Latest news with #deMast
Daily Mail
27-04-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
New Kilimanjaro diet rivals the popular Mediterranean eating plan for a potentially longer life
The Mediterranean diet has long been hailed as the healthiest way to eat, with its fresh fish, green vegetables, and healthy fats, the regimen dates back to ancient Greece and Rome, now dubbed Blue Zones. Blue Zones are locations lauded as longevity hotspots with low rates of chronic disease and significant numbers of natives living well into their nineties and beyond. Even though the Mediterranean variation has earned the title as healthiest fare year after year, the cuisine of a nation in Africa could soon take its place, step forward the Tanzanian Kilimanjaro diet. Dutch researchers recently found that people in Tanzania, on the southeastern edge of Africa bordering Kenya, are far healthier than western nations due to a focus on unprocessed, traditional foods. The Tanzanian Kilimanjaro diet, focuses on foods like okra, plantains, and beans, and drinks like mbege, made using fermented banana and the grain millet. It was found that men who followed the African plan had significantly lower levels of inflammation and stronger immune systems. Experts behind the study believe it's the diet's lack of processed food that keeps inflammation at bay, lowers risks of chronic diseases, and possibly extend lifespan. Dr Quirijn de Mast, lead study author and infectious disease specialist at Netherlands' Radboud University Medical Center, said: '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.' The researchers recruited 77 healthy Tanzanian men with an average age of 25. Of those, 23 who normally followed the Kilimanjaro diet were asked to switch to a typical Western diet for two weeks, which included foods like processed sausages, white bread, and fries. Meanwhile, 22 who typically ate western meals followed the Kilimanjaro plan for two weeks. This included eating corn, okra, plantains, kidney beans and avocados. Another 22 on the western diet also were asked to drink one serving of mbege every day for a week. The rest who maintained their normal diets were used as controls. Researchers found those who switched from the Kilimanjaro to the Western diet had higher levels of inflammatory proteins in their blood. Their immune cells were also less effective in warding off pathogens. The authors said the Western diet showed 'systemic inflammation and metabolic dysregulation'. Those who switched to the Kilimanjaro eating plan, however, saw the opposite effect. The changes to inflammation levels were still detectable via blood samples for four weeks after the study ended, suggesting the Tanzanian diet's long-lasting benefits. Dr de Mast said: 'Inflammation is at the root of many chronic conditions, which makes this study highly relevant for Western countries as well.' However, while the African diet seems to have similar effects to the one that came out of the Mediterranean, Tanzania itself is not considered a Blue Zone. The average life expectancy is 67 - in the U.S., it is 77. Greece and Italy, two countries that adhere to the Mediterranean diet, have an average life expectancy of 82 and 84, respectively. Both are each home to one of the world's five Blue Zones. According to the latest data, Tanzania had a cancer rate of 140 cases per 100,000 people in 2022, significantly lower than 445 per 100,000 in the U.S. Tanzania records about 44,000 cancer cases per year compared to around two million in the U.S., although the east African country has a significantly smaller population with roughly 66 million people in Tanzania compared to the U.S.'s 330 million. Both countries have roughly equal diabetes rates, with one in ten adults diagnosed with the condition. Dietitian Sapna Peruvemba told VegNews that people who wanted to follow the Tanzanian diet should focus on building meals around veg, fruits, and legumes. And to include fermented foods like sauerkraut and kimchi, which have probiotics that have been shown to promote the production of disease-fighting antibodies and anti-inflammatory compounds. As Peruvemba said: 'Don't underestimate the power of returning to the basics.'
Daily Mail
25-04-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Unlikely country emerges as world's hidden Blue Zone... should we all be eating the Kilimanjaro diet?
