Health
Vegan diet versus meat-based diet: Identical twins followed different meal plans, here's what happened
While identical twins share a significant amount of DNA, their dietary choices can lead to very different health outcomes for them.
In March 2022, 22 sets of identical adult twins participated in a randomized clinical trial in which one twin adopted a vegan (fully plant-based) diet — and the other ate an omnivorous (meat-eating) diet.
The findings, published in JAMA Network Open on Nov. 30, 2023, showed that the twins who consumed a healthy vegan diet had “significantly improved low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration, fasting insulin level and weight loss” — compared to the twins who ate diets containing meat.
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LDL (low-density lipoprotein), also known as “bad cholesterol,” should be kept low to reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease, experts agree.
The reduced fasting insulin level, which dropped by 20%, indicates the twins had less insulin resistance, which means they were less likely to develop diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
While identical twins share a significant amount of DNA, their dietary choices can lead to very different health outcomes. (iStock)
“Even when compared to a healthy omnivorous diet that includes plant foods, there can be additional health advantages to incorporating more plants in the diet, and eating less meat,” lead researcher Christopher Gardner, PhD, a professor of medicine at Stanford Medicine, told Fox News Digital.
All participants were healthy and had no history of cardiovascular disease.
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The twins adhered to their assigned diets between May and July 2022, for an eight-week period.
Both the vegan and omnivorous diets were considered healthy — “replete with vegetables, legumes, fruits and whole grains and void of sugars and refined starches,” the study article noted.
The vegan diet contained only plant-based foods, with no meat or animal products.
The omnivore diet included chicken, fish, eggs, cheese, dairy and other animal-sourced foods, the researchers noted.
Both the vegan and omnivorous diets were considered healthy — “replete with vegetables, legumes, fruits and whole grains and void of sugars and refined starches,” the study article noted. (iStock)
For the first four weeks of the study, the participants’ meals were provided by a delivery service.
For the second half of the study, the twins all cooked their own meals.
Researchers gathered weight data and blood samples for the participants at the start of the study, then at the four-week and eight-week marks.
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When evaluating the outcome at the end of the eight weeks, the Stanford researchers partnered with a Kentucky-based company called TruDiagnostic, which measures biological age based on epigenetics, the study of how someone’s environment and lifestyle affect their genes.
“Following a vegan diet in this study has been linked with better cardiovascular health, but a completely vegan diet may not be the right answer for everyone.”
“The TruDiagnostic group initially reported back to us that one of the groups had experienced a statistically significant shift that implied a decrease in biological age. Both the vegan and omnivorous diets were considered healthy — “replete with vegetables, legumes, fruits and whole grains and void of sugars and refined starches,” the study article noted, as Gardner told Fox News Digital.
“At the time, they were blinded to the study groups and didn’t know if this was for the omnivorous or the vegan group.”
Based on the study findings, the researchers recommend that people try experimenting by adding more vegetables, beans, fruits, nuts, seeds and whole grains to their diet. (iStock)
It turned out the vegan group was the one that showed the decrease in age.
“This was the most surprising finding for me,” said Gardner. “I assumed the eight-week intervention from this study would be too short to cause any meaningful changes.”
Looking ahead, he noted that further research is warranted to replicate these findings.
Dietitians weigh in
Michelle Routhenstein, a New York City-based cardiology dietitian who was not involved in the study, said there are many different factors that could explain the outcome.
“People seeking to change their diet should seek assistance from a registered dietitian to ensure they are meeting their nutrient needs and health goals.”
“The cardiometabolic advantages observed in healthy, adult identical twins adhering to a healthful plant-based vegan diet, in contrast to those on a healthful omnivorous diet, can be explained by factors such as decreased saturated fat intake, increased dietary fiber, increased antioxidant content, incorporation of beneficial fats, enhanced insulin sensitivity and potential positive effects on the gut microbiome,” she told Fox News Digital.
“These elements collectively contribute to favorable alterations in lipid profiles, insulin levels and body weight, highlighting the potential benefit of a well-structured plant-based diet in addressing cardiometabolic risk factors among healthy individuals.”
Although the vegans in the study (not pictured) also lost an average of 4.2 more pounds than the omnivores, weight loss isn’t always the most important factor when determining a diet’s success, a dietitian noted. (iStock)
The key components of healthy dietary changes are education and personalization, said Routhenstein.
“A fully vegan diet can be deficient in iron, calcium and Vitamin B12,” she told Fox News Digital.
“People seeking to change their diet should seek assistance from a registered dietitian to ensure they are meeting their nutrient needs and health goals — that is very different for a teenage male trying to gain muscle compared to a woman in her 30s trying to become pregnant,” she added.
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Someone can become a vegan and still eat cookies, sodas, french fries and other processed foods all day long, she noted — but that wouldn’t lead to healthier outcomes.
