One twin went vegan and the other ate meat. Here's what happened

From good.is

The experiment chose 22 pairs of genetically identical twins who were randomly assigned vegan and meat diets for a period of eight weeks 

Near the start of 2022, Stanford University researchers picked up 22 pairs of genetically identical twins from a twin research registry. They randomly distributed slips of paper to these twins that told them which diet they would follow, “vegan” or “omnivore.” This experiment was part of a research in which researchers were expecting to discover some insights into how food influences a person’s health. The results of the research, published in December 2023 in the JAMA Network Open journal, were outstanding. 

Selected participants received 21 weekly pre-packaged meals from Trifecta, an organic meal-delivery service that specializes in providing nutrient-dense, pre-prepared “deep chilled” meals designed to support weight loss and fitness goals. In the assortment of meals the participants received, the vegan meals consisted of oatmeal, tofu, broccoli, spinach, beans, lentils, and brown rice. Whereas, the omnivore meals included foods like eggs, chicken, turkey bacon, vegetables, and jasmine rice. Participants regularly logged their meals on Cronometer, an app that tracks diet and health data, per the Washington Post.

For eight weeks, the participants continued taking this diet assigned to them, while dieticians continuously called them to ask how they were doing. Participants also gave blood and stool samples and underwent physical and cognitive tests to assess how the diets affected their balance and memories. Researchers found that vegan eaters had lower cholesterol, insulin, and body weight than meat eaters.

“There was a 10% to 15% drop in LDL cholesterol, a 25% drop in insulin, and a 3% drop in body weight in just eight weeks, all by eating real food without animal products,” lead study author Christopher Gardner, a research professor of medicine at the Stanford Prevention Research Centre in Palo Alto, California told CNN.

This is not the first time a study has found that vegans are healthier than carnivores. A similar study was conducted in 2021 by the Department of Twin Research & Genetic Epidemiology at King's College in London, on a pair of genetically identical twins named Hugo and Ross Turner. The twins followed two distinctly different diets for 12 weeks, Hugo ate strictly vegan food, while Ross continued to eat meat and dairy products, reported BBC Global.

                                                                      Representative Image Source: Pexels | A Darmel

They were getting the same calories every day and doing the same gym training. Initially, Hugo’s body struggled to adjust and he felt strong cravings for meat and dairy products, but once his body adjusted to wholesome food, he felt more energetic and satiated throughout the day. Researchers found that although the vegan diet provided more satiety, the meat-eaters had an advantage over the healthy gut microbes. They also proposed that, while vegans are healthier than meat eaters, sometimes they end up eating ultra-processed foods.

As for this latest research, Gardner, who’s a vegetarian, hopes nutritionists use the findings to encourage people to eat vegan foods.

https://www.good.is/one-twin-went-vegan-and-the-other-ate-meat-heres-what-happened