Not written on the buddhism aspect but mock meat is unhealthy
because it is made from gluten.
"Gluten is an amorphous ergastic protein found combined with starch
in the endosperm of some cereals, notably wheat, rye, and barley.
It constitutes about 80% of the proteins contained in wheat, and is
composed of the proteins gliadin and glutenin. "
"Gluten can be extracted from the flour of wheat and other grains
by washing out the starch. To do this, a simple dough of flour and
water is rinsed with plain water and kneaded until the rinsing
water remains clear and free from starch and bran. For chemical,
non-food purposes, a saline solution provides better results. The
remaining lump of gluten should have a stringy, sticky texture
reminiscent of chewing gum."
"Cooked gluten becomes firm to the bite and soaks up a certain
amount of the surrounding broth and its taste. It is therefore
commonly used in vegetarian cuisine, notably Buddhist cuisine and
vegan cuisine, where one variety is called seitan. Some consider it
a convincing imitation meat (particularly duck) when the broth is
flavored accordingly.
In the process of baking with yeast, gluten is responsible for
keeping the fermentation gases in the dough, allowing it to rise.
After baking, the coagulated gluten ensures that the final product
keeps its shape (although starch is also essential for structural
integrity). Recently, gluten has also been implicated as being at
least partially responsible for bread staling."
Btw, some people are allergic to gluten. Anyway gluten is not
easily diegestable and puts alot of stress on your digestive
system.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluten
