A new global project is mapping traditional dietary patterns in an atlas. In addition, the World Diet Initiative is investigating the health effects of these diets. Researchers from twelve countries are taking part in the project. Time is of the essence, as traditional food practices are disappearing at a rapid pace.
Maasai communities in East Africa are known for diets rich in animal products such as milk, meat, and sometimes blood. In other regions, for example in Ethiopia and Tanzania, local diets are mainly plant-based, comprising legumes, vegetables, and heritage grains, often fermented. In communities still practicing heritage diets, lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease have been rare. How do these completely different diets contribute to the health of their consumers? 'To determine this, we need to act quickly, as many of these dietary patterns are likely to disappear within the next few years', says internist Quirijn de Mast of Radboudumc.
Disappearing dietary diversity
Traditional dietary patterns are disappearing rapidly. People are increasingly moving to cities, economies are developing, and the food supply chain is becoming ever more globalized. As a result, people are eating fewer traditional foods and relying more on supermarkets, where processed products are widely available.
'We are not driven by nostalgia, but from a biological perspective it is extremely interesting to investigate how traditional and modern dietary patterns affect our health', says Mihai Netea, Professor of Experimental Internal Medicine.
To address this question, research institutes from twelve countries around the world have joined forces in the World Diet Initiative, which consists of two main components. First, the partners are creating a comprehensive atlas documenting traditional dietary patterns, food preparation methods, and eating habits. Second, they are investigating how these diets influence the immune system, the microbiome, and metabolism.
Reducing inflammation
The Mediterranean and Japanese diets have so far been studied the most and show a variety of health benefits. In addition, a publication in Nature Medicine last year showed that switching for just two weeks from a Western diet to a traditional African diet rich in vegetables and fiber, already has a clear effect on the immune system and metabolism. Inflammation decreases as a result.
Small studies of other heritage diets also show interesting biological effects. For example, a Korean diet has been shown to reduce inflammation via immune factors. Heritage Mexican diets lower insulin resistance, allowing sugar to be absorbed from the blood more effectively and reducing the risk of overweight.
Preventing disease
According to the researchers, we can learn a great deal from the study of heritage diets. 'These diets are not a blueprint for healthy eating, but they are biologically and culturally unique. Food influences our health in many ways and plays an important role in preventing disease', says De Mast. 'With the World Diet Initiative, we are now building the infrastructure to capture this knowledge and translate insights from heritage diets into health benefits for people worldwide.'
Institutions from the Netherlands, Germany, the UK, Romania, the US, Canada, Brazil, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and India are participating in this project.
About the publication
The launch of the World Diet Initiative is the subject of a publication in Nature Medicine: Studying vanishing dietary diversity before it is lost: the World Diet Initiative. Authors: Quirijn de Mast, Carly V. Brown, Felistar Mwakasungura, Damalie Nakanjako, Godfrey S. Temba, Vinod Kumar, Adriyan Pramono, Tania O. Crișan, Anca Riza, Marien I. de Jonge, Natascha Wagner, Frank Hoentjen, Adaliene Versiani M. Ferreira, Anirban Chakraborty, Mauro Teixeira, Abebaw Fekadu, Ramnik J. Xavier, Bruno Sunguya, Mihai G. Netea. DOI: 10.1038/s41591-026-04520-5.
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