New research links Western diet to inflammatory diseases

Heart disease and type 2 diabetes are two lifestyle-related disorders that are significantly influenced by chronic inflammation.

A contemporary Western diet that is heavy in processed foods and low in whole plant-based foods can significantly exacerbate this chronic inflammation, according to new research, reported Medical News Today.

To explore the effects of this dietary shift, researchers from Radboud University Medical Centre and Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College investigated the health impacts at the cellular level.

Their findings indicate that just 2 weeks of adopting a Western diet over a traditional African diet can lead to increased inflammation, weakened immune responses, and disrupted metabolic pathways tied to lifestyle-related diseases.

In contrast, switching from a Western diet to a traditional African diet or consuming traditional fermented beverages may have anti-inflammatory benefits.

These findings lend credence to the notion that traditional diets, such as traditional African, Mediterranean, and Latin American cuisines, which are primarily plant-based, can enhance health and reduce the risk of diseases linked to a certain lifestyle, albeit further research is required.

According to their findings, a two-week transition from a traditional African diet to a Western diet interfered with important metabolic pathways that are connected to diseases associated to lifestyle choices.

Additionally, it seemed to set off a pro-inflammatory condition that involved gene expression alterations, inflammatory substances in the blood, and white blood cells.

Their immune cells also lost some of their ability to fight off infections.

On the other hand, ingesting the fermented beverage or switching from a Western diet to a traditional African diet that is primarily plant-based had primarily anti-inflammatory effects, such as a decrease in inflammatory markers.

Disclaimer: Consult your doctor before trying anything.