A pair of explorers set out to discover whether or not two varying diets can have a major impact on the human body—and the results may come as a surprise.

Of course, there’s no one-fits-all approach when it comes to eating.

Experts at Harvard University will tell you that you should eat whole grains, vegetables and fruits, proteins and healthy plant oils.

Identical twins Hugo and Ross embarked on a 12-week dietary challenge together (Instagram/@theturnertwiins)

But many people choose to embark on gruelling diets like Keto, Paleo and even take part in Intermittent Fasting so that they can reap the health benefits.

But can eating a specific diet really cause your body to change? Well, that’s what identical twins Hugo and Ross Turner wanted to find out.

The pair, who share the same genetic material, wanted to see whether a diet would alter their bodies over 12 weeks.

Working with Kings College London, Hugo vowed to strictly eat vegan for the duration of the experiment while Ross stuck to a diet that included meat, dairy and fish.

Before getting stuck in, the Turner twins were told they had to consume exactly the same amount of calories each day and exercise the same too—meaning the only varying factor was their diet.

In an interview with the BBC, Hugo confessed the vegan diet caused his body to take a ‘hit’.

“I think the first couple of weeks it was really craving and wanting meat and dairy and cheese. I love cheese,” he admitted.

However, he later said he saw the benefits of giving up animal products.

He said: “I was now having to eat fruit and nuts and alternatives that didn’t have any dairy in them – and so that meant I was eating a lot more wholesome food, which meant that my sugar levels were a lot satiated during the day. I felt like I had more energy.”

Meanwhile, Hugo’s meat-eating twin said his gym performance was ‘up and down a little bit more’.

While he felt ‘very energetic’ on some days, there were others where he’d experience ‘huge lulls’.

The twins actually didn’t see a huge amount of difference in their results (BBC Global)

However, Hugo did see some downsides to veganism. He found that the diversity of his gut bacteria dropped ‘severely’, while his brother’s stayed the same, meaning Ross was less likely to pick up illnesses.

All in all, the men found that there wasn’t ‘a huge difference, if any’ between the two diets.

However, Hugo did see his cholesterol levels drop ‘off the scale’, while also losing weight and boosting his resistance to type two diabetes.

The diets also prompted Ross to realize how much processed food he was eating after checking out his brother’s healthy vegan meals.

Veganism also proved to be more effective for losing body fat as Hugo dropped four pounds and lost one percent of his body fat.

By comparison, Ross put on 10 pounds of muscle but also gained fat, bringing his end body fat percentage up from 13 to 15 percent.

It’s a question that people have fought over for years: what’s the best diet for your health?

The most basic answer is probably a mix of everything within moderation, but two identical twins had a rare opportunity to try and find the superior diet once and for all.

The twins had the rare opportunity to compare diets. (Instagram/@theturnertwiins)

Since explorers Hugo and Ross Turner share the same genetic material, they decided to try two different diets to see what kind of differences it made to their bodies.

In a 12-week study conducted with Kings College London, Hugo took on a vegan diet while Ross stuck to a diet that included meat, dairy and fish.

The pair both ate the same amount of calories each day and took part in the same workout routine to make sure it was only their diets that were having an impact.

Speaking to the BBC, which also documented the twins’ journey, Hugo admitted the vegan diet took a ‘hit’ on his body.

“I think the first couple of weeks it was really craving and wanting meat and dairy and cheese. I love cheese,” he said.

However, Hugo did see a lot of benefits by giving up animal products.

He said: “I was now having to eat fruit and nuts and alternatives that didn’t have any dairy in them – and so that meant I was eating a lot more wholesome food, which meant that my sugar levels were a lot satiated during the day.

“I felt like I had more energy.”

Meanwhile, Hugo’s meat-eating twin said his gym performance was ‘up and down a little bit more’.

While he felt ‘very energetic’ on some days, there were others where he’d experience ‘huge lulls’.

The twins didn’t see any major differences in results. (BBC Global)

However, Hugo did see some downsides to veganism as he found that the diversity of his gut bacteria dropped ‘severely’ while his brother’s stayed the same, meaning Ross was less likely to pick up illnesses.

All in all, the men found that there wasn’t ‘a huge difference, if any’ between the two diets, though Hugo did see his cholesterol levels drop ‘off the scale’, while also losing weight and boosting his resistance to type two diabetes.

The diets also prompted Ross to realize how much processed food he was eating after checking out his brother’s healthy vegan meals.

Veganism also proved to be more effective for losing body fat as Hugo dropped four pounds and lost one percent of his body fat.

By comparison, Ross put on 10 pounds of muscle but also gained fat, bringing his end body fat percentage up from 13 to 15 percent.

This article contains discussion of food habits and calorie counting that some may find distressing.

A dietitian has argued why ultra processed foods can be ‘part of a healthy diet’ after experiencing ‘surprising’ results from making them at least 80 percent of her diet for a month.