The Mediterranean diet has long been hailed as one of the healthiest diets in the world. Emphasizing lean fish, leafy green vegetables and healthy fats like avocado and olive oil, the diet has ancient roots dating back to Greece and Italy, which are now hailed as 'Blue Zones.' Blue Zones are places lauded as longevity hotspots with low rates of chronic diseases and significant amounts of people living well into their 90s and beyond. Though the Mediterranean diet has earned the title of 'healthiest' diet year after year, an unlikely nation in Africa could take its place. Dutch researchers earlier this month found people in Tanzania, which sits on the southeastern edge of Africa bordering Kenya, are far healthier than western nations due to the nation's focus on unprocessed, traditional foods. The Tanzanian Kilimanjaro diet, named after Mount Kilimanjaro - a volcano in Tanzania - is high in foods like okra, plantains, beans and drinks like mbege, which is made with fermented banana and the grain millet. The researchers found men who followed the Kilimanjaro diet had significantly lower levels of inflammation and stronger immune systems. Experts behind the study believe it's the diet's lack of processed food that keeps inflammation at bay, lowering the risk of chronic diseases and possibly extending lifespan. Dr Quirijn de Mast, lead study author and infectious disease specialist at Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands, said: '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.' The researchers recruited 77 healthy Tanzanian men with an average age of 25. Of those, 23 men who normally followed the Kilimanjaro diet were asked to switch to a typical western diet for two weeks, which included foods like processed sausages, white bread and fries. Meanwhile, 22 who typically ate western meals followed the Tanzanian plan for two weeks. This included eating corn, okra, plantains, kidney beans and avocados. Another 22 on the western diet also were asked to drink a serving of mbege for a week. Five men who maintained their normal diets were used as controls. The researchers found people who switched from the Kilimanjaro to the western diet had higher levels of inflammatory proteins in their blood. Their immune cells were also less effective in warding off pathogens. The authors said the western diet showed 'systemic inflammation and metabolic dysregulation.' Those who switched to the Kilimanjaro eating plan, however, saw the opposite effect. And the changes to inflammation levels were still detectable via blood samples for four weeks after the study ended, suggesting the Tanzanian diet had long-lasting benefits. Dr de Mast said: 'Inflammation is at the root of many chronic conditions, which makes this study highly relevant for western countries as well.' However, while the diet seems to have similar effects as the Mediterranean diet, Tanzania itself is not considered a Blue Zone. The average life expectancy is 67, whereas it is 77 in the US. Greece and Italy - two countries that adhere to the Mediterranean diet - have an average life expectancy of 82 and 84, respectively, and two of the world's five Blue Zones are located in each country. According to the latest data, Tanzania had a cancer rate of 140 cases per 100,000 people in 2022, significantly lower than 445 per 100,000 in the US. Tanzania records about 44,000 cancer cases per year compared to roughly 2million in the US, though Tanzania's population is significantly lower than the US. There are roughly 66million people in Tanzania compared to 330million in the US. Both countries have roughly equal diabetes rates, with one in 10 adults being diagnosed with the condition. Sapna Peruvemba, a dietitian at Health by Sapna, told VegNews those who want to follow the Tanzanian diet should focus on building meals around vegetables and fruits, as well as legumes. The diet also includes fermented foods like sauerkraut and kimchi, which have probiotics that have been shown to promote the production of disease-fighting antibodies and anti-inflammatory compounds.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
This Traditional African Diet Appears to Boost The Immune System
Africa's numerous cultures have long enjoyed a heritage of diets based on items known to be good for gut and metabolic health, including a range of vegetables, grains, fruit, and fermented goods. While the impacts of adopting a diet rich in heavily processed and high-calorie foods have been studied around the world, African populations have been underrepresented in the data. "Previous research has focused on other traditional diets, such as the Japanese or Mediterranean diet," says infectious disease specialist Quirijn de Mast from Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands. "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." A study led by de Mast investigated the health effects of switching between a Kilimanjaro heritage-style diet and one considered more Western among northern Tanzanians. The changes were both rapid and profound, with notable impacts on immune and metabolic profiles detectable within weeks of replacing traditional food items of various porridges, okra, sour milk, and fermented grains, with a menu