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You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment

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You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment
GenreDocumentary series
Directed byLouie Psihoyos
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes4
Production
Running time198 minutes
Production companyOceanic Preservation Society
Original release
NetworkNetflix
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.

Background

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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]

Response

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VegNews listed it as one of the "The 18 Best Vegan Documentaries to Start Streaming Now " in 2024.[8]

Episodes

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No.EpisodeDirected byOriginal release date
1Episode 1Louie PsihoyosJanuary 1, 2024 (2024-01-01)
2Episode 2Louie PsihoyosJanuary 1, 2024 (2024-01-01)
3Episode 3Louie PsihoyosJanuary 1, 2024 (2024-01-01)
4Episode 4Louie PsihoyosJanuary 1, 2024 (2024-01-01)
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See also

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References

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  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. ^ a b c LaMotte, Sandra (2023-11-30). "One identical twin went vegan while the other didn't. See what happened". CNN. Retrieved 2024-01-08.
  4. ^ a b 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. ^ a b c d e Venn, Lydia (2024-01-05). "Netflix's You Are What You Eat: Where are the twins now?". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved 2024-01-08.
  8. ^ Pointing, Charlotte (April 19, 2024). "The 18 Best Vegan Documentaries to Start Streaming Now". VegNews. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
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