The lives of Westerners couldn’t be more different from those who live in the villages of Papua New Guinea. In North America, Australia, and Europe, we rely on an industrialized food system to provide us with sustenance through ultra-processed foods and products from animals raised in cramped factory farms. That might sound like hyperbole, but it’s rooted in fact.
In the US, more than 99 percent of meat and dairy products come from factory farms, according to the Sentience Institute. Meanwhile, research from New York University estimates that nearly 60 percent of the average American’s calories come from ultra-processed foods. These foods are often high in sugar, unhealthy fats, and additives, contributing to rising rates of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
Getty
A stark contrast: the diet of rural Papua New Guinea
In rural Papua New Guinea, things couldn’t be more different. The population is predominantly vegetarian, with little to no dairy or beef consumption. Instead, most calories come from fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables such as sweet potatoes, taro, bananas, and pawpaws. While some meats like pork, chicken, and seafood are eaten, they tend to be secondary to a plant-based diet.
With this in mind, it is perhaps unsurprising that research also confirms that the people of Papua New Guinea seem to be much healthier than Westerners. The result of their plant-led diet includes lower levels of cholesterol, lower rates of inflammation, and a more diverse gut microbiome. This is likely to do with the huge amounts of fiber eaten by people in rural Papua New Guinea.
“Fiber is important for keeping us regular as most of us know, but it’s also the foundation for a healthy gut,” Nichole Dandrea-Russert, MS, RDN, and author of The Fiber Effect, told VegNews. “A healthy gut leads to less acute and chronic inflammation, both in the gut and throughout the body.”
Canva
We should all be eating up to 35 grams of fiber a day, but 95 percent of Americans are not meeting that target. This isn’t helped by the large majority of food consumed in countries like the US, Canada, and much of Europe that comes from industrial agriculture and large-scale food processing. Think about the shelves of your local grocery store, which are lined with packaged snacks, processed meats, and candy, for example. In rural Papua New Guinea, most food is grown by locals in a non-industrialized system.
“The traditional diet in rural Papua New Guinea is rich in unprocessed plant-based foods that are full of fiber but low in sugar and calories, something I was able to see for myself on a trip to Papua New Guinea,” writes Jens Walter, PhD, of the University College Cork’s School of Microbiology, for The Independent.
In order to help people support their gut health and increase their fiber intake, researchers used learnings from the Papua New Guinea diet to create the NiMe diet, which emphasizes, fresh non-industrialized eating patterns.
You can read more about the NiMe diet here, but in short, it emphasizes a high intake of plant-based whole foods and high amounts of fiber—even more than the recommended amount, at 45 grams a day. In research trials, participants following the NiMe diet experienced significant drops in cholesterol and inflammation, highlighting the potential benefits of shifting towards a more natural diet.
“Industrialization has drastically impacted our gut microbiome, likely increasing the risk of chronic diseases,” said Walter. “To counter this, we developed a diet that mimics traditional, non-industrialized dietary habits and is compatible with our understanding of diet-microbiome interactions.”
However, adopting a diet similar to Papua New Guinea’s is easier said than done. Industrialized food systems dominate Western markets, making highly processed foods more affordable and accessible than fresh, whole foods.
Pexels
The benefits of Papua New Guinea diets go beyond health
Beyond health, the Western food system is devastating to the environment. Industrial agriculture contributes 14.5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions and is a leading cause of deforestation. Beef production, which is virtually absent in Papua New Guinea, is the largest driver of forest loss worldwide.
Meanwhile, many of the world’s poorest countries suffer the worst consequences of climate change, despite contributing the least to the problem. In Papua New Guinea, where 40 percent of the population lives below the poverty line, rising sea levels and extreme weather events are already forcing people to relocate away from coastal regions.
BECOME A VEGNEWS VIP: Get exclusive product deals, freebies, and perks galore!
A 2022 study from the University of Bonn in Germany suggests that rich countries must cut their meat consumption by 75 percent to meet climate goals and protect global ecosystems. “If all humans consumed as much meat as Europeans or North Americans, we would certainly miss the international climate targets,” said researcher Matim Qaim.
For tips on how to reduce meat and adopt a more plant-led diet, find many of our nutrition-focused guides with tips, recipes, and advice here.
For more plant-based stories like this, read:
JUMP TO ... Latest News | Recipes | Guides | Health | Subscribe
Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England's southern coast.
