume Impossible Meat in moderation as part of a balanced diet, you may be safe from any weight gain. 

According to Harvard Medical School, it's not good to eat red meat every day; that's because high consumption of the protein has been associated with a higher risk of diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and premature death. Perhaps that's part of the reason there's been such an interest in plant-based alternatives.

To that end, if you switch from eating beef burgers every day to Impossible Burgers every day, it stands to reason that your risk of cancer will decrease. However, registered dietitian Emily Gelsomin suggests that there may be better options out there for health-conscious consumers. "If a lower risk of diseases like cancer and heart disease is your ultimate goal, aim for the kind of veggie burgers that showcase their beans, grains, and seeds front and center," she penned in an article for Harvard Medical School. "Choose legume-based varieties studded with seeds and whole grains, like brown rice and quinoa."

Gelsomin added that the soy in Impossible Meat has been linked to decreased cancer risk, but there are far more of the cancer-fighting agents in a block of tofu or a cup of soy milk.

One of the super nice things about Impossible Meat is that it really does taste a lot like beef, as opposed to most other plant-based meat options. But unfortunately, some of the ingredients used to create that taste and texture aren't exactly the best for you, as noted by registered dietitian Jill Trotman. "Choosing Impossible Meat every day means you will be taking in a higher-sodium processed food daily," she shared with The List. "A four-ounce Impossible patty contains 370 milligrams of sodium (16 percent of the daily value)."

Given that sodium can raise your blood pressure, registered dietitian nutritionist Torie Silverstone doesn't recommend eating Impossible Meat every day if you're concerned about your numbers. "A low sodium diet may be indicated to treat high blood pressure and Impossible Meat is not considered a low sodium food," she told The List.

To that end, perhaps you could enjoy Impossible Meat in moderation, as opposed to chowing down on it every day.

One not-so-great aspect of the Impossible Burger has to do with its fat content, which is mostly derived from coconuts. While some fat is super healthy for you — such as the kind found in salmon, walnuts, and avocados (via Medical News Today) — that's not the case with Impossible Meat, says Megan Wong, a registered dietitian. "Your cholesterol levels may not improve because each four-ounce serving of Impossible Meat, Pork, or Sausage has seven to eight grams of saturated fat," she revealed to The List. "That's 35 to 40 percent of the daily recommended amount." Wong added that eating a diet that's high in saturated fat every day raises your bad cholesterol, which then increases your risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

To that end, registered dietitian nutritionist Torie Silverstone says some other options may be a better choice than eating an Impossible Burger. "Actually, there is more saturated fat in Impossible Meat than an equivalent size serving of lean ground beef," she explained to The List. So just because the fat comes from coconut doesn't mean it's necessarily good for you, according to Harvard Medical School.

It's quite clear that there are distinct advantages and disadvantages that come with the decision to eat Impossible Meat every day. But whether you're all for the Impossible Burger or you simply aren't that into it, there are some folks who shouldn't eat it at all. "The Impossible Burger has soy protein," registered dietitian Amanda A. Kostro Miller told The List. "So if you have a food allergy, make sure you always look at the ingredients list to avoid your food allergens." This is especially important for kids, who are more prone to having a soy allergy, according to the Mayo Clinic.

You should also avoid eating Impossible Meat if you have a coconut allergy, as it contains a significant amount of coconut oil. Although coconut allergies are less common than soy allergies, as noted by Healthline, some people do have them.