A new study has found that plant-based diets could significantly decrease epigenetic age acceleration, effectively slowing the biological aging process.
The study took 21 pairs of 39-year-old twins, with one twin from each pair consuming a healthy vegan diet and the other eating a balanced omnivorous diet. After a period of just eight weeks, the plant-based twins showed significant decreases in overall epigenetic age acceleration compared to the omnivorous participants. They also lost two kilograms more than the meat-eaters on average, due to consuming 200 fewer calories per day.
Reduced disease processes
The research found that the plant-based eaters showed reductions in key system-specific disease processes, including inflammation and the heart, liver, metabolic, and hormonal systems. The authors note that these findings align with the existing scientific literature, which shows that plant-based diets have anti-aging benefits due to their rich antioxidant content and anti-inflammatory properties.
They also cite previous studies showing that vegan diets lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, while regulating hormonal problems and improving metabolic factors in type 2 diabetes sufferers.
The vegan twins in the study consumed fewer saturated fats, more polyunsaturated fats, and more fiber than the omnivorous group, and the researchers believe that this, along with their weight loss, may have played a role in the reduced age acceleration. However, more research is needed to determine why plant-based diets appear to be so beneficial.
Experts recommend plant-based diets
Worldwide, there is increasing recognition of the health benefits of plant-based diets. So far this year, Austria, Germany, and Norway have all updated their dietary guidelines to recommend eating predominantly plant-based foods and reducing meat consumption.
In June, German nutrition society DGE revised its official position on vegan diets, declaring that they can be beneficial for health and the environment. Recent studies also emphasize the benefits of plant-based fats over animal fats, and plant nitrates over animal sources.
“When it comes to healthy, sustainable nutrition, national and international experts agree that plant-based foods should be favored,” said Anna-Lena Klapp, International Nutrition and Health Lead at ProVeg.
