Rather than jumping on the latest fad diet to shed pounds, why not look to the past for answers?
A new study suggests that the traditional diet of people in Papua New Guinea, a Pacific island nation, could hold the key to better gut health, slimmer waists, and reduced chronic disease risks—without the need for calorie restrictions.
The catch? You’ll need to cut out dairy, beef, and wheat.
To help, the researchers are sharing recipes inspired by the eating habits of the island’s people, so we can all make the switch ourselves.
The Non-Industrialized Microbiome Restore (NiMe) diet was designed to replicate the eating patterns of Papua New Guinea’s rural populations.
Western diets are typically low in fiber and packed with ultra-processed foods, saturated fats, and added sugars. These diets have been linked to soaring rates of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, while also disrupting our fragile gut microbiomes.
In contrast, the indigenous people of rural Papua New Guinea primarily consume plant-based foods that are high in fiber but low in sugar and calories.
Previous research has shown that this population has a more diverse gut microbiome than their Western counterparts, along with lower rates of chronic illness.
Inspired by these findings, Jens Walter and his team created the Non-Industrialized Microbiome Restore (NiMe) diet, aimed at replicating the eating habits of Papua New Guinea’s rural populations.
“Industrialization has severely impacted our gut microbiome, likely raising the risk of chronic diseases,” said Walter, a professor of ecology, food, and the microbiome at University College Cork and the study’s lead author.
“To address this, we developed a diet that mirrors traditional, non-industrialized eating habits and aligns with our understanding of diet-microbiome interactions,” he added.
In the study, the diet, which included a 2,500 calorie meal plan, delivered 45 grams of dietary fiber per day.
The NiMe diet, primarily plant-based, is rich in fruits, vegetables, and legumes, with only a small serving of chicken, salmon, or pork each day. It excludes dairy, beef, and wheat—foods not found in the traditional diet of Papua New Guinea.
To evaluate the diet’s effectiveness, researchers recruited 30 healthy Canadians and had them follow the plan for three weeks.
Meals included millet porridge for breakfast, quinoa tabbouleh salad packed with vegetables for lunch, and salmon with Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes for dinner. Snacks featured almonds, dried apricots, and mandarin oranges.
Remarkably, the 2,500-calorie meal plan provided an impressive 45 grams of dietary fiber per day—well above the 25 to 30 grams recommended for U.S. adults and significantly more than the 15 grams Americans typically consume daily.
After just three weeks, “we saw remarkable results,” Walter wrote in an accompanying editorial.
The diet successfully restored key aspects of the gut microbiome, particularly reducing pro-inflammatory bacteria, which are linked to disease development.
“This study shows that we should always remember we’re eating for two: our body and its community of microbes,” Walter said. “This can have a profound effect on our health.”
The NiMe diet also led to a 17% reduction in participants’ “bad” cholesterol, nearly a 7% drop in blood sugar, and a 14% decrease in C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation and heart disease.
And although participants didn’t consume fewer calories, they still experienced beneficial weight loss.
The NiMe diet includes a small portion of fish, chicken or pork daily, but no beef.
“Together, these changes could likely reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes, which have become epidemics in developed countries like Canada,” said Anissa Armet, a registered dietitian and postdoctoral fellow at the University of Alberta, who co-led the study.
The diet might even help lower the risk of certain cancers. Previous research suggests that the Western diet’s impact on the gut microbiome may lead to inflammation that accelerates cell aging and promotes colorectal cancer growth.
Armet added that the researchers plan to conduct further studies to see if the diet can benefit people already dealing with chronic conditions like diabetes.
“These findings could shape future dietary guidelines and inspire the development of new food products, ingredients, and therapeutics targeting the microbiome,” said Paul Ross, director of APC Microbiome Ireland, who was not involved in the research.
Ready to try it? Here’s a tasty recipe to get you started
If you’re interested in trying the NiMe diet, you’re in luck—Walter and his team are sharing recipes from the meal plan on social media and have even published a free online cookbook.
“It’s important to us to make these recipes freely available so that everyone can enjoy them and improve their health by nourishing their gut microbiome,” said Armet.
One of the recipes is yellow pea soup—ideal for meal prepping ahead of time for lunches or easy weeknight dinners.
Ingredients:
- 1 ¼ cups raw yellow split peas
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ cup carrots, chopped
- ⅓ cup celery, chopped
- 3 tbsp onion, chopped
- 1 ½ tsp minced garlic
- 1 ⅓ cups canned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ tsp low-sodium vegetable bouillon
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ⅛ tsp (0.25 g) cayenne pepper
Directions:
- Rinse the yellow split peas under cool running water to remove any dirt or debris.
- Place the rinsed peas in a large pot and cover them with cold water, leaving about 2 inches of water above the peas.
- Bring to a boil and cook on medium heat until the peas are softened. Drain any remaining water and set the peas aside.
- While the peas are cooking, heat olive oil in another large pot over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add the carrots, celery, and onion. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are browned.
- Add the garlic and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.
- Stir in the white beans, vegetable bouillon, salt, black pepper, cayenne, cooked yellow peas, and 600 mL of water.
- Allow the soup to simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
- For a smoother texture, blend the soup with an immersion blender. Serve warm.
