By Edward J. Thomas –
Those looking to lose weight, reduce bad cholesterol, boost heart health and generally put themselves on a track toward feeling better might want to see what people in non-industrialized countries are eating. Moving to these diets appears to be the pathway to better health.
The shift essentially helps individuals move away from high-processed foods that are low in fiber. These unhealthy diets have led to a surge in obesity and chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. They have also fostered a sweeping health plague in affluent countries.
A study by researchers at Ireland’s University College Cork specifically reported mirroring the diets of non-industrialized countries can lead to significant weight loss and on average reduce bad cholesterol by 17 percent, reduce blood sugar by six percent and lower C-reactive Protein, a marker of inflammation and heart disease, by 14 percent.
The improvements are linked to beneficial changes in the body’s gut microbiome, which plays a vital role in supporting digestion, immunity and metabolism.
“Industrialization has drastically impacted our gut microbiome, likely increasing the risk of chronic diseases,” explained Jens Walter, the study’s lead researcher and professor at Cork College University.
“To counter this, we developed a diet that mimics traditional, non-industrialized dietary habits and is compatible with our understanding on diet-microbiome interactions,” he added. “In a strictly controlled human trial, participants followed this diet and consumed L. reuteri, a beneficial bacterium prevalent in the gut of Papua New Guineans but rarely found in the industrialized microbiomes.”
The university’s work underscores the nutritional and health benefits of a new diet entitled NiMeTM (Non-industrialized Microbiome Restore), which Walter’s research team had previously developed after studying diets and microbiomes of individuals living in rural Papua New Guinea. NiMe diets enhance the short-term persistence of L. reuteri in the gut.
Surprisingly, the study’s participants on NiMe diets did not actually consume fewer calories than their traditional eating habits, but they nonetheless lost weight. The diet also resulted in considerable cardiometabolic benefits.
The NiMe diet shares key characteristics of non-industrialized diets. It has a plant-based focus but is not vegetarian. Meals consist primarily of vegetables, legumes and other whole-plant foods with one small serving of animal protein per day, such as salmon, chicken or pork. There is no dairy, beef or wheat involved and it is extremely low in processed foods that are high in sugar and saturated fat. It is also fiber-rich, containing 22 grams per 1,000 calories, which exceeds the current dietary recommendations.
The research team’s effort didn’t end with producing results that demonstrated the benefits of these diets. The team is also working to develop NiMe recipes designed to improve health by building robust gut microbiomes. These recipes will be posted on Instagram (@nimediet) and Facebook pages. They will also be included shortly in an online cookbook.
“Everybody knows that diet influences health, but many underestimate the magnitude,” said Prof. Walter.
