Individuals who suffer from autoimmune conditions, such as Crohns disease, have a substantially impaired quality of life. Whats more, most of these illnesses are chronic and incurable, which makes them popular subjects of scientific research.
Sometimes this type of work yields results that may satisfy proponents of natural remedies or alternative medicine. For example, British scientists suspect that banana plantain fibers may help treat individuals who suffer from Crohns disease, which manifests itself through bowel inflammation, bleeding, pain and diarrhea.
Specifically, they found that plantain soluble fibers prevented the penetration of E. coli bacteria across a special type of intestinal cells called M cells, a process that is pronounced in Crohns disease patients and leads to chronic inflammation.
Barry Campbell, Ph.D., from the University of Liverpool Institute of Translational Medicine, said doctors have long known that eating high-fiber natural foods such as plantain and broccoli produced general health benefits, but they have not entirely understood their role in preventing infection in people with Crohns disease.
“This research shows that different dietary components can have powerful effects on the movement of bacteria through the bowel,” he added.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), some 1.4 million Americans suffer from inflammatory bowel diseases, including Crohns disease.