Western Diets are not better than any traditional diet
Published 6.10.2025: This article was sent to me by my husband… after having discussed how the Mediterranean Diet would again be the "number one" diet as chosen by dietitians in the annual US World Reports survey. Here they compared a "western diet" (read hyper-palatable ultra-processed foods or UPF diet) to a traditional African diet. And to no one surprise, the traditional African diet resulted in better blood markers.
All this means is that UPF diets that are hyper-palatable are terrible— is this news to anyone? The fact that hyper-palatable UPFs (HPUPF?) are displacing traditional diets is also not a surprise. HPUPFs are designed to be delicious and craveable, and super easy to cook. No traditional diet can match it on that level.
Add to that the very long shelf life of HPUPF, and you've get a diet for disaster on your hands. Marion Nestle blames the former head of General Electric for the change in food.
The African traditional diet is very different from the Mediterranean diet. but it still consists are whole foods cooked in traditional methods, such as boiling. There are a lot of stews and a lot of plants— just different plants than the traditional Mediterranean diet. Plantains, black beans, green vegetables, and brown rice are included in the diet. Interestingly, the researchers noted that the traditional diet is disappearing, but see above, that is not surprising.
The issue here isn't that the results are a surprise to the researchers, it's just that traditional African cuisine is not touted as being safe and desirable by World Organizations. What the researchers want is to have traditional African diets recognized as being healthy.
Frankly, at this point, any diet that says avoid HPUPFs will probably result in better markers… with the possible exception of the keto diet or a diet that limits the amount of whole plant foods. You don't have to be vegan to eat a plant heavy diet. In fact, it's not clear that vegan diets are healthier absent strategic supplementation— even Dr Fuhrman admits that.
Having invoked veganism, I'm going to conclude with a general impression of the state of the online vegan world. I've covered the world in the past, and I still monitor it currently. Raw fruit diets and that associated fad seems to have died down— mostly because so many adherents have quit being vegans. The whole ex-vegan explains why they aren't vegan is it's own category on YouTube.
Too many former vegans have fallen into the foolishness that is the "carnivore" diet— which might win a prize for being the only thing I've heard of that is stupider than the keto diet… Generally "carnivores" eat too much meat to be truly in ketosis… but seriously people, humans are NOT carnivores. We don't have the teeth and we don't have guts (digestive tract) of carnivores. We are an omnivorous specie— and that is a feature, not a bug. Humans can live anywhere and eat anything.
Sorry, but vegans are the topic for today. What I've noticed is that the need to supplement is no longer frowned upon in the vegan world. Obviously, B12 is a must if you're vegan, but vitamin D, calcium and omega 3 fatty acids are often now admitted to be sources of vegan deficiency. More often than not, vegans now point to the fact that many omnivores also need to supplement, rather than denying that vegans do.
The argument that veganism is the "natural" diet for humans seems to have died. I haven't written it up yet (but it's coming) but a presenter at the vegan seminar actually admitted that there have been no vegan societies— EVER. It was refreshing to hear— and naturally he went on to say why modern humans should be vegan. Still one of my favorite talks. The vegan diet has much to commend it, but lying to people helps no one, least of all vegans.
And yes, except for the first link, the subsequent ones are of my own pieces, so sue me.
DISCLAIMER: I am NOT any type of medical professional. Do NOT take medical advice from me!!
All this means is that UPF diets that are hyper-palatable are terrible— is this news to anyone? The fact that hyper-palatable UPFs (HPUPF?) are displacing traditional diets is also not a surprise. HPUPFs are designed to be delicious and craveable, and super easy to cook. No traditional diet can match it on that level.
Add to that the very long shelf life of HPUPF, and you've get a diet for disaster on your hands. Marion Nestle blames the former head of General Electric for the change in food.
The African traditional diet is very different from the Mediterranean diet. but it still consists are whole foods cooked in traditional methods, such as boiling. There are a lot of stews and a lot of plants— just different plants than the traditional Mediterranean diet. Plantains, black beans, green vegetables, and brown rice are included in the diet. Interestingly, the researchers noted that the traditional diet is disappearing, but see above, that is not surprising.
The issue here isn't that the results are a surprise to the researchers, it's just that traditional African cuisine is not touted as being safe and desirable by World Organizations. What the researchers want is to have traditional African diets recognized as being healthy.
Frankly, at this point, any diet that says avoid HPUPFs will probably result in better markers… with the possible exception of the keto diet or a diet that limits the amount of whole plant foods. You don't have to be vegan to eat a plant heavy diet. In fact, it's not clear that vegan diets are healthier absent strategic supplementation— even Dr Fuhrman admits that.
Having invoked veganism, I'm going to conclude with a general impression of the state of the online vegan world. I've covered the world in the past, and I still monitor it currently. Raw fruit diets and that associated fad seems to have died down— mostly because so many adherents have quit being vegans. The whole ex-vegan explains why they aren't vegan is it's own category on YouTube.
Too many former vegans have fallen into the foolishness that is the "carnivore" diet— which might win a prize for being the only thing I've heard of that is stupider than the keto diet… Generally "carnivores" eat too much meat to be truly in ketosis… but seriously people, humans are NOT carnivores. We don't have the teeth and we don't have guts (digestive tract) of carnivores. We are an omnivorous specie— and that is a feature, not a bug. Humans can live anywhere and eat anything.
Sorry, but vegans are the topic for today. What I've noticed is that the need to supplement is no longer frowned upon in the vegan world. Obviously, B12 is a must if you're vegan, but vitamin D, calcium and omega 3 fatty acids are often now admitted to be sources of vegan deficiency. More often than not, vegans now point to the fact that many omnivores also need to supplement, rather than denying that vegans do.
The argument that veganism is the "natural" diet for humans seems to have died. I haven't written it up yet (but it's coming) but a presenter at the vegan seminar actually admitted that there have been no vegan societies— EVER. It was refreshing to hear— and naturally he went on to say why modern humans should be vegan. Still one of my favorite talks. The vegan diet has much to commend it, but lying to people helps no one, least of all vegans.
And yes, except for the first link, the subsequent ones are of my own pieces, so sue me.
DISCLAIMER: I am NOT any type of medical professional. Do NOT take medical advice from me!!