Using identical twins: Study tests whether vegan or omnivorous diet is better for cardiometabolic health

In the battle of the diets, veganism is showing better cardiometabolic measures over a healthy omnivorous diet.Veganism has increased in popularity in recent years for its lower environmental impact as well as for perceived health benefits. People following these diets have higher daily intake of vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds. “Dietary patterns high in plants and low in animal foods can maximize health and environmental benefits,” said researchers writing in JAMA. At the same time, vegan diets may be low in nutrients such as vitamin B12, iron and calcium.But “most studies examining vegan diets have been epidemiologic examinations, with a few reported clinical studies,” the study said To address gaps in clinical understanding, U.S. researchers conducted an eight-week, open-label, parallel, dietary randomized clinical trial comparing the health impacts of a vegan diet to an omnivorous diet. Both diets studied included vegetables, legumes, fruits, whole grains, nuts and seeds. Identical twins were recruited to help control for genetic differences that could influence how the diets affected cardiometabolic effects. One twin in each set was assigned to a vegan diet while the other was assigned to the omnivore diet.A total of 22 pairs of twins were enrolled from March through May 5, 2022. They had a mean age of 39.6 years, 77.3% were female, and had a mean BMI of 25.9. Participants were provided with three daily diet-specific meals that were delivered to their homes for the first four weeks of the study. Then from weeks five through eight participants made their own meals and snacks with guidance from the study team. At the end of the study period, the vegan group had a mean decrease of 13.9 mg/dL in their mean LDL-C levels from baseline, compared the omnivorous diet group, the study said. “As early as four weeks, we observed a significant decrease in mean LDL-C level among vegans compared with omnivores,” the paper said. Insulin levels and weight also dropped significantly more in the vegan diet group from baseline compared to the omnivore group.“Vegan-diet participants had total lower protein intake as a percentage of calories, lower dietary satisfaction, lower intake of dietary cholesterol, but higher intake of vegetable servings and intake of dietary iron,” the researchers said. They noted that long-term vegans should be encouraged to take a vitamin B12 supplement.

Using identical twins: Study tests whether vegan or omnivorous diet is better for cardiometabolic health

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