You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment

Last updated
You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment
Genre Documentary series
Directed by Louie Psihoyos
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes4
Production
Running time198 minutes
Production company Oceanic Preservation Society
Original release
Network Netflix
ReleaseJanuary 1, 2024 (2024-01-01)

You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment is a 2024 American documentary series set for streaming on Netflix. It is based on an 8-week study conducted by Stanford University that put 22 sets of genetically identical twins on opposing (but healthy) diets: omnivore and vegan. It was released on January 1, 2024.

Contents

Background

You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment is based on an 8-week study [1] [2] conducted by Stanford University that put 22 sets of genetically identical twins [3] on opposing (but healthy) diets: omnivore and vegan. The subjects were given their meals for the first four weeks and had to prepare their own meals during the second 4 weeks. [4] [5] [3] According to the leader of the study, Christopher D. Gardner, the twins on the vegan diet had "a 10% to 15% drop in LDL cholesterol, a 25% drop in insulin, and a 3% drop in body weight in just eight weeks, all by eating real food without animal products." [3] In addition, 21 (out of 22) of the people asked to follow a vegan diet stayed with it for the entire 8 weeks. [6] Gardner argues that examining genetically identical twins in this manner increases the level of accuracy in the data. [4]

Of the 22 sets of twins, the series focused on four pairs. Carolyn (vegan) and Rosalyn (omnivore) participated in the study with the goal of "increasing Filipino representation in scientific studies". [7] After the study, both returned to an omnivorous diet but now include more plant-based meals. [7] Pam (vegan) and Wendy (omnivore) are South African chefs who run a catering company. After the study, they returned to an omnivorous diet but reduced their intake of meat and cheese. [7] John (vegan) and Jevon (omnivore) are nursing students who also like to work out. After the study, they both returned to an omnivorous diet but cut out most red meat from their diet. [7] Michael (omnivore) and Charlie (vegan) own a cheese business and are known as "The Cheese Twins." Prior to the study, Michael was a pescatarian, and Charlie an omnivore. After the study, Michael became a vegetarian, and Charlie now follows a mostly vegetarian diet. [7]

Episodes

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dairy product</span> Food product made from milk

Dairy products or milk products, also known as lacticinia, are food products made from milk. The most common dairy animals are cow, water buffalo, nanny goat, and ewe. Dairy products include common grocery store food around the world such as yogurt, cheese, milk and butter. A facility that produces dairy products is a dairy. Dairy products are consumed worldwide to varying degrees. Some people avoid some or all dairy products because of lactose intolerance, veganism, environmental concerns, other health reasons or beliefs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Veganism</span> Way of living that avoids the use of animals

Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products—particularly in diet—and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. A person who follows the diet or philosophy is known as a vegan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flexitarianism</span> Diet

A flexitarian diet, also called a semi-vegetarian diet, is one that is centered on plant foods with limited or occasional inclusion of meat. For example, a flexitarian might eat meat only some days each week. Flexitarian is a portmanteau of the words flexible and vegetarian, signifying its followers' less strict diet pattern when compared to vegetarian pattern diets.

<i>Super Size Me</i> 2004 documentary film by Morgan Spurlock

Super Size Me is a 2004 American documentary film directed by and starring Morgan Spurlock, an American independent filmmaker. Spurlock's film follows a 30-day period from February 1 to March 2, 2003, during which he ate only McDonald's food. The film documents the drastic effect on Spurlock's physical and psychological health and well-being. It also explores the fast food industry's corporate influence, including how it encourages poor nutrition for its own profit and gain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plant-based diet</span> Diet consisting mostly or entirely of plant-based foods

A plant-based diet is a diet consisting mostly or entirely of plant-based foods. Plant-based diets encompass a wide range of dietary patterns that contain low amounts of animal products and high amounts of fiber-rich plant products such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. They do not need to be vegan or vegetarian, but are defined in terms of low frequency of animal food consumption.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Pollan</span> American author and journalist (born 1955)

Michael Kevin Pollan is an American author and journalist, who is currently Professor of the Practice of Non-Fiction and the first Lewis K. Chan Arts Lecturer at Harvard University. Concurrently, he is the Knight Professor of Science and Environmental Journalism and the director of the Knight Program in Science and Environmental Journalism at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism where in 2020 he cofounded the UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics, in which he leads the public-education program. Pollan is best known for his books that explore the socio-cultural impacts of food, such as The Botany of Desire and The Omnivore's Dilemma.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vegetarianism by country</span> Vegetarian dietary practices from many countries

Vegetarian and vegan dietary practices vary among countries. Differences include food standards, laws, and general cultural attitudes toward vegetarian diets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Omnivore</span> Animal that can eat and survive on both plants and animals

