Experiment Reveals the Dangers of the Western Diet

Inflammation is linked to chronic diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes, and a study found that following a Western diet for two weeks triggers inflammation.

The study included 77 participants from Tanzania, living in urban and rural areas. Some participants who were accustomed to a traditional African diet switched to a Western diet for two weeks, and vice versa.

According to "Surrey Live," the research team from Radboud University Medical Center and KCMC University in Tanzania studied the health effects of these dietary changes.

The African Diet

Principal investigator, internal medicine physician Quergen de Mast, noted that the traditional African diet is rich in vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, and fermented foods. De Mast found that the effects observed after just two weeks were "remarkable."

After two weeks—and again after four weeks—the researchers analyzed immune system function, blood markers of inflammation, and metabolic processes.

Inflammation

Participants who switched to a Western diet showed increased levels of inflammatory proteins in their blood, along with the activation of processes associated with lifestyle diseases. Their immune cells also responded less to pathogens.

Meanwhile, those who switched to a traditional African diet showed decreased levels of inflammatory markers.

Some of these effects persisted even after four weeks, suggesting that short-term dietary changes can have long-lasting effects.

The researchers noted that lifestyle diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, and chronic inflammatory conditions, are on the rise across Africa, posing a growing challenge to healthcare systems across the continent.

Increasing economic development, urbanization, and the wider availability of processed foods have accelerated the adoption of Western eating habits in Africa.