Although the vegans also lost an average of 4.2 more pounds than the omnivores, weight loss isn’t always the most important factor when determining the success of a diet, noted Tanya Freirich, a registered dietitian nutritionist in Charlotte, North Carolina, who practices as The Lupus Dietitian.
Consuming more beans, lentils, chickpeas, mushrooms, nuts and seeds — as well as fewer processed meats for protein — is a great way for anyone to get started on improving their cardiovascular health, a dietitian said. (iStock)
“For example, bodybuilders would seem to be overweight if you were just examining their weight to height because their muscle weighs so much,” Freirich, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital.
“Additionally, people can be healthy in a variety of shapes, sizes and weights.”
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“Ideally, we should look more in-depth at the type of weight lost with each diet,” Freirich said. “That is dependent on many other factors, such as exercise and the actual foods chosen in the vegan or omnivore diet, including portions and meal combinations.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the North American Meat Institute for comment on the study findings.
Study had ‘many’ limitations
As all of the study participants were generally healthy to begin with, Gardner acknowledged that the outcomes can’t be generalized to younger or older people, or to those with health issues.
The eight-week timeline was another limitation.
“Ideally, we would run studies for many months or years to better understand how sustainable these kinds of diet changes are,” he said. “The reality is, very few people are willing to volunteer to be randomized to one diet or another if the study period is going to go on for months or years.”
Gardner also emphasized that there are many different ways to follow an omnivorous or vegan diet.
Although the vegans also lost an average of 4.2 more pounds than the omnivores, weight loss isn’t always the most important factor when determining the success of a diet, a nutritionist said. (iStock)
“It is fairly easy for a nutritionist to design both a healthy and an unhealthy version of both of those diet patterns,” he told Fox News Digital.
“If others reading about the study are interested and want to try this, they may choose an unhealthy vegan diet — for example, soda is vegan, many candies are vegan and white refined flour is vegan.”
Based on the study’s findings, the researchers recommend that people try experimenting by adding more vegetables, beans, fruits, nuts, seeds and whole grains to their diet.
Across all popular diet plans, there is a “broad consensus” that focusing on more whole foods, more vegetables, less added sugars and less refined grains would lead to a “striking degree of health improvement,” said Gardner, who is vice chair of the American Heart Association Nutrition Committee.
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“My best recommendation for [those] trying to change their diet for the better is to focus less on the label of being completely vegan or omnivorous, and instead focus on how many unprocessed foods, especially plants, you can include in your diet,” said Frierich.
“Your diet needs to work for you and your lifestyle for your whole life, not only eight weeks.”
Consuming more beans, lentils, chickpeas, mushrooms, nuts and seeds — as well as fewer processed meats for protein — is a great way for anyone to get started improving their cardiovascular health, Frierich noted.
“These foods are generally lower in saturated fats and sodium and higher in fiber,” she said.
“Your diet needs to work for you and your lifestyle for your whole life, not only eight weeks,” Frierich noted.
“Following a vegan diet in this study has been linked with better cardiovascular health, but a completely vegan diet may not be the right answer for everyone.”
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Many of the American colonists’ eating habits have made a comeback in recent years. They ate minimally processed, locally sourced whole foods and regularly incorporated organ meats into their meals.
Livestock and many Old World crops had already been introduced to North America by European explorers and settlers during the centuries before the nation’s founding.
Early settlers adapted European cooking traditions using ingredients available in North America, the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress (CSPC) reported.
Indigenous peoples introduced corn to the colonists, and it became a core ingredient in many of their recipes. Beans, squash, and potatoes were among the other crops that became incorporated into colonial cooking, according to the CSPC.
“Cornmeal appeared in dishes such as hasty pudding — a thick porridge similar to polenta — and johnnycakes, simple griddle cakes that were popular from New England to the South,” History Facts reported.
Cornmeal Johnnycakes, roast pork and cream cheese are distinctly early-American foods the CSPC has recipes for on its website.
Corn became a staple of early colonists’ diets after Indigenous peoples introduced the crop to the settlers and taught them how to cultivate it. (iStock)
Regional customs and crops greatly influenced what the colonists ate. Rice and okra grew well and were plentiful in the South, where French and African influences also shaped eating habits.
Dutch, English and German immigrants largely settled in the north and established the region’s culinary traditions.
Seafood such as rockfish and crab dominated the diets of early Maryland settlers, NPR reported.
Meat was a status symbol, local food historian Joyce White told the publication. Beef was prized, and chicken was often saved for egg production.
“If it’s your pig or cow coming from your plantation, you don’t want to waste it,” White said.
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Thomas Jefferson was known for his decadent tastes and a fondness for French wine and macaroni and cheese. Records show that black-eyed peas, turnip greens and ham were also part of the Founding Father’s diet.
