Making One Diet Change For 8 Weeks Could Turn Back The Clock on Aging
A new study suggests it doesn't take long for a diet free of animal products to slow biological aging rates, with the heart, liver, and hormonal and inflammatory systems all benefitting from the temporary change.
Led by a team from the Stanford University School of Medicine, the study analyzed the rate of DNA methylation; a kind of reversible genetic modification which is often used as an indicator of how quickly the body is wearing out.
Among a group of 21 pairs of identical twins, one of each pair adhered to a vegan diet over the course of eight weeks, while their twin's diet included meat and dairy products. After that time, those on a vegan diet showed decreases in estimates of biological age.
"This study suggests that a short‑term vegan diet is associated with epigenetic age benefits and reduced calorie intake," the researchers write in their published paper.
"The use of epigenetic biomarker proxies (EBPs) highlights their potential for assessing dietary impacts and facilitating personalized nutrition strategies for healthy aging."
Comparatively less biological aging was observed in the heart and liver, as well as in tissues making up the hormonal, inflammatory, and metabolic systems, suggesting the body wasn't aging quite as quickly on the vegan diet.
The non-vegan diet included 170-225 grams of meat, one egg, and one-and-a-half servings of dairy each day.
In both groups, the participants ate prepared meals for the first four weeks, and then meals they made themselves based on nutritionist advice for the second four weeks, so both diets were considered healthy.
