There is overwhelming research supporting the health benefits of healthy plant-based diets, yet researchers wonder how this evidence translates to Black communities. In this review, the authors note that “the diets of Blacks were historically predominantly plant-based in Africa, and elements of that are still seen in some of today’s cultural cuisine.” Some recommendations from this review include gradually increasing intake of healthy plant-based foods, gradually decreasing intake of animal-based foods, providing culturally-appropriate interventions, providing flavorful, low-cost plant-based options, and focusing on healthy foods that are already regularly enjoyed in Black cuisine (such as leafy greens, tubers, and okra).
Nutrients. 2019 Dec 2;11(12). pii: E2915. doi: 10.3390/nu11122915. (Sterling SR et al.)
Dementia is a serious neurological disease, so preventive measures are an important area of research. In a study of 5,907 adults, researchers analyzed whether the Mediterranean diet and/or the MIND diet (a diet similar to the Mediterranean diet, full of “brain-healthy” foods like leafy greens, nuts, berries, beans, whole grains, seafood, poultry, olive oil, and wine) have an effect on cognitive performance. Researchers found that those most closely following the Mediterranean Diet had 35% lower odds of having poor cognitive performance (assessed through tests of memory and attention), when compared to those not following a Mediterranean Diet. Results were similar for the MIND diet, probably because there is so much overlap in these two eating patterns.
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. 25 April 2017. [Epub ahead of print.] (McEvoy CT, et al.)
Primary open-angle glaucoma is an eye disease that can lead to irreversible vision loss. Because there is currently no cure for this disease, scientists are very interested in preventive measures, including diet. In a study analyzing over 100,000 health professionals, Harvard researchers found that those eating 1.45 servings of green leafy vegetables per day had an 18% lower risk of developing primary open-angle glaucoma than those only eating 0.31 servings of leafy greens per day. Dietary nitrate (a nutrient found in green leafy vegetables), was also significantly related to a lower risk of primary open-angle glaucoma.
JAMA Opthalmology. 2016 Jan 14:1-11. (Kang JH et al.) [Epub ahead of print]
Vitamin A deficiency is a major public health problem in developing countries, with women of childbearing age and children being among the most affected. A community based study of postpartum mothers in Ghana set out to determine whether their vitamin A levels would improve if the new moms ate African eggplant leaves (a strong food source of vitamin A). A daily portion of 200g of eggplant leaves was given to mothers in one group for three months, while the control group did not receive any additional vegetables to their diet. After three months, the researchers tested the vitamin A levels in the women’s livers and found a significant improvement in the vitamin A status of the group eating the African eggplant leaves. Vitamin A containing leafy vegetables, like the African eggplant leaves, can be easily cultivated within African communities, making them a sustainable and cheaper alternative to oral supplementation of vitamin A.
African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition, and Development; Vol 9, No 6 (2009). (Tchum et al.)
Australian researches conducted a study focusing on Greeks who relocated to Melbourne but maintained their traditional Mediterranean diet. During this study, the foods selected for nutrient evaluation – leafy green vegetables, figs in season, and various types of olive oil – were those commonly consumed by Greeks living in Melbourne, but not by native Australians. Of all the commercial and wild leafy greens studied, amaranth leaves were found to contain some of the highest levels of beta-carotene and lutein, even higher than the commercially available chicory and endive.
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, November 2002; 56(11):1149-54
