Vegans have won the latest diet war because of a head-to-head study that used identical twins to directly compare the two eating plans.
Eating a vegan diet was linked to better heart health, faster weight loss, and even slower aging after just eight weeks of research, which was published on November 30 in JAMA Network Open.
Throughout an eight-week diet experiment, 22 sets of identical twins—healthy people with an average age of forty—were monitored by researchers from Stanford University. One person in each twin pair was assigned at random to a vegan diet, which entailed consuming only plant-based foods and avoiding dairy, meat, eggs, and other animal products. The other twin in each pair was fed an omnivorous diet consisting of one egg, one and a half servings of dairy products, and at least one serving of fish, beef, or chicken each day.
Both diets aimed to minimize processed carbohydrates and added sugars and to include a well-rounded intake of healthy grains, legumes, and vegetables. A food delivery service provided complimentary meals for the first four weeks of the study; after that, participants prepared their meals and snacks under the constant supervision of a dietician.
Following the experiment, vegan diet participants lost more weight than their meat-eating counterparts and had lower insulin and cholesterol levels, according to researchers.
However according to Stanford medical professor and research senior author Christopher Gardner, “the most interesting part of the study” was that the vegans were also biologically younger based on markers linked to health.
“Based on these results and thinking about longevity, most of us would benefit from going to a more plant-based diet,” he said in a press release.
Although figuring out one’s biological age might be challenging and even controversial, medical professionals are interested in biological age and how to reverse it. As previously reported by Business Insider’s Hilary Brueck.
A plant-based diet has been linked to healthier aging and longer life expectancy, according to an additional study.
Many studies have attempted to compare the diets of omnivores and vegans; however, the results may be biassed due to a variety of reasons, such as the likelihood that vegans have different resources or are socioeconomically disadvantaged than omnivores, or that vegans are simply more health-conscious in some other way.
In a news release, Gardner said that the study’s use of twins specifically allowed for the accounting of variables like genetics and upbringing, producing important—and entertaining—data.
He added that the twins were a blast to work with and that this study offered a novel approach to proving that a vegan diet is healthier than an omnivore diet. They had a banter between them that could only be developed from spending an excessive amount of time together, and they dressed and talked alike.
It may not be required to become vegan to get healthier. According to Gardner’s press release, all but one of the vegan twins were able to stick to their diet throughout the experiment, showing that it could be a straightforward way for people to learn how to eat properly.
Sustainability is crucial for a healthy diet, according to dietitians who have previously spoken with Insider. This is because following an eating plan consistently over time is the only way to enjoy its benefits.
Nonetheless, the higher weight loss could have been accounted for by the vegan individuals’ self-reporting of lower levels of diet satisfaction. Moreover, in a follow-up interview at Stanford, one of them said that she had converted to vegetarianism; others indicated they had decided to remain vegan following the study.
Even if you don’t completely give up animal-based foods, Gardner—who claimed to have been “mostly vegan” for four decades—said that trying to eat more beans, whole grains, vegetables, and nuts may improve your long-term health.
“Eating more plant-based foods is more important than going strictly vegan,” he said in the news release.