They Fed People Vegan Food Through a Tube And the Results Were Astonishing

Can a vegan diet still improve health when food never touches your tongue? According to a new study on people fed vegan food through a tube, it can, and YouTuber Mic the Vegan says the results are nothing short of shocking.

Mic, who holds a degree in scientific and technical communication, is known for unpacking research on nutrition, veganism, and health for his 1.5 million subscribers. In a recent video, he reviews a study published in Frontiers in Nutrition that tested what happens when patients are fed a fully plant-based diet through a feeding tube – and the outcomes challenge several long-held myths about vegan diets.

Read more: The Psychological Benefits Of A Plant-Based Diet, Explained

The study followed 40 patients over 13 months who were either completely or mostly fed a vegan liquid meal designed to meet every nutritional requirement, including protein, vitamins, and minerals. “They even mentioned the word vegan in the study,” Mic notes, adding that the formula included a 50/50 mix of pea and soy protein.

Digestive issues improved, not worsened

The participants weren’t all vegan before the study began, and some suffered from chronic digestive problems. Yet within weeks, their symptoms began to improve. “We can see a statistically significant improvement in these overall symptoms at 28 days compared to baseline,” Mic explains.

Common complaints like bloating, constipation, and gas – often cited by critics as side effects of eating more plants – actually decreased. “We are seeing here a pretty dramatic decrease in flatulence,” he says, highlighting that the number of people reporting it dropped from 60 percent to 40 percent in just a month.

Constipation, another major concern for tube-fed patients, also vanished in the most severe cases. “People’s severe constipation actually went to zero,” Mic says. Even bloating and burping scores went down, despite the formula being protein-rich.

Strength maintained and improved

While the study wasn’t designed to measure fitness, researchers added simple strength tests to track changes in physical ability. The results were unexpectedly positive. “They tested how much people could do a 30-second chair standing test,” Mic says. “They were able to do two more repetitions after being fed this plant-based diet.”

Hand-grip strength also held steady over time, a sign that the plant-based protein was doing its job. “The researchers say, ‘This longitudinal study highlights that a plant-based, vegan-suitable, high-energy, high-protein enteral tube feed has good tolerance…and potential benefits on physical function.’”

A study that removes food bias

Mic points out that this research is unique because it bypasses the usual emotional and cultural biases tied to food choices. “A lot of the reason people refuse to give up animal products is because they have some type of sensory, cultural, whatever attachment to the experience of eating that food,” he says. “In this case, if they’re feeling better in various ways on this, they’re going to be like, of course, I want to keep eating this.”

Even more interestingly, the study found no safety concerns and high compliance rates among participants. This suggests that a vegan tube-feeding diet is not only safe but also potentially superior in some ways.

Mic does note that the study was funded by Nutricia, a company that manufactures medical nutrition products, including plant-based formulas. However, he stresses that the findings remain remarkable, even to him. In particular, he says, “that there would be no increase in flatulence and in fact a decrease in flatulence.”

What this means for vegan nutrition

The study’s findings add to a growing body of evidence that plant-based diets can support health in almost any circumstance, even when the food is delivered through a tube. “Less flatulence, less constipation, less abdominal issues overall,” Mic summarizes. “And somehow, we are seeing people be able to move better, which is quite fascinating.”

For a diet often accused of being hard to digest, the results flip the stereotype on its head. They prove that even in its most clinical form, vegan nutrition can help the body thrive.
You can find more videos about vegan health, science, and nutrition on Mic the Vegan’s YouTube channel.

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