Meat-based or vegan for better health? Identical twins took an experiment to find out

Specialised diets and food-based trends are well-worn subjects, but debates still rage around which foods and programmes are most beneficial for our short and long-term health.

Some basic principles are worth sticking to, of course, with Harvard University experts recommending a balance of wholegrains, vegetables, fruits, proteins, and healthy plant oils as a general rule.

More specialised plans, like keto, paleo, and intermittent fasting regimens are also hot topics in the nutrition world.

That said, it’s not unusual to find someone advocating for eating nothing but meat and claiming their energy levels and mood have dramatically improved.

It’s also common to find people saying the opposite: leave meat behind, eat clean, and reap the benefits.

Of course, with everything across the nature-nurture spectrum to consider, everyone’s needs are different and there’s no one-size-fits-all approach for optimum performance.

Curious to find out which end of the spectrum worked best for them, twins Hugo and Ross Turner took on opposite diets to see what effects they had on their genetically-identical bodies, and the results may surprise you.

Over 12 weeks, and whilst working with researchers at Kings College London, Hugo adopted a strictly vegan diet while his identical twin Ross went all-in on meat, dairy, and fish.

Hugo strictly ate vegan for the duration of the experiment, while Ross had a diet that included meat, dairy and fish.

They each needed to eat exactly the same number of calories and follow the same exercise regimen, with the idea being that the only variable was their diet.

While we’re on this subject, it’s important to remember that, while genetically identical, the twins will have physiological differences that have been built up over their lives thanks to their own environmental and lifestyle factors.

Nevertheless, as it’s impossible to get two human bodies that are completely identical in every way, a study of this kind focusing on identical twins is about as good as you might hope for.

In an interview with the BBC, Hugo said the vegan diet had been challenging to follow at first.

“I think the first couple of weeks it was really craving and wanting meat and dairy and cheese. I love cheese," he said.

However, as the study progressed, he began to notice some benefits to dropping meat and dairy from his diet.

“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 more satiated during the day,” he said. “I felt like I had more energy."

On the meat-eating side, Ross found his gym performance was “up and down a little bit more”, with some days being “very energetic” while he experienced “huge lulls” on others.

That said, the study did find some correlation between a reduction in Hugo’s gut bacteria diversity and his vegan diet, with that reduction potentially making him more susceptible to picking up illnesses.

His cholesterol levels, however, dropped “off the scale”. He also lost weight and became more resistant to developing type two diabetes.

Ross’s meat-based experience also prompted him to realise how much processed food he was eating in comparison to the vegan meals his brother was eating.

In terms of lost weight, veganism seemed the winner as Hugo lost four pounds and 1% off his body fat percentage over the course of the study.

Ross, on his meat-focused diet, meanwhile gained 10 pounds of muscle but also gained fat. His body weight percentage rose from 13% to 15% in those twelve weeks.

In all, there were positives and negatives for both brothers. While it’s an interesting study, it’s best to remember that everyone’s needs are different, and your mileage on any given diet may vary.