Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Study reveals vegan diet may reduce biological age in just eight weeks

Plant-based diet was associated with changes in gene expression, specifically through a process called DNA methylation, which can “turn off” or “silence” genes without altering the DNA itself.

Study reveals vegan diet may reduce biological age in just eight weeks

GOING vegan for eight weeks was found to be linked to a reduction in biological age, according to a study published in the journal BioMed Central (BMC) Medicine.

The research examined the molecular effects of a plant-based diet, which excludes animal products like dairy and primarily consists of fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, and nuts.


Researchers from Stanford University, US, discovered that this diet was associated with changes in gene expression, specifically through a process called DNA methylation, which can "turn off" or "silence" genes without altering the DNA itself.

Higher levels of DNA methylation are linked to a higher biological age, an epigenetic process that affects gene behaviour by modifying its environment.

For eight weeks, the team followed 21 pairs of adult identical twins – one half of each pair consumed an omnivorous diet, including meat, eggs and dairy, while the other consumed a vegan one. Identical twins share a significant amount of their genetic makeup.

On average, the participants were aged 40 years and had a body mass index (BMI) in the overweight category. About 77 per cent of the group were women.

After eight weeks, the researchers observed a 'younger' heart, liver, inflammatory and metabolic system among the participants consuming the vegan diet. These changes were not seen in those eating the omnivorous diet.

However, the authors cautioned that the extent to which these changes could be attributed to their diets was unclear.

They noted that on average, the individuals on the vegan diet lost two kilograms more compared to those on the omnivorous diet.

The results suggest that the weight loss could have contributed to lowering of the biological age in the vegan group, the researchers said.

Reacting to the study, Tom Sanders, a professor emeritus of Nutrition and Dietetics at King's College London, and not involved in the study, said that the findings might be favourable for vegans in terms of ageing.

However, the diet can come with micronutrient deficiencies, which often take years to exert harmful effects, Sanders said.

"For example, unless a vegan diet is supplemented with vitamin B12 they develop vitamin B12 deficiency that causes chronic and often insidious damage to the nervous system," Sanders said.

Long-term studies of vegans also find adverse effects on bone density, probably caused by very low calcium and barely adequate protein intakes, Sanders said. (PTI)

More For You

menstruation

The findings come from a UK survey of more than 12,000 women

iStock

Heavier bleeding and iron loss linked to long Covid in women, study finds

Highlights:

  • Survey of more than 12,000 UK women finds heavier, longer periods linked to long Covid
  • Symptom severity rises and falls across the menstrual cycle, worsening during periods
  • Tests reveal inflammation in womb lining and hormonal changes, but no damage to ovaries
  • Iron deficiency risk may exacerbate fatigue, dizziness and other common long Covid symptoms

Study highlights link between long Covid and menstrual changes

Women with long Covid are more likely to experience longer and heavier periods, putting them at increased risk of iron deficiency, researchers have found. The findings come from a UK survey of more than 12,000 women, which also showed that the severity of long Covid symptoms fluctuated across the menstrual cycle and often worsened during menstruation.

Findings from UK survey

Between March and May 2021, 12,187 women completed an online survey. Of these, more than 1,000 had long Covid, over 1,700 had recovered from the virus, and 9,400 had never tested positive. The study revealed that women with long Covid reported heavier and longer periods, as well as more frequent bleeding between cycles, compared with other groups.

Keep ReadingShow less
World Curry Festival 2025

The discovery coincides with Bradford’s City of Culture celebrations

World Curry Festival

Bradford’s first curry house traced back to 1942 ahead of World Curry Festival

Highlights:

  • Research for the World Curry Festival uncovered evidence of a curry house in Bradford in 1942.
  • Cafe Nasim, later called The Bengal Restaurant, is thought to be the city’s first.
  • The discovery coincides with Bradford’s City of Culture celebrations.
  • Festival events will include theatre, lectures, and a street food market.

Historic discovery in Bradford’s food heritage

Bradford’s claim as the curry capital of Britain has gained new historical depth. Organisers of the World Curry Festival have uncovered evidence that the city’s first curry house opened in 1942.

Documents revealed that Cafe Nasim, later renamed The Bengal Restaurant, once stood on the site of the current Kashmir Restaurant on Morley Street. Researcher David Pendleton identified an advert for the cafe in the Yorkshire Observer dated December 1942, describing it as “Bradford’s First Indian Restaurant”.

Keep ReadingShow less
​Dilemmas of dating in a digital world

We are living faster than ever before

AMG

​Dilemmas of dating in a digital world

Shiveena Haque

Finding romance today feels like trying to align stars in a night sky that refuses to stay still

When was the last time you stumbled into a conversation that made your heart skip? Or exchanged a sweet beginning to a love story - organically, without the buffer of screens, swipes, or curated profiles? In 2025, those moments feel rarer, swallowed up by the quickening pace of life.

Keep ReadingShow less
sugary drinks and ice cream

Researchers from the UK and US analysed data from American households between 2004 and 2019

iStock

Global warming may drive higher consumption of sugary drinks and ice cream, study warns

Highlights:

  • Hotter days linked to greater intake of sugary drinks and frozen desserts
  • Lower-income households most affected, research finds
  • Climate change could worsen health risks linked to sugar consumption
  • Study based on 15 years of US household food purchasing data

Sugary consumption rising with heat

People are more likely to consume sugary drinks and ice cream on warmer days, particularly in lower-income households, according to new research. The study warns that climate change could intensify this trend, adding to health risks as global temperatures continue to rise.

Sugar consumption is a major contributor to obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, and has surged worldwide in recent decades. The findings, published in Nature Climate Change, suggest that rising heat could be nudging more people towards high-sugar products such as soda, juice and ice cream.

Keep ReadingShow less
Camellia Panjabi's cookbook elevates
vegetables from sides to stars

Camellia Panjabi (Photo: Ursula Sierek)

Camellia Panjabi's cookbook elevates vegetables from sides to stars

RESTAURATEUR and writer Camellia Panjabi puts the spotlight on vegetables in her new book, as she said they were never given the status of a “hero” in the way fish, chicken or prawns are.

Panjabi’s Vegetables: The Indian Way features more than 120 recipes, with notes on nutrition, Ayurvedic insights and cooking methods that support digestion.

Keep ReadingShow less