Twin research indicates that vegan diet improves heart health

Research carried out by Stanford Medicine with 22 pairs of identical twins indicates that a vegan diet can improve cardiovascular health in just eight weeks.

Participants on the vegan diet had significantly lower levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), insulin and body weight – all indicators associated with improved cardiovascular health.

The identical twin study allows researchers to limit differences caused by genetics and lifestyle choices to quantify the heart benefits of a vegan diet compared to a conventional omnivorous diet.

The results were published on November 30th in JAMA Network Open.

Study with twins

The 44 participants — 22 pairs of identical twins — were selected from a university database because they were healthy, with no pre-existing cardiovascular diseases. Each of the twins adopted a vegan diet, while the other adopted an omnivorous diet, both healthy and balanced.

The vegan diet was entirely plant-based, with no meat or animal products such as eggs or milk. While the omnivorous diet included chicken, fish, eggs, cheese, dairy products and other foods of animal origin.

During the first four weeks, participants received their ready-made meals. For the past four weeks, they have prepared their own meals.

Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) level dropped more for vegans compared to omnivores at the end of the study.

Vegan participants also showed about a 20% drop in fasting insulin and They lost an average of 4.2 kilos more than omnivores.

“Based on these results and thinking about longevity, most of us would benefit from adopting a more plant-based diet,” said Christopher Gardner, one of the study’s authors.