An omnivore is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and animal matter, omnivores digest carbohydrates, protein, fat, and fiber, and metabolize the nutrients and energy of the sources absorbed. Often, they have the ability to incorporate food sources such as algae, fungi, and bacteria into their diet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louie Psihoyos</span> American photographer and film producer

Louis (Louie) Psihoyos is an American photographer and documentary film director known for his still photography and contributions to National Geographic. Psihoyos, a certified SCUBA diver, has become increasingly concerned with bringing awareness to underwater life. In 2009, he directed and appeared in the feature-length documentary The Cove, which won an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Greger</span> American physician, author, and vegan health activist

Michael Herschel Greger is an American physician, author, and professional speaker on public health issues, best known for his advocacy of a whole-food, plant-based diet, and his opposition to animal-derived food products.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pescetarianism</span> Dietary practice of incorporating seafood into an otherwise vegetarian diet

Pescetarianism is a dietary practice based on the consumption of fish and shellfish to the exclusion of land-based meats. The practise incorporates seafood into an otherwise vegetarian diet, and may or may not include other animal products such as eggs and dairy products. Approximately 3% of adults worldwide are pescetarian, according to 2017–2018 research conducted by data and analytics companies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vegan nutrition</span> Nutritional and human health aspects of vegan diets

Vegan nutrition refers to the nutritional and human health aspects of vegan diets. A well-planned vegan diet is suitable to meet all recommendations for nutrients in every stage of human life. Vegan diets tend to be higher in dietary fiber, magnesium, folic acid, vitamin C, vitamin E, and phytochemicals; and lower in calories, saturated fat, iron, cholesterol, long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, calcium, zinc, and vitamin B12.

Timothy David Spector is a British epidemiologist, medical doctor, and science writer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miyoko Schinner</span> Japanese-American vegan activist

Miyoko Schinner is an American vegan chef, cookbook author, cooking show host, vegan activist, and social entrepreneur, who appears in the 2024 documentary, You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment. She is currently the host of the YouTube cooking show, The Vegan Good Life with Miyoko, and is working on her next cookbook, The Vegan Creamery, which will be released in 2025.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tracye McQuirter</span>

Tracye McQuirter is an African-American public health nutritionist and a Vegan/Plant-based author who appears in the 2024 documentary, You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment.

Christopher David Gardner is an American nutrition researcher. He is the director of nutrition studies at the Stanford Prevention Research Center and the Rehnborg Farquhar Professor of Medicine at Stanford University.

Megan Rossi is a dietitian, nutritionist and author specialising in the microbiome. Her PhD in gut health received the Dean's Award top 5% for Outstanding Research Higher Degree.

Toni Okamoto is an American plant-based cookbook author, who appears in the 2017 plant-based diet documentary, What the Health.

Prime Roots is an American koji-based meat-producing company focusing on deli and charcuterie products.

References

  1. Landry, Matthew J. (30 November 2023). "Cardiometabolic Effects of Omnivorous vs Vegan Diets in Identical Twins: A Randomized Clinical Trial". JAMA Network Open. 6 (11): e2344457. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.44457. PMC   10690456 . PMID   38032644 . Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  2. Dwaraka, Varun B.; Aronica, Lucia; Carreras-Gallo, Natalia; Robinson, Jennifer L.; Hennings, Tayler; Lin, Aaron; Turner, Logan; Smith, Ryan; Mendez, Tavis L. (2023-12-29), Unveiling the Epigenetic Impact of Vegan vs. Omnivorous Diets on Aging: Insights from the Twins Nutrition Study (TwiNS), doi:10.1101/2023.12.26.23300543 , retrieved 2024-04-04, Non-peer-reviewed preprint
  3. 1 2 3 LaMotte, Sandra (2023-11-30). "One identical twin went vegan while the other didn't. See what happened". CNN . Retrieved 2024-01-08.
  4. 1 2 Austin, Daryl (2024-01-05). "Can a plant-based diet help you lose more weight? Netflix doc with twins offers answer". Today . Retrieved 2024-01-08.
  5. Gentile, Dan (2024-01-07). "Netflix's most popular food show 'You Are What You Eat' is based on a Stanford experiment". SFGate . Retrieved 2024-01-08.
  6. Ducharme, Jamie (2024-01-03). "Is Eating a Plant-Based Diet Better for You?". Time . Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Venn, Lydia (2024-01-05). "Netflix's You Are What You Eat: Where are the twins now?". Cosmopolitan . Retrieved 2024-01-08.
No.EpisodeDirected byOriginal release date
1Episode 1Louie PsihoyosJanuary 1, 2024 (2024-01-01)
2Episode 2Louie PsihoyosJanuary 1, 2024 (2024-01-01)