a diet recently developed food inspired by the eating habits of non-industrialized societies can significantly reduce the risk of a series of chronic diseases, according to researchers at the University of Cork (Ireland).
In depth
Industrialized diets, rich in processed foods and low in fiber, have contributed to a substantial increase in chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease in rich countries like Ireland.
According to this new article published in the prestigious scientific journal ‘cell‘, it has been demonstrated that a recently developed diet that imitates the eating habits of communities No industrialized cultures have produced metabolic and immunological improvements significant in a human intervention study.
In just three weeksdiet achievement: promoted weight loss; decreased bad cholesterol by 17 percent, reduced blood sugar by 6 percent; reduced C-reactive protein (a marker of inflammation and heart disease) by 14 percent.
These improvements were related to beneficial changes in participants’ gut microbiomehome to trillions of bacteria that play a vital role in our health, influencing digestion, immunity and metabolism. The research was carried out by an international team of scientists led by Professor Jens Walter, a leading scientist at University College Cork, where he holds a research chair in Ireland. The human trial was conducted at the University of Alberta in Canada, the institution where Professor Walter previously worked.
More details
“The industrialization has drastically affected our gut microbiome, likely increasing the risk of chronic diseases“explains Professor Walter, who is also a Principal Investigator at APC Microbiome Ireland, a world-renowned research center of Research Ireland.
“For counter To achieve this, we developed a diet that mimics traditional non-industrialized eating habits and is compatible with our knowledge of interactions between diet and the microbiome. In a strictly controlled human trial, participants followed this diet and consumed L. reuteri a beneficial bacteria prevalent in the gut of Papua New Guineans but rarely found in industrialized microbiomes.”
The study showed that the new diet called NiMe TM (Non-industrialized Microbiome Restore) improved the short-term persistence of L. reuteri in the intestine. However, it also improved microbiome features damaged by industrialization, such as reducing pro-inflammatory bacteria and bacterial genes that degrade the mucus layer in the gut. These changes were linked to improvements in cardiometabolic markers of chronic disease risk..
Although the participants They did not consume fewer calories on the NiMe diet, they lost weight, and the diet alone produced considerable cardiometabolic benefits.
To take into account
In previous research, Professor Walters’ team, studying the gut microbiome in rural Papua New Guineadiscovered that the inhabitants of that area have a much more diverse microbiome, enriched with bacteria that feed on dietary fiber and with lower levels of pro-inflammatory bacteria associated with the Western diet. This information was used to design the NiMe TM diet..
The NiMe TM Diet shares key characteristics of non-industrialized diets: Plant-based, but non-vegetarian approach: mainly composed of vegetables, legumes and other whole plant foods. A small portion of animal protein per day (salmon, chicken or pork). They also restrict dairy products, beef or wheat: excluded simply because they are not part of the traditional foods consumed by rural Papua New Guineans. Likewise, contains a very low level of processed foods high in sugar and saturated fat.
It is also a diet rich in fiber. In fact, the fiber content was 22 grams per 1,000 calories, surpassing current dietary recommendations. “Everyone knows that diet influences health, but many underestimate its magnitude“says Professor Walter.
Commenting on this study, Professor Paul Rossdirector of APC Microbiome Ireland, adds: “This study demonstrates that we can target the gut microbiome through specific diets to improve health and reduce the risk of disease. These findings could shape future dietary guidelines and inspire the development of new food products and ingredients, as well as therapies, which act about the microbiome”.
#Research #shows #diet #inspired #eating #habits #nonindustrialized #societies #reduces #risk #chronic #diseases