New study claims this diet can reverse your biological age in just 8 weeks
The case has never been clearer: Eat less bacon and more plants.
According to a new study, published today in BMC Medicine, switching to a vegan diet rich in vegetables for just eight weeks, may help turn back the clock on biological ageing.
The researchers – who studied 21 pairs of adult identical twins, where one twin followed a vegan diet, while the other followed an omnivorous diet – found distinct differences between the vegan and omnivorous diets.
‘The vegan diet appeared to turn back the clock on certain ageing processes within just eight weeks,’ Dr Lucia Aronica of Stanford University, one of the lead authors of the study, told The Times.
The twins following a vegan diet showed reductions in biological age estimations, as measured by a biomarker known as DNA methylation.
‘We looked at how different diets might adjust the “volume knob” of our genes through a process called DNA methylation [where molecules known as methyl groups become attached to the genetic code],’ Dr Aronica explained.
However, the study could not tell whether the epigenome changes stemmed directly from cutting out meat and dairy. Those who went vegan also lost around 2kg in weight, mainly because they consumed 200 fewer calories a day through the meals provided during the first four weeks of the study.
The vegan participants also showed improvements in markers related to inflammation and metabolic health — which are so often linked to age-related diseases. But this could also be down to the weight loss.
While the short-term benefits of a vegan diet are compelling, the study highlights the need for more research to properly look at the long-term effects of vegan diets on epigenetic health.
This is particularly important since vegan diets can sometimes lack essential nutrients typically found in animal products and are harder to come by in plants and grains (namely B12 and iron).
Either way, whether you’re a vegan or curious about the potential benefits of a plant-based diet, this study reminds us of the impact our food choices may have — not just on our everyday health, but on ageing well, too.
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