Carlos Solis
a team led by Christopher Gardner, a prominent researcher and dietitian at Stanford University, found that switching to a plant-based diet can improve heart health in just eight weeks. During this period, participants in the study experienced weight loss, as well as reductions in insulin and cholesterol levels associated with cardiovascular disease.
Thus, scientists have gathered even more evidence that a plant-based diet is beneficial for human health—and, of course, for the environment.
How the Study Was Conducted
The researchers involved 22 pairs of healthy identical twins in a series of experiments to control for genetic differences, as well as variations in upbringing and lifestyle.
Throughout the study, all participants followed a healthy diet that included vegetables, legumes, fruits, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. One twin from each pair consumed a strictly plant-based diet, while the other ate a diet that included a moderate amount of meat as determined by the research team.
‘They dressed alike, spoke alike, and joked like people who spend a lot of time together,’ Gardner noted. However, different processes were occurring in their bodies.
During the first four weeks of the study, all participants were provided with specially prepared breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The twins also received strict instructions on what they could and could not eat. Above all, they were required to maintain a balanced variety of foods. Additionally, volunteers were strictly prohibited from consuming processed foods, as reported by Science Alert.
In the second phase of the study, participants continued the diet but shopped for their own food and prepared their own meals.
The Effects of the Experiments
According to the researchers, participants were allowed to eat as much as they wanted. No calorie restrictions or weight-loss goals were set. However, most participants lost excess weight.
It was also clear that everyone improved their cardiovascular health. The most significant effects were observed in those twins who adhered to a strictly plant-based diet. Their insulin levels dropped by 20 percent, and their low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels, a significant risk factor for heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular conditions, also decreased.
The study also demonstrated a predictable decrease in vitamin B12 levels. However, since this was a short-term study, the drop was not significant.
Researchers advised transitioning to a plant-based diet ‘with caution.’ This shift may be accompanied by a loss of certain nutrients, such as vitamin B12. It’s no coincidence that people who become vegans are often recommended to take supplements to compensate for such losses.
The team noted that, unfortunately, veganism faces significant societal resistance: ‘so strong that the word has even become a pejorative.’ This is despite the fact that most of our contemporaries agree with the principles underlying veganism and vegetarianism.
Christopher Gardner reminded us that, in addition to the heart health benefits demonstrated by the new study, a vegan diet offers other advantages. For instance, it increases the number of beneficial gut bacteria and protects telomeres (the ends of chromosomes that influence our longevity).
For those hesitant to make a sudden switch to veganism, the dietitian recommended incorporating as many plant-based foods into their diet as possible.
The results of the study were published in JAMA Network Open.
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