Intervention: Observational comparison of women following a vegan diet (n = 33) versus non-vegan diet (n = 32) for ≥1 year (self-reported); no dietary intervention was administered.
Study Duration: Observational study ≥1 year
Eligibility Criteria:
- Healthy women aged 20 - 50 years (n = 65).
- Self-reported following a vegan or non-vegan diet for at least one year prior. Vegan participants were plant-based and consumed no animal products (< 1x/month). Non-vegan participants regularly consumed animal products (5-7 x/week).
- The cohort was comprised of vegan (n = 33) and non-vegan (n = 32) women. Study participants were age-matched and controlled for menopausal state, smoking, sun exposure, Fitzpatrick skin type and limited supplement use.
Key Findings
1.
Vegan participants exhibited measures consistent with healthier metabolic outcomes: this included reduced BMI (P < 0.05 relative to non-vegans) and lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure (P < 0.05 for both relative to non-vegans).
2.
Scores for fine lines and wrinkles exhibited a significant interaction with diet and age (p<0.05), where vegan participants had improved scores beginning in their late twenties compared to non-vegans.
3.
Women following a vegan diet included more fruits and vegetables (78% vs. 34% consuming once or more/day) and legumes and grains (61% vs. 28%, consuming 4-6 times/week) compared to women following a non-vegan diet.
Improvements align with diet choices
4.
While the methylation differences in skin cells were not significant, vegan participants consistently showed higher methylation levels at specific sites and regions, regardless of age or where the samples were taken
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