'EastDiet' — a homegrown way to better health

Microbes matter

If culinary traditions explain how the EastDiet emerged, biomedical science is beginning to explain why it may be beneficial.

The researchers found significant associations between the EastDiet and 96 circulating blood metabolites. They also identified 21 gut microbial genera linked to the dietary pattern.

Many of these microbes are involved in the fermentation of dietary fiber and the production of short-chain fatty acids, compounds increasingly associated with reduced inflammation, improved metabolic health and cardiovascular protection.

The study further found higher levels of several beneficial metabolites among EastDiet followers, including indole-3-propionic acid (IPA), a gut-derived compound that has attracted growing attention for its potential protective effects against cardiometabolic disease.

Together, the findings suggest a biological pathway linking diet, gut microbes, metabolism and disease risk.

Nutritionist Gu Zhongyi was not surprised by the results. "Food shapes the gut microbiome," he said. "The foods people eat over time select certain microbial communities, and those microbes in turn influence metabolism."

At the same time, Gu cautioned against overinterpreting the findings. "This remains an observational study," he said. "Further randomized controlled trials are needed before causality can be firmly established."

Still, he believes the study's greatest strength lies in its real-world relevance.

"This isn't an idealized dietary intervention designed in a laboratory," he said. "It reflects what people are actually eating. Seeing a roughly 20 percent health benefit under real-life conditions is already very meaningful."