Compared with participants eating a meat-rich diet, the vegan group showed patterns associated with reduced inflammation, altered metabolism, and slower biological aging. One of the best-studied epigenetic mechanisms is DNA methylation, in which small chemical tags attach to DNA. Diet, exercise, smoking, environmental exposures, and aging have all been linked to methylation patterns. Participants were then randomly assigned to either a vegan diet or a meat-rich diet for one month. Did the Vegan Diet Slow Aging?