Led by Radboud University Medical Center and KCMC University in Tanzania, this study involved 77 healthy Tanzanian men from both rural and urban areas. Participants either switched from a traditional African diet to a Western one, or vice versa, while a third group consumed a fermented banana drink daily. A control group continued with their regular diet.
The researchers assessed immune function, inflammation markers, and metabolic processes before, during, and after the two-week intervention period. Study participants who switched to the Western diet showed elevated inflammatory proteins, reduced pathogen defense, and other processes associated with lifestyle diseases. Conversely, those who followed the African diet or consumed the fermented banana drink exhibited decreased inflammation. Illustrating how even short-term dietary changes can have longer-term effects, in some cases the results were still apparent four weeks after the intervention period.
The study is said to be the first comprehensive investigation into the health benefits of traditional African diets, which remain under-researched compared to their Mediterranean or Japanese counterparts. The findings arguably not only provide insights for African populations facing a surge in lifestyle diseases but also hold relevance for Western nations, where chronic inflammation-driven illnesses are increasingly common.
To learn how our Movement of Life fruit and vegetable gardening project is improving health and saving lives in Zimbabwe, see this article on our website.
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A new study shows that a switch of just two weeks from a traditional African diet to a Western diet causes inflammation, reduces the immune response to pathogens, and activates processes associated with lifestyle diseases. Conversely, an African diet rich in vegetables, fiber, and fermented foods has positive effects.
[Source: medicalxpress.com]
[Image source: Adobe Stock]
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Led by Radboud University Medical Center and KCMC University in Tanzania, this study involved 77 healthy Tanzanian men from both rural and urban areas. Participants either switched from a traditional African diet to a Western one, or vice versa, while a third group consumed a fermented banana drink daily. A control group continued with their regular diet.
The researchers assessed immune function, inflammation markers, and metabolic processes before, during, and after the two-week intervention period. Study participants who switched to the Western diet showed elevated inflammatory proteins, reduced pathogen defense, and other processes associated with lifestyle diseases. Conversely, those who followed the African diet or consumed the fermented banana drink exhibited decreased inflammation. Illustrating how even short-term dietary changes can have longer-term effects, in some cases the results were still apparent four weeks after the intervention period.
The study is said to be the first comprehensive investigation into the health benefits of traditional African diets, which remain under-researched compared to their Mediterranean or Japanese counterparts. The findings arguably not only provide insights for African populations facing a surge in lifestyle diseases but also hold relevance for Western nations, where chronic inflammation-driven illnesses are increasingly common.
To learn how our Movement of Life fruit and vegetable gardening project is improving health and saving lives in Zimbabwe, see this article on our website.
Dr. Rath Health Foundation
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