Identical twins who went on separate vegan and meat diets reveal biggest changes they saw in their bodies
A pair of identical twins undertook an incredible science experiment to determine how much a can diet impacts your body.
Hugo and Ross Turner went on separate vegan and meat diets over the course of 12 weeks and, with the brothers sharing the same genetic makeup, you could say the findings are pretty conclusive.
If you listen to experts at Harvard University they'll tell you that you should eat whole grains, vegetables, fruits, proteins and healthy plant oils - but many people choose to embark on drastic diets like keto or paleo or even take part in Intermittent Fasting.
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A paleo diet is based on what our distant ancestors would have consumed between 10,000 and 2.5 million years ago - so eggs, fish, nuts, seeds and of course fruit and veg, while keto is a low-carb diet that sees you aim to get more calories from proteins rather than sugar, pastries, white bread and soda.
Hugo went vegan, Ross stuck to a diet of meat, dairy and fish
So, the Turner brothers wanted to find out how much your body can change by eating a specific diet and teamed up with Kings College London in 2021 to do so.
The process was simple - Hugo vowed to go vegan for the duration of the experiment while Ross stuck to a diet that included meat, dairy and fish, with the pair having to consume exactly the same amount of calories each day and exercise the same too - which would mean the only varying factor was their diet.
So, what were the biggest changes they saw in their bodies?
Energy levels on a vegan diet were consistent
Speaking about his plant-based diet, Hugo revealed he felt more energetic during the day while Ross said his gym performances were 'up and down a little bit more' due to his meat-eating diet.
He explained he felt 'very energetic' on some days while others he experienced 'huge lulls'.
Talking to the BBC, Hugo said: "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."
Change in gut bacteria
Meanwhile, Hugo discovered that the diversity of his gut bacteria had dropped 'severely' while his brother’s stayed the same - meaning Ross was less likely to pick up illnesses.
Tests also revealed Hugo's cholesterol levels dropped 'off the scale' and that he lost weight while also boosting his resistance to Type 2 diabetes.
Percentage of body fat changed for both twins
In this case, veganism proved to be more effective for losing body fat as Hugo dropped four pounds and lost one percent of his body fat.
Ross, on the other hand, gained 10 pounds of muscle but also put on fat, bringing his end body fat percentage up from 13 to 15 percent.
Despite highlighting a few huge changes - huge in the manner that it was only over a short period of time - the brothers concluded that there wasn’t ‘a huge difference, if any’ between the two diets.
Joe Yates