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Good news for vegans: A comparative study of identical twins found that a vegan diet can improve heart health, reduce weight and even delay the signs of aging all in just eight weeks. These results were published last Thursday (November 30) in the journal JAMA Network Open.
Researchers at Stanford University in the US analyzed 22 pairs of healthy identical twins, with an average age of 40, who were put on an eightweek diet plan. Each pair of twins was randomly assigned to either a vegan (plantbased, no meat, eggs, dairy, or other animal products) or omnivore diet that included at least one serving of fish, beef or chicken, one egg, and one and a half servings of dairy products per day.
According to the American website Business Insider, both diets were nutritionally balanced and contained plenty of vegetables, beans and whole grains, with no added sugar or other refined carbohydrates. For the first four weeks, participants received their meals via delivery service. They then began preparing their own meals and snacks under the guidance of a nutritionist.
At the end of the study, researchers found that those who followed a vegan diet had lower cholesterol and insulin levels and lost more weight than their meateating twins.
The strangest thing is that vegans were also biologically younger based on health characteristics, according to researcher Christopher Gardner, lead author of the study, quoted by the American website.
“Based on these results and in terms of longevity, most of us would benefit from a more plantbased diet,” says the scientist, adding that using twins allowed the research to take variables such as genetics and education into account.
Despite the positive results, participants who didn't eat foods of animal origin reported being dissatisfied with the vegan diet, Business Insider reveals, which could explain the additional weight loss. A followup interview revealed that not everyone chose to remain vegan after the study.
TrendsBR