If you’re looking for the key to a long and healthy life, you might want to stop reading books with fancy “How To…” titles or streaming documentaries on why you should eat less red meat, or talking with friends about trendy diets. Instead, a remarkable study done with identical adult twins clearly shows that turning to plants for all your nutritional needs can help you live longer.
The study evaluated how different eating patterns affect health. Here’s why using identical twins is an ideal way to test nutrition. Despite tiny individual mutations that can occur before birth, identical twins are considered genetically equivalent. According to a news report about this study, by using twins “the researchers were able to control for genetics and limit the other factors, since the twins were raised in the same environment and shared comparable lifestyles, assigning each twin in a pair to follow different diets allowed researchers to accurately assess and compare the effects of each diet. In short, it was as close to a perfect apples-to-apples test as science could design.
For this study, 22 sets of identical twins participated. A team of scientists (mostly out of Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA) explored the impact of either a vegan diet (no animal products) or a healthy omnivorous diet (both animal and plant-based foods) over a two-month period. It’s rather amazing that the health impact of what we eat becomes evident in such a short amount of time!
For the first 4 weeks, participants had it easy because their meals were prepared offsite and delivered to their homes; for the last 4 weeks, they made their own diet-appropriate meals and snacks. Before and after the study, each participant had labwork done to measure their LDL cholesterol (the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol that’s considered the “bad” cholesterol), their fasting insulin level, and their weight. Did one diet prove healthier than the other? The findings were shared in a November 2023 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Can you guess what the researchers found?
In only 2 months, those who ate the vegan diet had significantly reduced LDL cholesterol, fasting insulin levels, and lower weight. This means that their diets had made them less likely to develop conditions like heart disease and diabetes. In other words, if they kept up their vegan eating habits and their counterpart continued to follow an omnivorous diet, the vegans were likely to outlive their twin—and to enjoy the benefits of a better quality of life as they age.
If you’re wondering what vegan diets consist of, they mean all the food you eat comes from plants (veggies, fruits, nuts, grains). Strict vegans follow diets that exclude all animal-sourced products, including meat, eggs, and dairy—sorry, butter lovers, you’ll have to find plant-sourced alternatives. Not just this study, but a growing body of scientific evidence tells us that the key to a long and healthy life lies as close as your local grocery store: avoid the meat/fish and dairy departments in favor of the produce department and shelved foods prepared from plant-based diets.
Keep the twin’s study in mind the next time you plan your menus and shop to stock up your refrigerator and pantry. It’s a powerful testimonial for the benefits of converting to plant-based diets if you’re not already a vegan. On the other hand, if switching all at once sounds too impractical or unappealing, consider a plant-forward transition. Begin cutting down on meat and dairy, and ramping up your consumption of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and vegetable oil for cooking.
One last point: if you are considering overhauling your nutrition, it’s wise to confer with your primary care physician who has access to your medical history and lab reports. He/she may have some advice as to how dietary change will affect you, and what personal results it will have for you. No matter what, the twin’s study is an inspiring model for how a two-month investment can add years to your natural life—and encouragement to turn to plants as the best way to support your longevity.
Disclaimer: This information is meant to be informative only and should not be used in place of expert medical advice. If you have any health concerns, please speak to your doctor or healthcare provider.
