A vegan diet may not be for everyone but a new small study revealed how forgoing animal products for even just a few weeks could slow the signs of aging.
There was also changes in the immune system tied to reduced inflammation, according to researchers in California and Germany, after people went vegan for a month.
Inflammation is the body’s natural reaction to injuries and invaders but it can also be harmful to health longer term. Inflammation raises the risk of cancer and other diseases and drives accelerated aging in our cells, increasing the likelihood we die prematurely.
“Our study adds to growing evidence that nutrition can shape biology at the molecular level,” Dr. Max Storz, from University of Freiburg Medical Center and co-senior author of the study, explained in a statement.
Just one percent of Americans identified as vegan in 2024, according the most recent Gallup on the issue.
open image in gallery‘An important foundation’
There were two key findings in the research: a vegan diet altered DNA methylation gene patterns and two epigenetic clocks used to determine a person’s biological age suggested the diet could decelerate that process.
“DNA methylation” sounds complicated but the idea is simple. The term refers to the process that regulates whether certain genes are more or less active. More active genes determine our physical traits, such as eye and hair color and how we respond to health problems.
DNA methylation also determines if we have higher or lower amounts of neutrophils, which are immune cells that drive inflammation.
Examining this process using blood samples from nearly 50 adults – half meat-eaters and half vegans who both consumed similar calories each day – revealed people on the vegan diet would likely have lower amounts of neutrophils.
These individuals would also have higher amounts of CD4 T cells – a type of white blood cell that helps regulate immune response.
The study also examined participants’ biological age based on their DNA methylation, finding that biochemical tests – also known as epigenetic clocks – suggested the diet could decelerate that aging.
Further research is needed to confirm the results and determine whether the changes the researchers observed could help indicate reduced disease risk.
“The next step is to understand whether these epigenetic changes persist over time and whether they translate into meaningful improvements in long-term health. That will require larger clinical studies, but these findings provide an important foundation,” said Storz.
Processed pain
The study builds on years of past research showing a plant-based diet can lead to a healthier life – though highly processed vegan junk food can be bad, too, according to the American Heart Association.
People with diets heavy in fruit, veggies, nuts and less red and processed meats had an 86 percent greater chance of healthy aging at age 70, a 105,000-person study from Harvard researchers last year showed.
open image in galleryWhereas, a red meat-heavy diet – especially processed meat, such as bacon or hot dogs – has long been tied to inflammation that increases the risk of heart disease.
“There have been innumerable studies that show a connection between eating red meat, getting heart disease and dying from heart disease,” Cleveland Clinic cardiologist Dr. Dennis Bruemmer said in a statement earlier this year. “It’s remarkably consistent.”
Some sources of animal protein are healthier than others, according to experts.
Those include white-meat poultry, fish, pork tenderloin, lean cuts of beef, eggs and non-fat or low-fat dairy products, according to Razan Hallak, a registered dietitian at The Ohio State University.
A well-balanced diet is still recommended for most people. That means variety, registered dietitian Paige Welsh told the Clinic.
“At its core, a balanced diet isn’t about picking and choosing ‘best’ foods or focusing on ‘superfoods.’ It’s about eating a range of nutritious, whole foods,” she said.