A vegan diet helps you stay younger: here’s the study
A recent scientific study published in Bmc Medicine (https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-024-03513-w) suggests that following a vegan diet has positive effects on reducing the age of the heart, hormones, liver, and inflammatory and metabolic systems.
In other words, following a vegan diet could help you stay younger, with an interesting anti-aging effect. The study compared, for 8 weeks, a group of twins following an omnivorous diet, consuming 170-225 grams of meat daily, one egg, and half a portion of dairy products, with another group of twins, each from the same pair, following a vegan diet. The study sample was made up of 77% women, with 32 participants, and the average age was 40 years.
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We also add that from a nutritional point of view, a vegan diet can be just as good and varied as an omnivorous diet: the opposition between the vegan and omnivorous perspectives is wrong, as evidenced by the growing number of “flexitarians,” who, while eating a vegetarian diet, occasionally eat meat. The term “flexitarian” comes from the combination of two words, "flexible" and "vegetarian."
Returning to our study, let’s summarize it:
Methods: The researchers examined how a vegan or healthy omnivorous diet influences DNA methylation in the blood of twins over 8 weeks. They analyzed several indicators of epigenetic age, such as PC GrimAge, PC PhenoAge, and DunedinPACE, as well as the effects on various body systems, including inflammation, heart, hormones, liver, and metabolism. Clinical, metabolic, and protein markers were also examined to observe specific changes due to the diet.
Results: The vegan group showed a significant reduction in epigenetic aging, confirming the anti-aging effects of a plant-based diet. Specific changes related to the diet emerged in the analysis of methylation markers, showing that diet can influence the prediction of complex traits through these DNA markers. A deeper analysis revealed differences in methylation loci specific to each diet, providing clues about the biological pathways involved.
Conclusions: The study suggests that a short-term vegan diet is associated with epigenetic benefits related to age and a reduction in caloric intake. The researchers also observed that those following a vegan diet had lost an average of two more kilograms than those following an omnivorous diet in the first four weeks of the study. These weight changes may have contributed to the differences observed in epigenetic age between the two groups. The scientists emphasize that further research is needed to better understand the relationship between diet, weight, and aging, as well as the long-term effects of vegan diets.
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WARNING: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. For diagnoses, treatments, or personalized consultations, please consult a doctor or a qualified healthcare professional.