Watch You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment

You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment is a 2024 Netflix original docuseries that follows identical twins as they embark on a 30 day dietary challenge. The premise of the show examines the age-old adage “you are what you eat” by having one twin adopt a highly processed, low nutrition diet while the other twin eats a whole foods, plant-based diet for one month.

The show tracks the physical, mental and emotional changes the twins experience as a result of their disparate diets. Daily check-ins monitor their weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and mood. Comprehensive lab tests are conducted at the beginning and end of the month to analyze the impact each diet has on the twins' microbiome, hormonal levels, and overall health.

In episode one, we’re introduced to the twins Leah and Sarah, two 22-year olds from San Diego. Though genetically identical, their personalities, career paths and lifestyles differ significantly. The preliminary health assessments reveal Leah has slightly higher BMI and cholesterol than Sarah, who follows a mostly vegan diet. Leah is game meat eater who admits she could improve her diet. Both are excited for the challenge.

Over the course of the month, Leah struggles to stick to her regimen of fast food, frozen meals and canned goods, complaining of low energy and emotional volatility. Sarah revels in her organic, locally-sourced plant-based diet and feels mentally sharper. By episode three, Leah has lost weight due to poor nutrition while Sarah’s athletic performance improves.

The show intersperses scientific explanations about nutrition and its effects. Experts in medicine, psychology and microbiology weigh in on the changes the twins experience based on their diets. For viewers, it’s a fascinating peek into how profoundly food impacts health, mind and body.

As the month winds down, Leah is desperate to return to real food. Sarah decides to adopt some of Leah’s healthier changes going forward. The post-month tests reveal striking contrasts between the twins' changed cholesterol levels, gut bacteria and more.

You Are What You Eat employs an engaging experimental format to provide viewers an entertaining yet informative look at the link between diet and wellbeing. The twins’ journeys illustrate in a very personal, tangible way how food choices shape far more than our waistlines. This show provides powerful evidence that the adage “you are what you eat” has significant scientific merit.

You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment is a series that ran for 1 seasons (4 episodes) between January 1, 2024 and on Netflix