When studies are carried out to understand the benefits or harms of foods for health, researchers have difficulties in identifying their isolated effects due to other factors that can influence the results, such as the genetic differences of the population studied, their lifestyle habits ( diet, exercise, sleep…) or your education, among others.
However, new research by scientists at Stanford University School of Medicine has analyzed the cardiometabolic effects of omnivorous diets versus vegan diets in identical twins, which has made it possible to control genetics and limit other aspects, since Participants grew up in the same homes and had similar lifestyles.
The findings have been published in JAMA Network Open, where the researchers explain that “the healthy vegan diet led to better cardiometabolic outcomes compared to a healthy omnivorous diet. “Physicians may consider this dietary approach as a healthy alternative for their patients.” “Not only did this study provide an innovative way to claim that a vegan diet is healthier than the conventional omnivorous diet, but it was also a great pleasure to work with the twins,” said Christopher Gardner, Rehnborg Farquhar Professor and Professor of Medicine.
Benefits of including more plant foods in the daily diet
The study was conducted between May and July 2022 and included 44 people (22 pairs of identical twins) from the Stanford Twin Registry (a database of twins who agreed to participate in research studies) who were healthy and They did not suffer from cardiovascular diseases. The researchers matched one twin from each pair on a vegan or omnivorous diet.
Both diets were healthy, rich in vegetables, legumes, fruits and whole grains and did not contain refined sugars or starches. The vegan diet was made up solely of plants and did not include meat or animal products such as eggs or milk. The omnivorous diet included chicken, fish, eggs, cheese, dairy and other foods of animal origin.
A dietitian, or “diet whisperer,” according to Gardner, was on hand to offer suggestions and answer questions about diet, and participants kept track of the foods they ate and reported their dietary intake. “Our study used a diet that is accessible to anyone, because 21 of the 22 vegans followed the diet,” Gardner points out. “This suggests that anyone who chooses a vegan diet can improve their long-term health within two months, with the greatest changes seen in the first month.”
Participants on a vegan diet had significantly lower levels of LDL cholesterol, insulin, and body weight, which are parameters associated with better cardiovascular health.
The authors observed that the greatest improvement occurred during the first four weeks of the diet change. Participants on a vegan diet had significantly lower levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, insulin, and body weight, which are parameters associated with better cardiovascular health, than participants on an omnivorous diet.
Vegan participants also experienced about a 20% reduction in fasting insulin; A higher insulin level is a risk factor for developing diabetes. In addition, they also lost weight, an average of 1.9 kilos more than the omnivores. “Based on these results and with longevity in mind, most of us would benefit from adopting a more plant-based diet,” Gardner said.
The researcher stated that “a vegan diet may confer additional benefits, such as an increase in good intestinal bacteria and the reduction of telomere loss, which delays the aging of the body,” and noted that, although it is not likely that If most people become vegan, including more plant-based foods in the diet would be an important advantage in staying healthy.
