Identical twins were challenged to go on polar opposite diets to see if it would have an impact on their body.
There is often an assumption that people need to eat meat in order to have a balanced diet; others campaign for people to eat totally meat-free.
Well this study puts both of those to the test.
The study
In 2021, the BBC filmed a set of identical twins taking on two different diets for a 12-week period.
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One would eat a plant-based diet, ditching meat and dairy, and the other eating an omnivore diet, consisting of meat, dairy and fish.
The twins were Hugo and Ross Turner and the study was conducted by King’s College London.
The diets consisted of the same amount of calories each per day, and also the same gym workouts.
The BBC documented the process, and the results were definitely interesting.
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“I felt like I had more energy”
Hugo said in the short film: “I was on the vegan diet and it really does take a hit on your body.
“I think the first couple of weeks it was really craving and wanting meat and dairy and cheese. I love cheese.
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“I was now having to eat fruit and nuts and alternatives that didn’t have any dairy in them - and so that meant I was eating a lot more wholesome food, which meant that my sugar levels were a lot satiated during the day.
“I felt like I had more energy.”
The other twin, Ross, explained that his meat-eating journey was a little more up and down, especially in regards to the gym.
He said that he would often feel ‘very energetic’ and then other times he would experience ‘huge lulls’.
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Hugo’s plant-based diet meant that his energy levels remained pretty much consistent throughout the entire process.
However, he found that the diversity of his gut bacteria ‘severely’ dropped, while his brothers stayed the same, meaning he was much less likely to pick up illnesses.
One thing Ross noticed was how much processed food he was eating when he peered at what his brother’s vegan meals looked like.
The results of the study
At the end of the study, it seemed as though there were no ground-breaking results or differences.
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One thing Hugo did see was his cholesterol levels drop ‘off the scale’, while also losing weight and boosting his resistance to type two diabetes.
According to Insider, at the start of the diet, Hugo weighed 185 pounds and had 13 percent body fat.
By the end of the 12 weeks, he weighed 181 pounds and dropped to 12 percent body fat.
In comparison, his brother also had 13 percent body fat at the start, but he put on 10 pounds of muscle, and also gained fat, bringing his end body fat percentage up to 15 percent and his weight to 189 pounds.
Topics: Vegan, Food And Drink, Health
Mia Williams