Salted and preserved fish and meats, including bacon, sausage, liver pudding and offal, were staples of working-class people’s diets, while the upper classes indulged in such luxuries as white flour and sugar.
Interest in these traditional foods has resurfaced in recent years as some Americans seek diets centered on whole, minimally processed ingredients.
Founding Father Thomas Jefferson was known for his continental tastes and enjoyed French wine and macaroni and cheese. (iStock)
Advocates of the Make America Healthy Again movement, for instance, have promoted organ meats, or offal, as some of the cheapest and most nutrient-dense foods people can eat.
Stews that evolved as ingredients became available were also common an America’s early days.
The amount of alcohol the colonists consumed was “staggering,” Adrian Miller, author of “The President’s Kitchen Cabinet,” told NPR.
“They were very open about how much they were drinking,” he said.
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George Washington wrote a recipe for “small beer” in a journal he kept as a young colonel in charge of the Virginia militia during the Seven Years’ War, Fox News Digital previously reported. The New York Public Library houses the journal.
“Small beer,” according to the library, derives its name from the small amount of alcohol it contains. It was quick to make, safer to drink because the brewing process helped eliminate bacteria in the water — and it was an “everyday, mainstay beverage,” the library reported.
“While the 1776 Diet has some positives — such as emphasizing whole foods, home cooking and fewer ultra-processed foods — it’s not one I’d recommend following too literally,” registered dietician Lisa R. Young, adjunct professor of nutrition at New York University, told Fox News Digital.
Working-class colonists would often save chickens for their eggs, rather than consuming their meat. (iStock)
“Colonial Americans often ate foods like salted ham, organ meats and other preserved meats out of necessity,” she said. “Today, we know it’s best to limit processed and cured meats because they’re high in sodium and saturated fat, and organ meats, while nutrient-dense, are best eaten in moderation due to their high cholesterol content.”
Focus on the healthiest aspects of the 1776 diet, Young recommended. That includes plenty of fruits and vegetables, beans, whole grains, fish and lean proteins.
“Of course, you can emulate the Founding Fathers’ diet for the week of the 250th anniversary,” she said. “What you eat for a day or a week won’t matter much in the scheme of things.”
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Some of the Founding Fathers drank a lot of ale, often in the morning, Young noted.
“We shouldn’t emulate that,” she said.
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Fireworks have been a quintessential part of Fourth of July celebrations across the nation for generations.
But as Independence Day festivities light up the night sky, the colorful displays can also pose serious health risks — especially to the lungs.
Nearly 300 million pounds of fireworks are released into the atmosphere each year in the U.S., according to the American Lung Association. This creates smoke filled with tiny particles, as well as gases like sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, which are “very harmful to our lungs.”
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The smoke from fireworks can also release harmful metals, like aluminum, manganese and cadmium, into the air.
Some illegal fireworks may contain lead, which the association describes as “extremely dangerous” due to its potential to cause lasting health damage.
Attendees watch the Independence Day fireworks display along the National Mall in Washington, D.C. (Probal Rashid/LightRocket via Getty Images)
“Inhaling any of these chemicals can irritate the lungs, making it hard to breathe and causing serious health problems, which is why it is important to avoid firework smoke whenever possible,” the group said in a public advisory.
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Air pollution levels increase by an average of 42% on the Fourth of July, according to a 2015 study.
Smoke from fireworks can worsen symptoms and cause flare-ups in those who have asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
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Fine particle pollution has also been linked to more serious health consequences, including heart attacks, stroke, lung cancer and premature death, according to the American Lung Association.
The organization warned that children, older adults and pregnant women, as well as people with lung and heart disease, are especially vulnerable.
Smoke from fireworks can worsen symptoms and cause flare-ups in those who have asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. (iStock)
Dr. Afif El-Hasan, member of the Lung Association’s board of directors, shared some advice for high-risk fireworks spectators in an interview with Fox News Digital.
Instead of using fireworks at home, El-Hasan recommends watching them from a distance.
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People with asthma who use a rescue inhaler should keep it close at hand in case fireworks trigger wheezing or other symptoms, the expert advised. Wearing a well-fitting N95 mask can also help reduce exposure to fine particles from fireworks smoke and debris.
“If you are familiar with the area and the wind patterns, try to be upwind from the fireworks display and avoid areas where smoke may accumulate,” he said.
An expert recommends watching fireworks from a distance to avoid exposure to air pollution. (iStock)
The expert also recommends attending fireworks events with friends or family, so someone is available to help if a medical emergency arises.
“Make sure you have taken all of your preventative medication before a fireworks show,” El-Hasan advised. “If possible, take a car to the fireworks display. Try to park as close as possible to the event in case you have to get to the car quickly.”
