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Over the past several decades, sub-Saharan Africa has been experiencing a rapid nutrition transition whereby traditional foods and food habits have been progressively replaced by the globalized food culture of the multinational corporations. This nutrition transition has been directly implicated in the upsurge of non-communicable diseases in this region. The purpose of this investigation was to explore the health-related benefits of traditional East African foods and food habits, and uncover factors that have underpinned the nutrition transition in East Africa from early colonization to the current political-economic structure. This investigation also culminated in the development of an online collection documenting traditional East African foods and food habits based upon the Oltersdorf Collection (75 observational surveys conducted in East Africa from the 1930s to 1960s, compiled by the Max-Planck Nutrition Research Unit). According to this investigation, the dissemination of knowledge of traditional East African foods and food habits and their health-related benefits may be of utmost importance in alleviating current non-communicable disease epidemics.

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Dr Verena Raschke-Cheema is a university lecturer and researcher specializing in the health benefits of whole foods and traditional food habits. She holds a doctorate and masters degree in the Nutritional Sciences from the University of Vienna. Verena lives on the South Coast of New South Wales, Australia, with her husband and two sons.

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