featuring sausages and white bread, jams, pancakes, ketchup, and french fries, or vice versa. The team recruited 77 healthy men from urban and rural parts of Northern Tanzania, who either habitually ate Western foods or tended to stick to a more traditional fare such as 'kiburu' – boiled green plantain with kidney beans – washed down with a bowl of fermented banana and millet called 'mbege'. After a week of their usual daily rotation of meals, a selection of volunteers were instructed to swap for two weeks. Some urban recruits were asked to instead enjoy a serving of low-alcohol mbege with their usual Western meal for one week, before reverting back to their old habits. At key points throughout the investigation the researchers took blood samples to analyze cell types, the production of immune signals called cytokines, and the production of numerous metabolic compounds. Those who switched from Kilimanjaro cuisine to items like bread and sausages showed elevated levels of inflammatory proteins and markers of metabolic dysregulation, with a significant drop in immune response to a number of fungal and bacterial pathogens. They also experienced slight weight gain, which can't be ruled out as a potential contributing factor to other metabolic changes. Conversely, moving from Western foods to more fruits, fermented foods, vegetables, and whole grains increased anti-inflammatory responses, giving the immune system a boost. Even a week of drinking the traditional fermented beverage improved activation of critical defense cells called neutrophils and boosted chemical responses to fungal pathogens like Candida. Surprisingly, the influence of the diet swaps were still detectable four weeks later, making it clear that health changes were not only swift but could also be long-lasting. Not only are Western diets being adopted across the African continent, supplementing if not replacing meals based on healthier items, but emigrants from African cultures moving into Westernized communities face an even greater challenge retaining a heritage that might be healthier for them. By better understanding the risks of limiting food options not just in regions like Tanzania but around the globe, more of us can make healthier choices about our own diets, while enjoying a diverse banquet of exotic new food items. "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," says de Mast. This study was published in Nature Medicine. 'Misokinesia' Phenomenon Could Affect 1 in 3 People, Study Shows Scientists Discover a Simple Method to Reduce Mercury Levels in Tuna Dying Cells Play a Vital, Unexpected Role in Healing, Study Shows
Euronews
06-04-2025
- Health
- Euronews
Move over Mediterranean food. Experts say this East African diet could be key to better health
ADVERTISEMENT The Mediterranean diet may be a favourite among nutritionists, but a new study suggests that sticking to a diet local to a community in East Africa could be another key to good health. The new study, which included 77 men and was published in the journal Nature Medicine , focused on the diet of the Chagga people, who live in northern Tanzania in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro. It's rich in plants and fibres, featuring lots of whole grains, beans, and green vegetables. Related Want to live better in old age? Scientists advise following these eating habits For two weeks, men living in rural areas who usually followed the traditional diet switched to a Western-style diet full of processed foods and salt, such as sausages, white bread, and fried chicken. Meanwhile, town-dwelling men whose diets were more Western either switched to traditional foods for two weeks or added Mbege, a fermented banana drink with an alcohol content of 1 to 3 per cent, to their diets for a week. The researchers then measured inflammation-related biomarkers in the men's blood, as well as changes to their gut microbiomes. Switching from a traditional to a Western diet led to more inflammation, they found – but replacing a Western diet with traditional foods or drinking Mbege helped bring down inflammation, which is tied to health issues like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and autoimmune diseases. Some of these changes were still apparent a month after the experiment, the study found. The results suggest that preserving traditional diets in sub-Saharan Africa – and adopting a similar diet for those further afield – could help reduce people's risk factors for chronic conditions linked to inflammation. Related Lower risk of diabetes to bone fractures: What are the benefits and drawbacks of being vegetarian? "What people eat has a large impact on the immune and metabolic system," Dr Quirijn de Mast, the study's senior author and an associate professor at Radboud University Medical Centre in the Netherlands, told Euronews Health. "It was quite unexpected that many of these effects really persisted," he added. Diversity in diet The researchers said that the benefits of the Chagga people's diet are likely due to how the key foods interact with each other, rather than any single superfood – similar to the Mediterranean diet, which emphasises fruits, vegetables, olive oil, and moderate amounts of fish and dairy. "It's probably