During the first four weeks, participants were given pre-prepared meals. Then, after completing nutrition training, they were given the opportunity to make their own meals for the second four weeks.
Researchers found that participants’ average age was 40 and their average BMI was 26 kg/m². The research also included somewhat more women than males, with 77% of participants being female.
Researchers measured levels of DNA methylation, a chemical alteration of DNA that changes gene expression, in blood samples taken every four weeks during the trial.
Researchers observed that vegans had lower estimations of biological age (called epigenetic ageing clocks) than omnivores, according to a research published in the medical journal BMC Medicine.
Professor Christopher Gardner of Stanford University in California commented on the results, saying:
