Move over, Med diet – plantains and cassava can be as healthy as tomatoes and olive oil, say researchers

Following a traditional rural diet of plantains, cassava and fermented banana drink could help reduce levels of non-communicable diseases, researchers say. Photograph: James Morgan/Getty Images

Plantains, cassava and fermented banana drink should be added to global healthy eating guidelines alongside the olive oil, tomatoes and red wine of the Mediterranean diet, say researchers who found the traditional diet of people living in Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro region had a positive impact on the body’s immune system.

Traditional foods enjoyed in rural villages also had a positive impact on markers of inflammation, the researchers found in a study published this month in the journal Nature Medicine.