With ultra-processed foods often made out to be ‘something we’re supposed to avoid,’ dietitian Jessica Wilson decided to test out whether this ‘entire category of foods’ is really that bad for us

The dietitian made at least 80 percent of her daily calorie intake ultra-processed for a whole month, eating soy chorizo instead of eggs as an example of an ultra-processed breakfast, TIME reports.

Instead of eating something like beans with avocado and hot sauce for lunch, Wilson grabbed a ready-to-eat tamales from Trader Joe’s.

Snacks consisted of cashew-nut yogurt with jam and dinners sometimes looked like chicken sausages with vegetables and Tater-Tots or Costco pupusas.

And after a whole month of at least 80 percent ultra-processed foods every single day, Wilson felt remarkably different – but not in the way you might think.

Dietician Jessica Wilson has weighed in on the discourse surrounding ultra-processed foods (Instagram/ @jessicawilson.msrd)

The results

In a post to Instagram, Wilson said she ‘surprisingly felt better’ after just ‘two weeks’ of the diet.

“At the end of my meal I have no idea what my hunger hormones were doing but it was great not to be hungry in an hour and to go longer periods without having to forage for food,” she said.

She added she thinks she wasn’t actually ‘eating enough’ food before embarking on her ultra-processed diet.

And despite multiple studies over recent years connecting a diet with more ultra-processed foods leading to a rise in anxiety and depression, Wilson told TIME she actually felt less anxious and had more energy – so much so, she didn’t feel the need to drink as much coffee.

And while she may’ve been bored of the ultra-processed foods she was eating by the fourth week, in an interview with Mail Online earlier this month she noted her wife noticed her ‘complaining less and doing more’. And while her weight didn’t change, she did see ‘an improvement in body composition’ with a more toned physique.

Wilson ensured her diet for the month was made up of 80 percent or higher ultra-processed foods (Instagram/ @jessicawilson.msrd)

The debate surrounding ultra-processed food

The dietitian reminds the definition for ‘ultra-processed food’ is still very conflicting, given there are ‘multiple definitions’ from many ‘different researchers and doctors’ – so how can anyone say the whole category of food is ‘bad’?

She argues: “If we look at the Nova classifications for foods, what is supposed to distinguish a category four: ultra-processed food from a category three: processed food it is not always clear.”

Wilson notes the term ‘additives’ – substances often added to processed foods for technical reasons such as helping them stay stored for longer – is often used as a ‘buzz word for what makes something unhealthy’.

However, one example of an additive is ‘egg lecithin’, which has some ‘beneficial properties’ and baby formula sometimes also contains additives too.

Wilson resolved: “There’s a lack of conclusive and comprehensive science and a lot of that comes from a lacking clear definition of an ultra-processed food.

“[…] UPFs can be part of a healthy diet and we need to be having a different conversation.”

A man whose Pepsi addiction lead to him drinking a staggering 30 cans of the stuff a day has revealed the shocking effects it had on his body, as well as his bank account.

Andy Currie would start every day with a litre of fizzy pop and would drink a further nine litres throughout the day.

“I’ve always loved the taste of a cold Pepsi. Nothing could beat it and I just got hooked,”Andy, from Bangor, Wales, confessed.

“I work nights so always liked the sugar rush to keep me going. I’d go through four or five two litre bottles of Pepsi every day.

Andy loved a can of Pepsi (SWNS)

“Because I work at Tesco I could just buy it straight after work and take it home.”

‘It cost me a fortune’

Andy would spend a whopping $25 a day on Pepsi, which racked up to around $8,500 a year on his favourite drink.

“It cost me a fortune to be honest. I could have bought a car every year for the same amount I was spending on Pepsi,” he admitted.

“I just needed to have it, as soon as I woke up I’d go to the fridge and pour myself a large glass of Pepsi and just carry on through the day.

“I remember going to weddings and birthdays and while other people had glasses of champagne I’d be toasting people with a can of fizzy pop.”

Andy’s health began to deteriorate after his Pepsi consumption got out of control, and it got to the point where the Brit topped 19 stone and was at risk of developing diabetes.

While he managed to lose two stone through a strict diet, Andy was still struggling to quit drinking Pepsi for good.

The coke lover sought help (SWNS)

‘It became a poison and a crutch to him’

It was London-based therapist and hypnotist David Kilmurry who Andy got in touch with as a result, and he saw results almost instantly.

“David met me online and hypnotised me for about 40 minutes,” Andy said.

He continued: “I don’t know what he said but afterwards I just didn’t want to drink it anymore.

“I’ve still got two cans of Pepsi in my fridge which I was going to have before the session but didn’t have time.

“I prefer water now. My wife Sarah says my skin looks better and I’ve got so much more energy.”

David said: “I was horrified at Andy’s disclosure of drinking 10 litres of Pepsi a day.

“That was by far the worst sugar addiction I’ve ever heard of.

“Resigned to addiction, Andy was overweight, anxious and struggled to get his words out because he was so breathless.

“It became a poison and a crutch to him. Since working with him I am delighted to see him drinking water and healthy drinks.”