New Study Highlights East African Diet As Key To Better Health, Challenging Popular Mediterranean Diet

A recent study suggests that an East African diet may be a powerful tool for improving health, potentially rivaling the well-known Mediterranean diet. The study, published in Nature Medicine, focused on the diet of the Chagga people from northern Tanzania, offering a fresh perspective on nutrition.

The Chagga diet, rich in plant-based foods and fibers, includes a variety of whole grains, beans, and green vegetables. The study involved 77 men, comparing the effects of their traditional diet with a Western-style diet full of processed foods like sausages, white bread, and fried chicken. For two weeks, men living in rural Tanzania followed a Western diet, while urban dwellers, accustomed to a more Western-style diet, switched to the traditional Chagga foods or incorporated Mbege, a fermented banana drink, into their routine.

Researchers tracked changes in inflammation and gut health, measuring biomarkers in participants’ blood. The results were striking: switching from the traditional to a Western diet led to increased inflammation, a marker linked to heart disease, diabetes, and autoimmune conditions. However, returning to traditional foods or consuming Mbege significantly reduced inflammation, and some positive effects persisted even a month later.

The findings highlight the importance of maintaining traditional diets, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where they may help reduce chronic disease risks. Dr. Quirijn de Mast, the study’s lead author from Radboud University Medical Centre in the Netherlands, emphasized that diet profoundly affects the immune and metabolic systems. The persistence of these benefits was an unexpected but encouraging outcome.

The Chagga diet’s benefits likely come from the interplay of various foods rather than any single “superfood.” This mirrors the Mediterranean diet’s holistic approach, which focuses on a balanced intake of fruits, vegetables, olive oil, and moderate fish and dairy consumption. Mbege, a fermented banana drink, also appears to promote gut health due to its microbes and beneficial compounds. However, researchers caution that its alcohol content and potential contamination risks should be considered before consuming it regularly.

While the study emphasizes the Chagga diet, the researchers noted that this may not apply universally across East Africa, given the diversity of diets among the region’s over 100 tribes. They called for further research into the health impacts of traditional diets across the continent, especially since international nutrition guidelines often overlook regional differences in food, culture, and genetics.

As urbanization spreads across sub-Saharan Africa, leading to dietary changes and increased sedentary lifestyles, the region faces rising obesity and related health challenges. Dr. de Mast advocates for greater attention to these heritage diets, warning that they could soon disappear and take with them valuable lessons about maintaining good health.

This study calls for a rethinking of global nutrition and a greater focus on the potential of traditional diets in promoting long-term health.