New Stanford Study with Identical Twins Shows Health Benefits of Plant-Based Diet

NEW STANFORD STUDY WITH IDENTICAL TWINS SHOWS HEALTH BENEFITS OF PLANT-BASED DIET 

What happens when 22 pairs of identical twins try out a fully plant-based (vegan) diet vs. a flexitarian diet (meat + plants)?! Stanford Medicine put these duos to the test and the results were 🤯

The study followed 22 pairs of identical twins (44 total participants) and each twin followed one of two diets: a healthy vegan diet (including lots of Beyond Meat!) OR a healthy omnivore diet (including eggs, chicken, fish and dairy). Why identical twins? By studying this unique group, the researchers were able to remove any bias in genetic differences, upbringing and lifestyle choices.

After 8 weeks, the twins who followed the vegan diet had:

• lost more weight
• reduced their LDL (“bad”) cholesterol
• experienced lower insulin levels (higher insulin levels are a risk factor for developing diabetes) 
• less telomere loss (which slows aging in the body)

So what did the researchers have to say about the results? Dr. Christopher Gardner of Stanford Medicine was thrilled with the results – “Not only did this study provide a groundbreaking way to assert that a vegan diet is healthier than the conventional omnivore diet,” but it also showed that, “anyone who chooses a vegan diet can improve their long-term health in two months, with the most change seen in the first month.”

The study builds upon Stanford Medicine’s previous SWAP-MEAT study which also found key health benefits when people swapped the protein in their diet from animal-based meat to Beyond Meat’s plant-based meats. Read more on the SWAP-MEAT study here. 

Know someone that’s looking to improve their health? Share these studies and results so they can be inspired to Go Beyond! 💪💚