not one thing," de Mast said. "I think it's the entire diet". Meanwhile, the fermentation process appears to enrich banana drink Mbege with microbes and chemical compounds that are good for the gut – but the researchers warned that the health benefits of the drink should be weighed against the alcohol content and possible contamination. For people looking to incorporate the benefits of Mbege, de Mast recommends eating more fermented foods in general. ADVERTISEMENT Related Butter linked to higher death risk while plant-based oils may boost health Notably, the findings might not hold for diets across the East African region. There are more than 100 tribes in Tanzania, the study said, each with their own eating habits. The researchers called for more studies on how various traditional diets across Africa affect people's health – especially because international nutrition guidelines don't always consider regional differences in food, culture, and genetics. Timing is key. The rapid urbanisation of sub-Saharan Africa has come with dietary changes and less physical activity, and the region is now grappling with rising rates of obesity and related health problems. "These heritage diets and their diversity really deserve more attention before they disappear, because I think we can really learn a lot," de Mast said. ADVERTISEMENT
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Move over Mediterranean food. Experts say this East African diet could be key to better health
The Mediterranean diet may be a favourite among nutritionists, but a new study suggests that sticking to a diet local to a community in East Africa could be another key to good health. The new study, which included 77 men and was published in the journal Nature Medicine, focused on the diet of the Chagga people, who live in northern Tanzania in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro. It's rich in plants and fibres, featuring lots of whole grains, beans, and green vegetables. Related Want to live better in old age? Scientists advise following these eating habits For two weeks, men living in rural areas who usually followed the traditional diet switched to a Western-style diet full of processed foods and salt, such as sausages, white bread, and fried chicken. Meanwhile, town-dwelling men whose diets were more Western either switched to traditional foods for two weeks or added Mbege, a fermented banana drink with an alcohol content of 1 to 3 per cent, to their diets for a week. The researchers then measured inflammation-related biomarkers in the men's blood, as well as changes to their gut microbiomes. Switching from a traditional to a Western diet led to more inflammation, they found – but replacing a Western diet with traditional foods or drinking Mbege helped bring down inflammation, which is tied to health issues like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and autoimmune diseases. Some of these changes were still apparent a month after the experiment, the study found. The results suggest that preserving traditional diets in sub-Saharan Africa – and adopting a similar diet for those further afield – could help reduce people's risk factors for chronic conditions linked to inflammation. Related Lower risk of diabetes to bone fractures: What are the benefits and drawbacks of being vegetarian? "What people eat has a large impact on the immune and metabolic system," Dr Quirijn de Mast, the study's senior author and an associate professor at Radboud University Medical Centre in the Netherlands, told Euronews Health. "It was quite unexpected that many of these effects really persisted," he added. The researchers said that the benefits of the Chagga people's diet are likely due to how the key foods interact with each other, rather than any single superfood – similar to the Mediterranean diet, which emphasises fruits, vegetables, olive oil, and moderate amounts of fish and dairy. "It's probably not one thing," de Mast said. "I think it's the entire diet". Meanwhile, the fermentation process appears to enrich banana drink Mbege with microbes and chemical compounds that are good for the gut – but the researchers warned that the health benefits of the drink should be weighed against the alcohol content and possible contamination. For people looking to incorporate the benefits of Mbege, de Mast recommends eating more fermented foods in general. Related Butter linked to higher death risk while plant-based oils may boost health Notably, the findings might not hold for diets across the East African region. There are more than 100 tribes in Tanzania, the study said, each with their own eating habits. The researchers called for more studies on how various traditional diets across Africa affect people's health – especially because international nutrition guidelines don't always consider regional differences in food, culture, and genetics. Timing is key. The rapid urbanisation of sub-Saharan Africa has come with dietary changes and less physical activity, and the region is now grappling with rising rates of obesity and related health problems. "These heritage diets and their diversity really deserve more attention before they disappear, because I think we can really learn a lot," de Mast said.
