Vegan diets can improve a person's heart health in weeks, according to a ground-breaking study on identical twins.
Vegan diets can give people healthier hearts
A team from Stanford University in California gathered 22 pairs of healthy twins and gave one a strictly vegan diet while providing the other with a healthy omnivore diet over a period of eight weeks.
After the study period, the twins were tested for low-density cholesterol (LDL) levels, insulin level, body weight and other factors.
Those who followed the vegan diet experienced an average drop in LDL levels 13.9mg/dL greater than those on the omnivore diet. They also lost an average of 4.2 pounds more than those who snacked on dairy and meat.
However, the omnivores were far more satisfied with their diet at the conclusion of the research.
Study author Dr. Christopher Gardner said: "Not only did this study provide a groundbreaking way to assert that a vegan diet is healthier than the conventional omnivore diet, but the twins were also a riot to work with.
"They dressed the same, they talked the same and they had a banter between them that you could have only if you spent an inordinate amount of time together."