Going vegan for just eight weeks could reduce your biological age, a study suggests.
A short-term plant-based diet was found to reduce chemical changes in DNA known as methylation, an indication of a person’s “biological mileage.”
As we age, the process of methylation increases, subtly changing the expression of our genes, which is known as epigenetic modification.
Measuring the markers it leaves behind is considered a good estimate of the body’s natural deterioration.
American researchers put half of 21 pairs of identical twins, with an average age of 40, on a vegan diet for eight weeks.
DNA methylation is a measure of a person’s “biological clock,” but experts say it can’t predict how long they will live.
DNA methylation tests show how closely special molecules called methyl groups have attached themselves to the DNA of cells. They have been described as being like barnacles that attach themselves to the hull of a ship and slow it down.
The other twin in each pair was allowed to eat his or her normal omnivorous diet, which included at least 170 grams of meat, one egg and one serving of dairy product each day.
Analyzing blood samples throughout the study, the authors observed “significant” decreases in the biological age of participants who followed the vegan diet.
They also saw decreases in the “ages” of their hearts, hormones, livers, and inflammatory and metabolic systems when measuring inflammation.
Writing in the diary BMC Medicine‘We observed significant changes using epigenetic age clocks among healthy identical twins, suggesting advantageous short-term benefits to aging with a calorie-restricted vegan diet compared to an omnivorous diet.’
However, they noted that the benefits they noted may have been “primarily due to greater weight loss in the vegan group” rather than an intrinsic quality of the plant-based diet itself.
The vegan group lost 2 kg (4.5 lb) more on average than their meat-eating siblings.
Vegans who don’t take vitamin supplements may also suffer from vitamin B12 deficiency, the researchers added, which can cause “dysfunctional methylation” that leads to heart disease and stroke in the long term.
They said more research is needed to assess the long-term benefits of a vegan diet.
The researchers work for TruDiagnostric, a Lexington, Kentucky-based company that makes and sells DNA methylation testing kits.
Epigenetics is a well-established field, with dozens of companies producing their own saliva and blood “clock” tests.
But questions have been raised about whether they can be used to recommend lifestyle changes and do not necessarily offer an accurate prediction of an individual’s life expectancy.
The traditional view of aging is that it is caused by a slow accumulation of damage at the cellular level, and it can be difficult to put a number on it.
DNA methylation tests simply show how closely special molecules, called methyl groups, have attached themselves to the cells’ DNA.
They have been described as looking like barnacles that attach themselves to the hull of a ship and slow it down.
The first epigenetic tests were carried out after German geneticist Professor Steve Horvath developed an ageing “clock” at the University of California, Los Angeles in 2011.
Measured specific epigenetic patterns linked to aging.
This allowed him to produce a model that estimated someone’s biological age based solely on methylation levels.
Vegan foods have other potential health risks besides a possible vitamin B12 deficiency.
Some experts have warned that some vegan foods remain unhealthy and ultra-processed, and in some cases may even be linked to an increased risk of heart disease.