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The expert also recommends drinking water immediately after the show to clear the upper airway. Changing and washing clothes upon returning home can also help to prevent smoke particles from accumulating in the home.
If case of shortness of breath or chest pain, it’s important to seek medical care immediately.
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A study of World Trade Center responders found that PTSD is associated with molecular changes linked to accelerated biological aging and a higher risk of chronic disease.
The study, led by Stony Brook University in New York, could offer new clues to the long-term physical health effects of post-traumatic stress disorder.
The researchers tested blood samples from 393 WTC responders, collected approximately 18 years after the September 11, 2001, attacks, according to a university press release.
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Out of the sampled responders, 232 were diagnosed with PTSD and 161 were not. Between the two groups, 114 proteins and seven metabolites were significantly different.
Firefighter Gerard McGibbon, of Engine 283 in Brownsville, Brooklyn, prays after the World Trade Center buildings collapsed on September 11, 2001. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
In particular, the researchers detected changes in blood markers linked to brain function, immune activity, energy metabolism, protection against cell damage and how cells communicate and repair tissues.
Also reported were signs of accelerated biological aging in multiple organs — including the heart, kidneys, liver and lungs — among responders with PTSD.
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These discoveries could help explain why people with long-term PTSD are at greater risk for chronic conditions such as heart disease, lung disease, cognitive decline and other age-related illnesses.
“This study found that chronic PTSD is associated with long-lasting biological changes throughout the body, affecting multiple organs and biological systems decades after their traumatic exposure,” lead study author Benjamin Luft, director and principal investigator at the Stony Brook WTC Wellness Program, told Fox News Digital.
“Traumatic experiences can produce lasting biological changes that persist for decades.”
The study reinforces the view that PTSD is a “whole-body illness” rather than simply a mental health disorder, he noted.
“Traumatic experiences can produce lasting biological changes that persist for decades,” Luft said. “These changes appear to accelerate aspects of biological aging and may increase the risk of many chronic diseases.”
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Several proteins that are critical for healthy brain function were also altered in those with PTSD, the researchers found.
“Many of these proteins play critical roles in helping brain cells communicate with one another, repair damage and maintain healthy connections that support memory and thinking,” Luft said.
A New York firefighter is pictured amid the rubble of the World Trade Center following the 9/11 attacks in 2001. (Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
The study – which was funded in part by the CDC, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and the National Institutes of Health – was published in Nature Communications.
Luft said the findings should be viewed with “cautious optimism.”
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“The research provides compelling evidence that PTSD is associated with long-lasting biological changes throughout the body, including signs of accelerated aging, altered metabolism and changes in proteins involved in brain health,” he said.
“These findings strengthen the growing recognition that PTSD is not simply a mental health disorder, but a condition that can have lasting effects on physical health as well.”
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Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, was not involved in the study but called the results “fascinating.”
“This speaks to the complex reality that PTSD is not an isolated psychiatric event due to emotional trauma alone, but that it is also tied in with physical trauma,” he told Fox News Digital. “The stress is both emotional and physical, and leads directly to immune dysregulation and aging processes.”
“These findings strengthen the growing recognition that PTSD is not simply a mental health disorder, but a condition that can have lasting effects on physical health as well,” the researcher said. (iStock)
“The chronic diseases that resulted from high exposure in the aftermath of the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks were conjoined in terms of the impact on physical and emotional well-being, longevity and effects on multiple organ systems, as well as core metabolic and immunological processes,” the doctor added.
Study limitations
There were some limitations to the findings, the researchers noted.
“Because all measurements were taken at one point in time, the research can only show an association — not that PTSD directly caused the changes,” Luft noted.
“We are currently doing studies in these patients examining multiple time points to see whether the changes in specific proteins and metabolites precede clinical changes.”
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Also, because the study was done on a unique population – World Trade Center responders who experienced very specific trauma and environmental exposures – the findings may not apply to everyone with PTSD, “such as combat veterans, survivors of abuse or people who experienced other types of trauma.”
Several proteins that are critical for healthy brain function were also altered in those with PTSD, the researchers found. (iStock)
Women are not well-represented in the study, comprising only 10% of responders.
“Blood tests cannot tell us exactly what is happening inside the brain,” Luft said. “Although many of the altered proteins are related to brain function, blood measurements are only an indirect reflection of processes occurring in the brain.”
Looking ahead
Additional studies are needed to determine whether these blood markers can predict disease progression or treatment response.
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“From a public health and policy perspective, the study reinforces the importance of recognizing PTSD as a chronic medical condition with significant long-term health implications,” Luft said.
“Investing in early diagnosis, comprehensive treatment and long-term follow-up for trauma survivors, including our first responders and veterans, may improve quality of life while reducing the burden of chronic disease.”
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