Kilimanjaro diet: Researchers say this diet can lower inflammation, boost immunity for longer lives

There are different types of diets that claim to be the best of all. One of them is the Mediterranean diet, which includes plant-based foods and healthy fats. Fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, nuts, whole grains, extra virgin olive oil, fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids and cheese and yoghurt are a major part of the Mediterranean diet. However, researchers have found a new diet that could soon take the place of the Mediterranean diet. 

This is the Tanzanian Kilimanjaro diet, which is named after the volcano Mount Kilimanjaro. Dutch researchers found that people in Tanzania are healthier than people in Western nations due to a focus on unprocessed, traditional foods, according to a report in The Daily Mail. The researchers found men who followed the Kilimanjaro diet had significantly lower levels of inflammation and stronger immune systems. 

The Kilimanjaro diet includes foods like okra, plantains and beans, and drinks like mbege, made with fermented banana and the grain millet. According to the researchers, the diet lacks processed food, which helps to keep away inflammation, reduce the risk of chronic diseases, both of which help to increase your lifespan. 

Dr. Quirijn de Mast, infectious disease specialist at Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands and lead author of the study, said, “Our study highlights the benefits of these traditional food products for inflammation and metabolic processes in the body.”

Dr. de Mast also added, “At the same time, we show how harmful an unhealthy Western diet can be.”

For the study, the researchers recruited 77 healthy Tanzanian men with an average age of 25. Of these, 23 men who followed the Kilimanjaro diet were asked to switch to a typical western diet for two weeks, which included foods like processed sausages, white bread and fries. On the other hand, 22 men who ate western meals were asked to follow the Kilimanjaro diet for two weeks. And, another 22 men who followed the western diet were also asked to drink one serving of mbege every day for a week. Lastly, five men who maintained their normal diets were used as controls. 

The report says that people who switched from the Kilimanjaro to the western diet had higher levels of inflammatory proteins in their blood. Their immune cells were also less effective in warding off pathogens. The ones who switched to the Kilimanjaro diet saw the opposite effect. 

Dr. de Mast also said, “Inflammation is at the root of many chronic conditions, which makes this study highly relevant for Western countries as well.”

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