Twin Studies Warn Against This Nutrition Trap


If you’ve tried the best diet and nutrition advice but aren’t seeing any results — weight loss, muscle gain or increased energy, for example — you’re not alone. Many strive to eat and feel better only to fall short of their goals. Why? Everybody responds to nutrition differently — even twins. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all diet or nutrition plan. To be successful, diet must be tailored to suit one’s goals, metabolism and nutrition needs.

Quick Read:
Nutritional studies on twins have given researchers new insight into how nutrition and diet affect the body. Each person responds to food differently, even identical twins. Therefore, there is no universal diet or nutrition plan that works for everyone. Instead, an individualized approach is necessary to promote optimal health. Learn more about the twin studies in the full text of this article.

A Personalized Diet Is Best! Find Out How to Create One Below.

The Universal Diet Trap

Popular diets, such as the Mediterranean diet, DASH diet, Flexitarian diet and MIND diet, all rely on a flawed premise: that all bodies will become lean, healthy and energized while following them. But that’s not true. We’ve known for quite a while that certain diets are successful for some people but do little for others. Now, we understand more about the science behind it.

The truth is, there is not a universal diet or one-size-fits-all diet that works for everyone. This is due to metabolic differences among individuals. Metabolism refers to the process that each and every one of your cells use to turn calories into usable energy. Each cell needs calories to carry out vital functions. The amount of energy each cell needs varies from cell to cell. What’s more, the total amount of energy necessary to fuel all cells within the body varies greatly from person to person.

The Findings of the Twin Studies

Perhaps nothing highlights the metabolic differences among individuals more than the recent study involving identical twins. This study monitored blood markers, such as blood sugar, insulin and fat levels, to learn how individuals respond to meals. Each participant’s blood was checked after consuming various meals. The results were shocking. Even after consuming identical meals, participants responded very differently.

Since approximately 60% of the participants were identical twins, researchers were able to isolate and differentiate genetic factors that dictate how one’s body responds to food. Surprisingly, genetics plays a much smaller role than other factors. Genetics account for 50% of the body’s glucose response, 30% of the body’s glucose response and 20% of the body’s triglyceride response. The correlation between the body’s response to fat and carbohydrates was described as “weak.”

Personalized Diet Is Recommended

So, what dictates how your body responds to food? It’s based on a wide range of factors, including your sex, age, gut microbe, metabolism, the types of foods you eat, the time of day you eat and your physical activity, among others. All of these factors, combined, create what is known as your personal nutritional response.

The key to diet success, then, is to tailor your diet to your personal nutritional response. First, you must choose a diet that works with your genetics. Then, you must tweak it until you find what works for you. In the future, researchers hope to know more about the factors that influence individual responses to food, which will take a lot of guesswork out of choosing the right diet. Until then, you must measure your success by how you feel and if you’re meeting your goals or not.

Diet and nutrition affect individuals differently, which is why so many people fail to realize their nutritional goals. For this reason, the future of healthy eating lies not in strict, canned and fad diets. Rather, it lies in individualized diet and meal plans that take your individual needs and your body’s response to food into consideration.

~Here’s to Your Healthy Ascension!

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