Vegan diet vs carnivorous diet: the experiments of two identical twins to check which is the healthiest

For the last 10 years the twins Hugo and Ross Turner have been dedicated to adventure sports.

“A big part of our job is to prepare the body. Since we are identical twins, we can compare different strategies or regimens and understand what works best for us,” says Hugo.

It was with this idea in mind that the brothers decided experiment with what type of diet is best Or worse for them: not consuming food of animal origin would make a difference in performance?

The twins have even participated in several studies carried out by a team of experts from the Department of Gemini Research at King’s College London, UK.

“We want to use the model of identical twins, which are genetic clones, to test the effect of diet and exercise and how these individuals respond to different types of food,” explains Tim Spector, professor of genetic epidemiology at the university.

For 12 weeks, the Turner brothers divided: Hugo started a vegan diet, while Ross continued to eat meat and dairy..

Both received the same number of calories per day and did the same type of physical training throughout the entire period.

The differences

Hugo confesses that he suffered to adapt to the new diet.

“In the first weeks I had that desire to eat meat, milk and cheese. And my diet was based on fruits, nuts and chestnuts,” he says.

“On the other hand, I ate more whole foods, which meant that my blood sugar levels were stable and I felt fuller during the day. “

“It also seemed that he had more energy“, Add.

Ross says he had ups and downs.

“I’ve had a few days with spikes in energy and longer moments of fatigue.”

Professor Spector believes that the experience helped to better understand how the body handles food and how its effect varies from person to person, even when it comes to identical twins.

This variation, by the way, was also observed in other twins, in a study carried out by the researcher and his group at King’s College.

“We think there is possibly a non-genetic element that contributes to the results: the intestinal flora“Spector says.

The intestinal flora, or microbiota intestinal, is a set of billions of bacteria and other microorganisms that live in the digestive system and are essential for various processes in our body.

• The Uruguayan scientist who maps microbes in the intestines of Latin Americans (and why it may be crucial for health)

“And [los microorganismos] treated well, they will produce thousands of chemicals that keep the body in shape, “he continues.

“These chemicals help the immune system to fight infections and they go to the brain, where they make us feel more satiated or less stressed and depressed“, he adds.

According to Spector’s calculations, identical twins show only 25-30% similarity in gut flora. And that may be one of the reasons they react differently to diets.

How to have a healthy flora

• The Uruguayan scientist who maps microbes in the intestines of Latin Americans (and why it may be crucial for health)

The differences

Hugo confesses that he suffered to adapt to the new diet.

“In the first weeks I had that desire to eat meat, milk and cheese. And my diet was based on fruits, nuts and chestnuts,” he says.

“On the other hand, I ate more whole foods, which meant that my blood sugar levels were stable and I felt fuller during the day. “

“It also seemed that he had more energy“, Add.

Ross says he had ups and downs.

“I’ve had a few days with spikes in energy and longer moments of fatigue.”

Professor Spector believes that the experience helped to better understand how the body handles food and how its effect varies from person to person, even when it comes to identical twins.

This variation, by the way, was also observed in other twins, in a study carried out by the researcher and his group at King’s College.

“We think there is possibly a non-genetic element that contributes to the results: the intestinal flora“Spector says.

The intestinal flora, or microbiota intestinal, is a set of billions of bacteria and other microorganisms that live in the digestive system and are essential for various processes in our body.

• The Uruguayan scientist who maps microbes in the intestines of Latin Americans (and why it may be crucial for health)

“And [los microorganismos] treated well, they will produce thousands of chemicals that keep the body in shape, “he continues.

“These chemicals help the immune system to fight infections and they go to the brain, where they make us feel more satiated or less stressed and depressed“, he adds.

According to Spector’s calculations, identical twins show only 25-30% similarity in gut flora. And that may be one of the reasons they react differently to diets.

How to have a healthy flora

Spector lists four fundamental steps to maintaining the balance of the body’s microorganisms and nurturing diversity in your gut “garden.”

“The first thing is eat 30 plants a week“, he recommends.

That’s it four to five servings of legumes, vegetables, or fruits per day.

Second, it is important to choose plants that have polyphenols, which are substances that give some of these foods bright colors or a slightly bitter taste, “he says.

Options include purple cabbage, carrot, red berries (strawberry, raspberry, blueberry), citrus (like lemon, orange, tangerine), chestnuts, coffee and even semisweet chocolate.

The third step suggested by Spector is the consumption of probiotics.

It is a class of foods that already have in their formulation the microorganisms that can populate the intestine and contribute to the balance of the microbiota.

The main probiotics available today are plain yogurt, kefir, and kombucha.

“Finally, it is important eliminate ultra-processed foods“adds the professor.

Ultra-processed is a category that brings together foods made with industrial ingredients that have undergone such intense processing that they lose their original structure, color and flavor, to the point of requiring compounds such as emulsifiers, colorants, flavorings.

The list includes filled cookies, industrialized sauces, soft drinks, snacks, ice cream and gum.

Results and learning

Ross realized that his brother’s assignment of going vegan for a few weeks had taught him an important lesson.

“I was able to see how much processed food I was eating and that made me more aware of the problem,” he says.

Professor Spector reflects on what a vegan diet is not necessarily healthier.

“Everything depends on the quality of the food And it’s not just about having meat on the plate or not, “he says.

“Many vegans can eat a lot of ultra-processed foods,” he explains.

At the end of 12 weeks, Hugo and Ross’s results weren’t that different, even with very different diets.

They even noticed some small improvements in some aspect of health, such as cholesterol level, fat percentage or resistance to type 2 diabetes.

But nevertheless, These findings cannot be extrapolated to the entire population because they are high-performance athletes with very strict training routines and diets., in which a simple change can lead to better or worse sports performance.

For “normal” people like us, Spector understands that promoting dietary changes and pursuing a healthier diet that benefits the gut microbiota can help reduce fatigue, hunger, and weight.

But in the end, what reinforces this whole experience with twins is that there is no perfect diet That works the same for everyone, even when we talk about people who share the exact same genome.

And the Turner brothers themselves realized this during the 12 weeks of the experiment.

“I managed to change my diet a bit. Now, I try to give more color to my plate and eat everything with moderation. The key is the Balance“Hugo suggests.

“If someone says a specific diet will give you exact results, always question it. It’s important to experiment, have fun, and see what works for you,” advises Ross.

This article is based on a video from the series The Science of Fitness, produced by BBC Reel. To see other content (in English), click here