New Study Finds Strong Link Between Junk Food and Inflammatory Diseases

ISLAMABAD: Chronic inflammation plays a major role in the development of lifestyle-related conditions such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

According to recent research reported by Medical News Today, a typical Western diet — high in processed foods and low in whole, plant-based ingredients — can significantly worsen this inflammatory state.

Scientists from Radboud University Medical Centre and Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College conducted a study to examine how shifting dietary habits impact the body at the cellular level.

Their research revealed that adopting a Western-style diet for just two weeks, compared to following a traditional African diet, led to heightened inflammation, impaired immune function, and disruption of metabolic pathways associated with chronic diseases.

Conversely, the study found that returning to a traditional African diet or consuming traditional fermented drinks could offer anti-inflammatory benefits.

These results support the growing body of evidence suggesting that traditional eating patterns — such as African, Mediterranean, and Latin American diets, which emphasize whole, plant-based foods — may promote better health and lower the risk of lifestyle-related illnesses, though more research is needed to confirm these findings.

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Specifically, the researchers noted that transitioning from a traditional African diet to a Western one over a short two-week period triggered changes in gene expression, elevated inflammatory markers in the blood, and altered the behavior of white blood cells. This shift weakened the immune system’s ability to defend against infections.

In contrast, switching back to a plant-focused traditional diet or consuming fermented beverages led to a noticeable reduction in markers of inflammation, highlighting the potential protective effects of traditional diets against chronic disease.