A new study suggests that a vegan diet may lead to better heart health, gut flora and slower aging. Researchers at Stanford University examined pairs of identical twins who underwent an eight-week diet experiment.
Vegan diet or meat healthier? – Study provides clear answer
One member of each pair of twins was randomly assigned to a vegan diet, consuming only plant-based foods. The other twin was assigned an omnivorous diet that included at least one serving of fish, meat or chicken, one egg and one and a half servings of dairy products per day. Both diets were designed to be nutritionally balanced, high in vegetables, beans and whole grains, with no added sugar or other carbohydrates.
Within the first four weeks, the team led by Professor Christopher Gardner, nutrition researcher at the Stanford Prevention Research Center, saw the greatest improvements. The vegan study participants had significantly lower cholesterol levels, a 20 percent lower insulin level and lost around two kilograms more body weight than their meat-eating siblings. The study also provides evidence that plant-based eating habits are associated with healthier aging and can add years to life.
“It’s important to incorporate more plant-based foods into your diet.”
Many studies have previously attempted to determine whether a purely plant-based diet can have positive effects on health. But due to the influence of other factors, the results were often ambiguous. Such as the possibility that vegans could be more health-conscious in other ways or have a different socioeconomic background. Using twins as test subjects made it possible to nearly equalize variables such as genetics and upbringing.
But the nutritionist doesn’t want to convert anyone to veganism. “Much more important than a strict vegan diet is incorporating more plant-based foods into your diet,” says Gardner. He himself says he has been “mostly vegan” for four decades. Of the twins who abstained from animal products, 21 successfully completed the experiment. But not all of them want to stick to a vegan diet either. For example, one participant stated that she was now switching to vegetarianism.
Quelle: „Cardiometabolic Effects of Omnivorous vs Vegan Diets in Identical Twins. A Randomized Clinical Trial“ (JAMA Network Open, 2023), Stanford Medicine
By Véronique Fritsche