You Are What You Eat is a four-part docuseries based on a scientific study to monitor identical twins who are made to follow an opposite diet for eight weeks. This twin experiment of Netflix has brought about consciousness among Americans, making them think about their standard diets.
The docuseries premiered on Netflix on January 1 this year. The goal of Louie Psihoyos' latest Netflix docuseries is to have the same impact as his previous one, which changed people's perceptions of plant-based diets more than four years ago.
What happened in You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment?
Four identical twin pairs were selected as participants in the You Are What You Eat docuseries from a larger Stanford University experiment that included 22 pairs of identical twins.
The study aimed to account for genetic variants and the influence of lifestyle factors on the outcomes, as heart disease is the primary cause of death in the US. These results were consistent with earlier research on the impact of a plant-based diet on cardiovascular health. Because the twins were raised in the same home and led identical lifestyles, the researchers decided to work with them to minimize the influence of other circumstances and account for heredity.
Nutrition scientist Christopher Gardner sets the criteria for the experiment, assigning one twin per pair to a vegan diet and the other to an omnivore diet. Participants in the study were given meals to eat for the first four weeks, after which they were required to stick to their diets for the last four weeks.
Results of the Twin Experiment in You Are What You Eat
In just two months, the twins who followed a plant-based diet devoid of dairy, meat, fish, eggs, and other animal products had a higher sex drive, a lower risk of heart disease, a longer life expectancy, and less visceral fat (the fat that accumulates around your organs).
The blood was obtained from three sites on the plant-based and omnivore diet participants and their weight was recorded. Those on a plant-based diet saw the greatest improvement in the first month. Their weight, LDL cholesterol, and insulin levels were significantly lower than individuals who consumed meat.
The vegans lost about 1.9 Kg more weight than the meat eaters, with their LDL cholesterol level dropping from 110.7 mg/dL and insulin going down by 20%. While the LDL cholesterol level of the meat eaters dropped from 118.5 mg/dL to just 116.1.
Have the twins maintained the diet?
In You Are What You Eat, you will find Pam and Wendy running a catering business; Charlie and Michael are experts in cheesemaking and food safety; Carolyn coaches sports relationships; Rosalyn teaches high school; and Jevon and John are nursing students who consume a lot of frozen, processed food.
Upon following up with the twin, it was discovered that having initially been either omnivores or pescetarians, they had all subsequently modified their meat consumption habits. Although they are still carnivores, Carolyn and Rosalyn are eating more plant-based foods, John and Jevon have stopped eating red meat, and Pam and Wendy have decreased their meat intake in half.
Charlie and Michael were the biggest change. Except for chicken soup and certain beloved Chinese dishes, the former is nearly 90% vegetarian. Previously a pescetarian, the latter is now strictly vegetarian. In light of the study's conclusions, the change was motivated by worries about animals, food safety, worker safety, climate change, and health.
Watch the docuseries You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment on Netflix.