Is Westernized Diet the Cause of Intestinal Diseases?

“As soon as a country becomes westernized, inflammatory bowel disease starts to increase, and I think diet is definitely one of the reasons why.”

Karen Madsen, PhD, a professor at the University of Alberta in Canada who studies the role of the microbiome in inflammatory bowel disease and related conditions, made this comment with reason.

A 2020 study found that about a quarter of American adults frequently experience diarrhea, constipation, stomach pain, or other symptoms of gastrointestinal dysfunction.

There are tens of trillions of microorganisms living in the intestines, and they also feed on the food we eat. The metabolites produced by these microorganisms can help digestion, improve immune function, and promote gastrointestinal health.

Dr. Madsen is currently exploring the effects of sugar on the microbiome and gut immunity. When sugar is added to the diet, it can stimulate certain bacteria that tend to cause inflammation, while also hindering the growth of bacteria and metabolites that have health-promoting, anti-inflammatory effects.

Westernized diets typically contain a lot of processed foods and often contain a lot of sugar, especially drinks such as cola and Sprite. Westernized foods lack dietary fiber and complex carbohydrates, which are the favorite foods of healthy intestinal flora. Survey data also confirms that Westernized diets are associated with gastroesophageal reflux and irritable bowel syndrome.

While a high-sugar, low-fiber diet is bad for the gut at any age, there is evidence that consuming large amounts of sugary processed foods early in life may alter the developing microbiome, leading to inflammation and gut dysfunction.

Unfortunately, even if the person later gives up sugar and adopts a healthier diet, the composition of the microbiota may not be reversed later in life. It is believed that there is a window period for intestinal microbial colonization, after which time the window closes and many bacteria no longer have a chance to survive.

The reason why I bring up the Westernized diet is that the Western diet is indeed relatively monotonous. Compared with the broad and profound Chinese diet, their variety is too small. However, I believe that the Chinese diet also has similar problems, and many of them are unhealthy and can also cause intestinal flora disorders.

Do you think your current eating habits are Westernized or typical Chinese? Do you think it is healthy?