Most studies and experiments on diets have clearly pointed to veganism not just being the trend of the hour, but the need of the hour. Vegan diets don’t just help humans, but also Mother Earth.
However, a major criticism that most studies face is that the exact same diet can bring out very different results in different people. It is important to remember that everybody is different. We all have different genetic and cultural traits. If everyone stuck to the same diet and physical exertion for one whole year, we wouldn’t all end up with the same body. This is because each person’s genetic inheritance influences their bone structure, body size, shape, and weight differently.
This is why we've got something fascinating for you this week. Imagine two genetically identical people (theTurner Twins) comparing a meat diet with a vegan diet. Insane, right? The brothers’ names are Hugo and Ross.
We found this intriguing experiment’s information on Insider and thought that this is a truly valuable piece of information that would benefit you. Now, onto the experiment.
For any experiment to be successful, the chosen variables are extremely important.
The Setup:
The Turners decided to study the two eating styles side by side over a 12-week fitness training regime from January to March this year.
The pair monitored how they felt during the course of the experiment and were followed by researchers from King's College, who tracked basic health metrics like weight, cholesterol, and muscle mass.
The experiment also involved both twins doing endurance training at the gym five to six times a week. They also ate an almost identical number of calories in meals. Talk about getting granular.
By the end, they noticed some big differences in terms of muscle gains, fat loss, and digestive health.
Hugo had higher energy and lost fat on a vegan diet.
Before the experiment, Hugo weighed in about 185 pounds and 13% body fat. After about a month on the vegan diet, he said he had dropped nearly nine pounds. By the end of the experiment, however, he measured in at 181 pounds. Nearly all the weight lost was fat mass, with his overall body-fat composition dipping by a full percentage point, to 12%. His cholesterol levels also dropped.
Even more striking were his energy levels. Hugo said he felt significantly more alert during his lunchtime gym sessions, compared with his typical routine.
Ross gained more mass overall.
Ross has always been the slightly bigger of the brothers. From starting around 13% body fat, he put on 10 pounds of muscle, but also gained fat. That brought his overall body fat percentage up slightly, to 15%, and his final weigh-in to 189 pounds.
His cholesterol levels stayed consistent throughout the 12-week duration.
Ross said the meal plan for this experiment was slightly more varied than his typical diet, and extremely balanced in terms of macronutrients, with an array of chicken, fish, red meat, veggies, dairy, and grains.
The vegan diet also caused big changes in the gut microbiome.
For Hugo, the dietary change was even more significant, since his usual animal-based protein was swapped out for things like tofu, tempeh (fermented soybeans), and jackfruit. As a result, his gut microbiome — the populations of beneficial bacteria that live in the human digestive system — also changed in some interesting ways.
The changes potentially improved Hugo's resilience to some forms of chronic illness, according to the analysis, lowering his risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes. That supports previous research suggesting plant-based diets could reduce the risk of those conditions by improving the microbiome.
Final Thoughts
We do feel that 12 weeks can’t give super-conclusive data, but this is worth a study for sure. The brothers themselves mentioned that the next time they carry out an experiment, they’d like to keep at it for at least six months to provide better data.
Vegan diets have proven time and time again that they give high energy, and cut fat. However, they also provide a whole new world of food options.
Hopefully, this will make meat-eaters less reluctant to try vegan foods. It could be a new diet that makes them meet their goal of a fitter, leaner body, even faster!
We recommend making these changes slowly and steadily. Try incorporating snacking habits first, and figuring out which vegan foods suit you the most.
This research shows that there are trade-offs with both, but if you want a healthier body with a lower fat percentage and more energy, then veganism is the way to go. Not to mention the fact that the planet will thank you for that choice as well.
