BTN News: What determines how long we live – our genes or what we eat? The answer is more complicated than it seems. Yet, it’s worth finding out. A team of scientists was curious too. So, they did an experiment with 21 pairs of identical twins. They wanted to see if following a vegan or omnivorous diet for a few months could make us younger than our real age. This age is called biological age. The results were surprising. They showed that it might be possible to make our bodies younger than our chronological age.
Exploring Biological Age and DNA Methylation
To find out our biological age, scientists look at DNA methylation levels. DNA methylation is a chemical change that affects how genes work. It does not change the DNA itself. This change is called an “epigenetic modification.” Previous studies have shown that more DNA methylation is linked to aging. This means DNA methylation helps determine how young and healthy our bodies stay.
The Experiment: Vegan vs. Omnivore Diet
The big question is, can what we eat change these DNA methylation levels? This question is even more interesting with identical twins who share almost all their DNA. Varun Dwaraka, Christopher Gardner, and their team wanted to find out. They studied the effects of a vegan diet compared to an omnivorous diet for a short time.
In this study, one twin from each pair ate an omnivorous diet. This diet included 170-225 grams of meat, one egg, and one and a half servings of dairy every day. The other twin followed a vegan diet for the same eight weeks. The study included 32 women, making up 77% of the participants. The average age was 40 years, and the average body mass index (BMI) was 26 kg/m².
For the first four weeks, participants ate meals prepared for them. For the next four weeks, they prepared their own meals after learning from health educators about nutrition.
Measuring the Impact of Diet on DNA Methylation
Researchers took blood samples from participants at the start, after four weeks, and after eight weeks. They measured DNA methylation levels from these samples. These levels were used to determine the biological ages of the participants and the health of their organs. The results were published in the journal BMC Medicine.
Results: Vegan Diet and Biological Age Reduction
At the end of the study, the researchers found that participants on the vegan diet had reduced their biological ages. They used “epigenetic aging clocks” to measure this. No such reduction was seen in those on the omnivorous diet. The study also found that the vegan diet improved the ages of the heart, hormones, liver, and inflammatory and metabolic systems. This improvement was not seen in participants on the omnivorous diet during the eight weeks.
Interpreting the Findings and Future Research
The researchers say it is not clear if the differences between the two diet groups were just because of what they ate. Participants on the vegan diet lost an average of two kilograms more than those on the omnivorous diet. This was because the vegan meals had fewer calories in the first four weeks.
This suggests that weight loss might have helped reduce the biological age, not just the diet itself. The researchers say more studies are needed. They need to look at how diet, weight loss, and aging are connected. They also need to study the long-term effects of a vegan diet.
Conclusion
This interesting study shows that diet might change our biological age. A vegan diet seems to help reduce biological age, but more research is needed. We need to understand the reasons and long-term benefits. Whether it is the nutrients in a vegan diet or the weight loss, it is clear that what we eat affects our health and how long we live.
