Nutrition is the Key to Health Podcast
According to ForksOverKnives.com, there was a groundbreaking randomized clinical trial, that Stanford University just completed. The findings were published in JAMA Network Open on November 30, 2023.
Research Scientists took 22 pair of adult healthy identical twins (which inherently possess the same DNA) and put one on a vegan diet (plant-based only), and one on an omnivore diet ( a diet that included meat, eggs, dairy and fish) for 12-weeks.
You can find the article in the link below-
The outcomes were such, that the study was picked up by Netflix, and a docu-series will be airing covering this groundbreaking research on January 1, 2024, called, You Are What You Eat, A Twin Experiment Here, and the trailer can be found at the following link, You Are What You Eat Trailer
According to Forks Over Knives (FOK),
“With the help of identical twins, a team of researchers at Stanford Medicine have uncovered some of the most compelling evidence yet that a vegan diet can significantly improve heart health in as little as two months.”
For the study, they took baseline blood tests and recorded their initial weight of each participant. Researchers then placed one twin on a vegan diet, while the other ate a diet that included meats, eggs, dairy and fish. At the halfway mark, they again took more blood and body weight. They switched the participants. So, those that the one on the vegan diet, was now on the omnivore diet and vice versa. At the end of the trial period, more blood and body weights were taken from each participant.
“The researchers ensured that both diets were as healthful as possible, with both the vegan and omnivore diets containing ample vegetables, beans, fruits, and whole grains and minimal sugar and refined starches. The omnivorous diet additionally included chicken, fish, eggs, cheese, and dairy. For the first four weeks, breakfasts, lunches, and dinners were provided via a meal-delivery service seven days a week for all participants. For the final eight weeks of the study, they prepared their own meals.”
Results
“The findings suggested that a healthy plant-based diet offers a significant protective cardio metabolic advantage compared with a healthy omnivorous diet.”
Specifically, the researchers found, “that, at the halfway point, the twins eating vegan had already seen significant improvements in their cardiometabolic health, with lower LDL cholesterol, insulin, and body weight. By the completion of the study, the vegan group had reduced their LDL by around 14% and their fasting insulin levels by 20%. They’d also lost, on average, 4.2 pounds more than the omnivorous group.”
This is definitely food for thought as we head into the new year!
Alicia