Newly discovered diet that reduces inflammation 'in just two weeks' and helps prevent Alzheimer's

A diet has been spotlighted for its dramatic impact on health issues such as Alzheimer's, , , inflammation and heart problems - all within just two weeks. This dietary breakthrough is centred around the food consumed in the East African country of Tanzania.

A study published in Nature Medicine discovered that adopting a Tanzanian-style diet - abundant in vegetables, legumes, ancient grains and fermented foods - for a mere fortnight had remarkably positive effects. The researchers even suggested that the benefits could rival those of the renowned Mediterranean diet.

Inflammation, a key factor in deadly conditions like dementia, was found to be significantly reduced by the Tanzanian diet. Proteins in the blood associated with a range of conditions, including heart attacks, strokes and insulin resistance, also decreased.

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The research involved 77 healthy men from both urban and rural areas in northern Tanzania. Those who typically consumed a traditional diet switched to Western-style food for two weeks, with meals including roast beef and mashed potatoes for dinner and egg and chips for lunch.

Individuals who switched to a Western diet experienced a spike in inflammatory proteins in their bloodstream and triggered biological processes associated with lifestyle diseases. Their immune cells also became less effective at fighting off pathogens, reports .

On the flip side, those who adopted a traditional African diet or sipped on the fermented beverage saw a decrease in inflammation indicators. Remarkably, some of these benefits lingered even four weeks after the dietary shift, suggesting that even short-term changes to one's diet can have enduring impacts.

The diet scrutinised in this research mirrors the traditional fare of the Chagga community residing on Mount Kilimanjaro's verdant slopes. Their diet is predominantly plant-based, brimming with staples like plantains, beans, millet, sorghum, as well as probiotic-rich fermented foods and fruits and vegetables loaded with polyphenols.

One of the key dishes, kiburu—a hearty porridge concocted from green plantains and kidney beans—was among the offerings sampled by study participants.

Dr Quirijn de Mast, a contributor to the study, posited that other African cuisines might confer similar health boons. "The Mediterranean diet has been extensively studied, but African heritage diets hold untapped potential for promoting health," he observed.

"These diets are diverse, rich in fibre and feature unique food products that may offer specific health advantages."

Rapid urbanisation and the surge of processed food options are causing traditional African dishes to fall by the wayside, leading to an increase in conditions like inflammatory bowel disease and type 2 diabetes – ailments previously rare in the region.

Dr. De Mast highlighted the importance of sticking to unprocessed, fibre-rich foods, mentioning: "The core principle is unprocessed, fibre-rich foods," But he also signalled that native grains such as teff could have particular health advantages worthy of deeper investigation: "Africa harbours an extraordinary diversity of traditional diets, many of which are still under-explored in scientific research, and are at risk of disappearing before we fully understand their potential,".

Moreover, he noted that while much research had been conducted on other traditional diets like those from Japan or countries around the Mediterranean, African diets deserve equal attention: "Previous research has focused on other traditional diets, such as the Japanese or Mediterranean diet'. However, there is just as much to learn from traditional African diets, especially now, as lifestyles in many African regions are rapidly changing and lifestyle diseases are increasing. Africa's rich diversity in traditional diets offers unique opportunities to gain valuable insights into how food influences health.'De Mast finds it remarkable how significant the effects of diet are, even after just two weeks. ".

De Mast is astounded by the profound impact that diet can have, even over a brief period of two weeks. "The African diet includes plenty of vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains, and fermented foods. Our study highlights the benefits of these traditional food products for inflammation and metabolic processes in the body. At the same time, we show how harmful an unhealthy Western diet can be. It typically consists of processed and high-calorie foods, such as French fries and white bread, with excessive salt, refined sugars, and saturated fats. Inflammation is at the root of many chronic conditions, which makes this study highly relevant for Western countries as well."