The story at a glance
- The new study analyzed DNA methylation levels in 21 pairs of twins who followed different diets for eight weeks.
- One twin in each pair was instructed to follow an omnivorous diet (170-225 grams of meat, one egg, and 1.5 servings of dairy products daily) and the other was instructed to follow a vegan diet.
- The end result was that the vegan twins had a younger estimated biological age, or epigenetic aging clock, while the omnivorous twins saw no change.
(News Nation) — A new study finds that going vegan for just two months can reduce your biological age.
The study involved 21 pairs of twins who were put on different diets for eight weeks and their DNA methylation levels were analyzed. BMC Medicine Stanford University Twin nutrition research.
One member of each twin pair was instructed to follow an omnivorous diet (170-225 grams of meat, 1 egg, and 1.5 servings of dairy products daily) and the other was instructed to follow a vegan diet. The participants’ average age was 40 years old and their BMI was 26 kilograms per square meter.
The researchers looked at the pairs at the beginning, middle and end of the study, and the final results showed that the vegan twins had a younger estimated biological age, or epigenetic aging clock, while the omnivorous twins saw no change.
Aside from aging, the study also found that vegan participants lost about four pounds more weight than omnivorous participants, likely due to differences in the calories of the meals they were provided with in the first half of the study.
According to the researchers, weight loss may contribute to a lower biological age.
Other benefits of a vegan diet include slower aging of the heart, hormones, liver, inflammatory and metabolic systems.
