Emerging diet linked to surprisingly low cancer rates

Scientists at Radboud University Medical Center (Netherlands) found that people in Tanzania, a country located in southeast Africa, are much healthier than those in Western countries, so they conducted a study comparing the diets of the two regions to find out why.

The Tanzanian diet includes vegetables, fruits, legumes, grains and fermented foods.

Illustration: AI

The Tanzanian diet is known to include vegetables, fruits, legumes, grains and fermented foods such as mbege - a traditional fermented banana drink typical of the region.

Typical foods found in the Tanzanian diet include millet porridge with fermented milk, taro, bananas with kidney beans and avocado, cassava-based dishes, corn and green vegetables, according to the health news site Women's Health .

Researchers recruited 77 healthy Tanzanian men with an average age of 25. Of these, 23 were following a Tanzanian diet, which focuses on traditional, unprocessed foods, and were asked to switch to a typical Western diet for 2 weeks, which included foods such as processed sausages, bread, and French fries.

Another 22 people who were eating a Western diet switched to a Tanzanian diet for two weeks, which included corn, okra, bananas, kidney beans and avocados.

Another 22 people on a Western diet were also asked to drink one serving of "mbege" every day for a week. Five people ate as usual as controls.

Tanzanian diet has low inflammation, strong immune system

Results found that men who followed the Tanzanian diet had significantly lower levels of inflammation, healthier metabolic profiles, and much stronger immune systems.

Specifically, people who switched to a Western diet high in processed foods high in calories, saturated fat, salt, and refined carbohydrates had spikes in inflammatory markers in their blood, as well as decreased immune function after just 2 weeks.

Notably, according to the latest figures, Tanzania has a cancer incidence rate of 71 cases per 100,000 population.

Photo: AI

In contrast, those who switched to the Tanzanian diet for 2 weeks showed significantly reduced signs of inflammation and a strong increase in immunity, according to Women's Health.

Notably, the signs of reduced inflammation persisted for up to a month afterward, suggesting that even short-term dietary changes can have lasting effects.

Other effects also include positive metabolic changes that other studies have shown may lead to a reduction in chronic conditions like heart disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer, as well as overall cognitive decline.

Research shows that a diet rich in plants, whole grains, and fermented foods is likely to have long-term benefits, with positive effects beginning soon after making dietary changes.

The study authors suggest that a diet free of processed foods helps prevent inflammation, reduces the risk of chronic diseases and may prolong life.

The study highlights the benefits of traditional foods on inflammation and metabolic processes in the body, said lead author Dr. Quirijn de Mast, an infectious disease expert at Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands.

Inflammation is a major driver of many chronic diseases, says Dr. de Mast. According to the Cleveland Clinic, chronic inflammation is involved in the disease process of many conditions, including cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, cancer, diabetes, lung disease, gastrointestinal disease, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and even depression and anxiety.

Cancer rates are surprisingly low!

Notably, according to the latest figures, Tanzania has a cancer rate of 71 new cases per 100,000 people in 2022, compared to 556 cases per 100,000 people in the US. Meanwhile, the world rate is nearly 197 cases per 100,000 people. This means that the cancer rate in Tanzania is 7.8 times lower than in the US, and 2.8 times lower than the world average, according to the Daily Mail.

What does the Tanzanian diet consist of?

Nutritionist Sapna Peruvemba, founder of Health by Sapna (USA), said people who want to adopt the Tanzanian diet should focus on vegetables, fruits and beans.

The diet also includes fermented foods like sauerkraut and kimchi, which contain probiotics – which have been shown to boost the production of disease-fighting antibodies and anti-inflammatory compounds, according to the Daily Mail.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/che-do-an-moi-noi-lien-quan-den-ty-le-ung-thu-thap-dang-kinh-ngac-185250430181349093.htm