Traditional African Diet Reduces Inflammation ^{CEFR B2}

Researchers at Radboud University Medical Centre and KCMC University conducted a controlled dietary trial in Tanzania and found clear effects on inflammation and immune function. Quirijn de Mast, an infectious diseases specialist and lead co-author, said diet is “among the strongest factors associated with immune variation,” and the team argues for region-specific dietary guidance rather than importing recommendations from the global North unchanged.

The trial enrolled 77 healthy men from urban and rural communities. For two weeks participants followed one of four regimens: a traditional plant-based diet common among the Chagga (including finger millet porridge, taro, ugali, okra and mchicha); a Western diet of sausages, white bread, French fries, eggs and biscuits; a daily intake of mbege, a fermented banana drink; or a control group that kept their usual diet.

Researchers measured immune function, blood inflammation markers and metabolic processes immediately after the two-week intervention and again four weeks later. The Western diet led to higher levels of inflammatory proteins and reduced immune effectiveness, while the traditional diet lowered inflammation. Some effects persisted four weeks after the diet ended.

The study notes broader health concerns in Africa: the World Health Organization reports cardiovascular diseases account for 37 per cent of deaths linked to non-communicable diseases in Africa and about 13 per cent of all deaths. Africa makes up 5.7 per cent of global cancer incidence but more than seven per cent of cancer deaths, and cancer death rates are projected to exceed the global average by 30 per cent in the next 20 years. Silvenus Konyole, an associate professor of food science and nutrition, said traditional plant-based foods are rich in antioxidants that can help reduce inflammation.