Study reveals that adopting a vegan diet for 8 weeks could lead to reductions in biological age estimations based on DNA methylation levels.
Eating a vegan diet for eight weeks is linked to reductions in biological age estimations based on DNA methylation levels.
A small study involving twins found that participants who followed a vegan diet experienced decreases in biological age compared to those who followed an omnivorous diet.
Participants who ate a vegan diet lost more weight on average, potentially contributing to the differences in epigenetic age between the two groups.
The study highlights the need for further research to explore the relationship between dietary composition, weight, and aging, as well as the long-term effects of vegan diets.
The findings suggest that short-term dietary changes, such as adopting a vegan diet, may have positive impacts on biological aging.
A small study involving 21 pairs of adult identical twins found that following a vegan diet for eight weeks led to reductions in biological age estimations based on DNA methylation levels. The study involved one twin in each pair following an omnivorous diet and the other twin following a vegan diet for the duration of the study. Blood samples were collected at baseline, week four, and week eight to analyze DNA methylation levels and estimate biological ages. At the end of the study, participants who followed the vegan diet showed decreases in biological age estimates and improvements in the ages of various organ systems compared to those who followed an omnivorous diet.
The authors caution that the observed differences in biological age estimations between the two groups may be attributed to weight loss variations, as participants following the vegan diet lost more weight on average due to differences in the calorie contents of meals provided during the study. Further research is needed to explore the relationship between dietary composition, weight, and aging, as well as the long-term effects of vegan diets on biological age and overall health. The study highlights the potential benefits of short-term dietary changes, such as switching to a vegan diet, on biological age and organ health.
