April 20, 2025, 11:58 am | Read time: 4 minutes
Whole grains, beans, fermented bananas: The diet of the Chagga people from northern Tanzania is a nutritional approach that could benefit Western societies as well. A recent study compared it with common Western dietary patterns, yielding useful results: Its anti-inflammatory effects were particularly notable.
It has long been known that natural foods have a positive effect on health. Nevertheless, people in Western cultures still frequently reach for highly processed, sugar- and fat-rich products. In many regions of Africa, however, a traditional, balanced diet continues to play a central role—such as with the Chagga tribe, which relies not only on plant-based and fiber-rich foods but also on a very special beverage. A study has examined this diet in more detail.1
Overview
Western Diet Poses Health Risks
In Western societies, the overabundance of food has long been a part of everyday life. However, those who regularly consume high-fat, high-sugar, and processed products risk long-term health consequences. Excessive consumption of processed meats, white flour products, fast food, and the like can increase the risk of colon cancer, among other things. Type 2 diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disorders are also associated with the typical Western diet.2 Yet, even in rural regions of Africa, the Western diet is spreading—and with it, diet-related diseases are noticeably increasing.
The Chagga Diet Explained
The Chagga diet is the traditional diet of the Chagga tribe in northern Tanzania. The people living in the Kilimanjaro region primarily rely on a fiber-rich, plant-based diet—characterized by vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and fermented foods. Sugar- and fat-rich products play little role in the Chagga diet. Typical dishes include hearty, naturally sourced meals and “Mbege”—a fermented beverage made from bananas and millet flour.
Details of the Study
Western diets have long been well-researched. In contrast, traditional African diets have been scarcely studied scientifically. An international research team has now compared how an original African diet affects the health of young men compared to Western eating habits.
The randomized, controlled study involved 77 young men from across Tanzania, with an average age of about 25 years. They were divided into three groups: The first group switched their diet from traditional Chagga food to a typical Western diet for two weeks—including a diet of white bread, sausages, and fries. The second group replaced fast food with classic Chagga dishes, including millet porridge, root vegetables, plantains, and “Ugali,” a porridge made from corn or cassava flour.
The third group continued their Western-influenced diet but drank the fermented banana beer “Mbege” (about one liter) daily for a week. To examine the physical effects, blood samples were taken from the participants before the change, immediately afterward, and four weeks later to test whether the effects persisted over a longer period. A particular focus was on gene activity, metabolic products, body proteins, and immune response.
Results: Chagga Diet Positively Affects Inflammation Levels
Both the switch from traditional to Western diet and vice versa had noticeable effects on the participants’ health. Particularly striking was the increase in inflammation and metabolic markers in the group that switched to a Western diet. Proteins associated with vascular calcification and lipid metabolism disorders were especially prevalent. The results suggest that even a short switch to a Western diet can significantly increase the risk of diseases such as atherosclerosis, cardiovascular problems, and type 2 diabetes.
In contrast, the test group that followed the traditional Chagga diet showed predominantly positive effects. The analysis revealed a significant decrease in pro-inflammatory proteins in the blood, and the diet had a favorable impact on metabolism. The concentration of proteins associated with diseases like atherosclerosis or cell decay also remained stable. Additionally, the CRP levels, which indicate inflammation in the body, did not increase with this diet.
And how did the fermented banana beer “Mbege” affect the participants who remained on their Western diet? Here, the beverage also brought positive effects. The cytokine production changed measurably, indicating an anti-inflammatory effect. Moreover, over a third of the metabolic products in the blood showed changes—many in the health-promoting range.
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Study Evaluation
The study was conducted exclusively on male participants, so how the traditional Chagga diet affects the female body is still unexplored. The researchers explained that this approach was chosen to avoid confounding factors such as hormonal fluctuations during the investigations.
The study shows that even a two-week traditional Chagga diet can have noticeable and lasting health benefits—particularly regarding inflammation levels in the body. The plant- and fiber-rich diet positively affects the immune system and can reduce the risk of diseases such as cardiovascular conditions and type 2 diabetes in the long term. In contrast, the switch to a Western-influenced diet had clear negative consequences: Inflammation levels increased significantly, and metabolism became unbalanced—with potentially long-term health risks.