Scientists design new diet inspired by non-industrialized societies to boost metabolism and immunity

A newly developed diet mimicking eating habits in non-industrialized communities can significantly reduce the risk of a number of chronic diseases, according to a recent study. The authors of the paper plan to share recipes based on these findings. 

Published in Cell, the research flags that industrialized diets — high in processed foods and low in fiber — have contributed to a substantial rise in chronic diseases like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease in affluent countries such as Ireland.

Specifically, the new diet contributes to “significant” metabolic and immunological improvements in a human intervention study.

In three weeks, the diet promoted weight loss, decreased LDL (“bad”) cholesterol by 17%, reduced blood sugar by 6%, and reduced C-reactive Protein — a marker of inflammation and heart disease — by 14%.

These improvements were linked to beneficial changes in the participants’ gut microbiome.

“Industrialization has drastically impacted our gut microbiome, likely increasing the risk of chronic diseases,” says study co-author professor Jens Walter, a scientist at University College Cork, Ireland, who is also a principal investigator at APC Microbiome Ireland, a research center focused on microbiome science.

“To counter this, we developed a diet that mimics traditional, non-industrialized dietary habits and is compatible with our understanding on diet-microbiome interactions. 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.”

Restoring the industrialized microbiome

The study demonstrated that the new diet, titled NiMeTM (“Non-industrialized Microbiome Restore”) diet, enhanced short-term persistence of L. reuteri in the gut.

However, it also improved microbiome features damaged by industrialization, such as reducing pro-inflammatory bacteria and bacterial genes that degrade the mucus layer in the gut.

These changes were linked to improvements in cardiometabolic markers of chronic disease risk, highlight the researchers.

Although participants did not consume fewer calories on the NiMe diet, they lost weight, and the diet alone led to considerable cardiometabolic benefits.

In previous research, Walter’s team, studying the gut microbiome in rural Papua New Guinea, found that individuals there have a much more diverse microbiome, enriched in bacteria that thrive from dietary fiber.

They also linked lower levels of pro-inflammatory bacteria to western diets. This information was used to design the NiMeTM diet.

Improvements from the diet were linked to beneficial changes in the participants’ gut microbiome.Characteristics of non-industrialized diets

The NiMeTM diet shares key characteristics of non-industrialized diets. Firstly, these have a plant-based focus but are not vegetarian. They are primarily made up of vegetables, legumes, and other whole-plant foods. They also contain small servings of animal protein per day, such as salmon, chicken, or pork.

These diets also exclude dairy, beef, and wheat because they are not part of the traditional foods consumed by rural Papua New Guineans.

Additionally, the diets are very low in processed foods that are high in sugar and saturated fat, while being rich in fiber — at 22 grams per 1,000 calories, exceeding current dietary recommendations.

“Everybody knows that diet influences health, but many underestimate the magnitude,” says Walter.

The research was conducted by an international team of scientists led by Walter. The human trial was performed at the University of Alberta in Canada, his previous institution.

“This study shows that we can target the gut microbiome through specific diets to improve health and reduce disease risk. These findings could shape future dietary guidelines and inspire the development of new food products and ingredients, as well as therapeutics, which target the microbiome,” says Cp Paul Ross, director of APC Microbiome Ireland.

“The recipes from the NiMe Diet will be posted to our Instagram (@nimediet) and Facebook pages, and they will also be included in an online cookbook soon. It is important to us to make these recipes freely available so that everyone can enjoy them and improve their health by feeding their gut microbiome,” adds Dr. Anissa Armet from the University of Alberta, a registered dietitian who designed the NiMe diet and one of the lead authors of the publication.

In other gut microbiome research this month, Nimble Science is upgrading healthcare services with its SIMBA Capsule, which collects and preserves precise samples directly from the small intestine when swallowed to advance personalized microbiome research.

Meanwhile, a team of US-based researchers tapped into supercomputing to unlock the secrets of gut health. By mapping the unique microorganisms in each person’s digestive system, the team says they can create personalized diets to improve and optimize overall health.