According to a study conducted by researchers at Stanford University in California, individuals who followed a vegan diet for 8 weeks experienced a reduction in their biological age and achieved weight loss. The volunteers who consumed plant-based foods saw improvements in the age of their heart, hormones, liver, and inflammatory and metabolic systems. The study revealed that participants on a vegan diet lost more than two kilograms, while those who included meat, eggs, and dairy in their diets did not experience the same changes. The weight loss among the vegan group was attributed to consuming 200 fewer calories per day in the meals provided over the first few weeks.
Instead of the food’s actual composition, experts speculate that the weight reduction may have played a role in the observed variations in biological ages between the two groups.
Some experts suggest that a vegan diet might not suit all ages, and a long-term vegan diet may lead to nutritional deficiencies. The results are based on a small study of 21 pairs of identical twins, aged 39, of whom one sibling followed an omnivore diet and the other a vegan one. The study was published in the journal BMC Medicine. At the end of the study, it was found that a decrease in biological age depends on levels of DNA methylation-a type of chemical modification of DNA that is used to estimate biological age.
Biological age
Biological ageing refers to a decrease in the functioning of tissues and cells in the body, as opposed to chronological age. Previous research highlighted that increased DNA methylation levels have a link with ageing.
Varun Dwaraka
However, Varun Dwaraka, of epigenetic testing company TruDiagnostic Inc, and Christopher Gardner of Stanford University, California, and colleagues said, it is not clear how much difference there is between the pairs that can be attributed to the differences in diet. Then there was a further need to know the relationship between diet, weight, and aging, in addition to the long-term effects of a vegan diet.
Tom Sanders
Tom Sanders, an emeritus professor of nutrition and dietetics at King’s College London who was not involved in the study, stated that although the research identified some differences in ageing among vegans, it did not take into account the fact that deficits in some vitamins and minerals might take years to manifest. He continued by saying that there is evidence to suggest that elderly adults’ health may not benefit from a vegan diet. According to Profesor Sanders, although a vegan diet may have favourable effects on health, it reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes in middle age. But the point is, it’s not the case in older vegans, who seem more likely to suffer from muscle loss, low bone density, and neurological disorders that have an important impact on their quality of life. Indeed, life expectancy does not differ for vegans compared with those who select mixed diets.
Dr Duane Mellor
Dr Duane Mellor, a dietitian and spokesman for the British Dietetic Association, mentioned that even though a vegan diet differs from an omnivorous diet in terms of calories, it is possible that a reduction in energy intake could impact and alter DNA in participants.
Dr Mellor emphasized that the vegan group was requested to eat twice as many pieces of vegetables, more fruit, and more legumes, nuts, and seeds as the omnivorous group, which perhaps could in part explain the disparities identified.
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