Could an 8-week vegan diet help turn back the clock?

• Vegan, plant-based diets are rich in fiber, antioxidants, and plant compounds that support gut health, reduce inflammation, and promote healthy metabolic processes.
• A recent study in identical twins suggests that following a healthy vegan diet for even a short period may reduce biological age estimates.
• While a vegan diet may benefit the body’s biological clock in the short term, experts still recommend balanced approaches, such as the Mediterranean diet, for long-term health.

A recent study compared the effects of an eight-week vegan diet versus an omnivorous diet on biological age estimations, which gauge overall health and the risk of age-related diseases like heart disease and Alzheimer’s.

Researchers estimated biological age by measuring DNA methylation levels— epigenetic (chemical) changes that influence gene expression without altering DNA.

Earlier studies have linked higher DNA methylation levels to aging.

The diet intervention trial, which involved 21 pairs of identical twins, suggests that adopting a vegan diet may significantly lower biological age estimates in a relatively short timeframe.

These results are consistent with previous evidence indicating that plant-based diets could offer anti-aging benefits. However, the study’s lead authors, along with external experts, urge caution in interpreting these findings due to the small sample size and limited duration.

Published in BMC Medicineand featured in Netflix’s docuseries “You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment” (2024), the findings encourage a deeper exploration of how diet and lifestyle choices impact health at a genetic level.