Broccoli and bananas

I always noticed I digest great bananas and broccoli, but just today I found a study which seems to prove my feelings. What do you think about those two foods?

I'd like to try to eat something useful for my colitis (which my doctors have doubts it's ulcerative colitis or crohn's colitis). Have you ever read about the following study? It seems I should eat just bananas and broccoli for the next month. But before I'd start, as it seems to be too strict as a diet, I will research for some other food to add. I have in mind brown rice, sea fishes, carrot+cabbage+grape+apple juice, papaya, chicken breast, goat's kefir, goat's chees (yum!), eggs, or something else, oat, millet. Do you know any anti-inflamatory foods?


http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Science-Nutrition/Broccoli-and-banana-fibers-show-Crohn-s-potential-Study


Broccoli and banana fibers show Crohn’s potential: Study

By Nathan Gray, 26-Aug-2010

Related topics: Science & Nutrition, Carbohydrates and fibers (sugar, starches), Emulsifiers, stabilizers, hydrocolloids

Dietary supplementation with soluble plant fibers could reduce the effects of Crohn’s disease, whilst emulsifiers in processed foods could be exacerbating the problem, new research reports.

The study, reported in the BMJ journal Gut, suggests translocation of Escherichia coli in gut mucosal M-cells is reduced by plantain and broccoli soluble fibers, but increased by the emulsifier Polysorbate-80.

“This implies that dietary supplementation with such fibers might have a protective effect against Crohn’s disease relapse by preventing bacterial invasion of the mucosa,” wrote the researchers, led by Dr. Barry Campbell and Dr Jonathan Rhodes, both from the University of Liverpool.

Low fiber link?

Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory disease that can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract, causing a wide variety of symptoms including abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and weight loss.

Crohn’s disease is common in developed nations where the typical diet is low in fiber and high in processed food. Its incidence has been rising, with diet believed to be linked to higher prevalence in industrialized countries.

Increased numbers of E coli have been found in association with Crohn’s mucosa by previous research. A bacterial invasion of gut epithelium cells is known to occur initially through specialized microfold epithelial cells (M-cells).

Researchers reported that parts of the world - like as Africa, India and Central America - where plantains form an important part of the staple diet have low rates for inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn’s disease.

The new study aimed to assesses the effects of soluble plant fibers and food emulsifiers on translocation of Escherichia coli across M-cells in Crohn’s disease and from non-Crohn’s patients.

The effects of non-starch polysaccharide (NSP) plant fibers from plantain, broccoli, apple and leek were assessed and compared with the effects of food emulsifiers Polysorbate-80 and Polysorbate-60 - commonly used in the food industry.

Reduced translocation

The study reports plantain and broccoli NSP distinctly reduced E coli translocation across M-cells, whereas apple and leek NSP had no significant effects.

“Plantain NSP was shown to significantly block translocation of Crohn’s disease E coli through M-cells, both at 5 and 50 mg/mL. Likewise, broccoli NSP significantly inhibited bacterial translocation across M-cells in a dose-dependent manner,” reported the researchers

At high concentrations Polysorbate-80 was seen to increase E coli translocation across M-cells.

Similarly, E coli translocation across human Peyer’s patches was reduced by over 4,500 percent by soluble plantain NSP, whereas translocation was doubled with polysorbate-80 emulsions.

Achievable reductions

“Soluble plant fibers, particularly those present in plantain and broccoli, are shown to inhibit translocation of Crohn’s mucosa associated E coli isolates across M-cells, at concentrations that should be readily achievable in vivo,” wrote the researchers.

The researchers suggest the effects of food emulsifiers on E coli translocation could offer potential explanations for the association between the modern ‘Western’ diet and Crohn’s disease.

“Different dietary components may have powerful and contrasting effects on bacterial translocation across intestinal M-cells. These effects may be relevant to the role of environmental factors in the pathogenesis of Crohn’s disease and suggest possible novel therapeutic approaches

“These effects occur at relevant concentrations and may contribute to the impact of dietary factors on Crohn’s disease pathogenesis,” reported the authors

Intervention studies are needed to assess the effects of dietary changes in soluble plant fiber and emulsifier intake on Crohn’s disease activity, conclude the researchers.

Source: Gut

Published online ahead of print, doi: 10.1136/gut.2009.195370

“Translocation of Crohn’s disease Escherichia coli across M-cells: contrasting effects of soluble plant fibres and emulsifiers”

Authors: C.L Roberts, A.V Keita, S.H Duncan, N. O’Kennedy, J.D Soderholm, J.M Rhodes, B.J Campbell

Post Edited (asdrubale) : 10/21/2010 12:36:53 PM (GMT-6)

Both give me lots of uncomfortable gas.....I try to eat only well-done broccoli, and bananas seldom rather than often.

Digestive enzymes help with the gas....
 

Regarding the study....I wouldn't add them any more than what I'm doing just because something says it's good.  Comfort pretty much rules.  If one can eat them without discomfort...go for it!

q

Thought I would revive this old thread, here is the actual study.

http://gut.bmj.com/content/59/10/1331.full.pdf

Hopefully this might also apply to UC, anyway I have always been interested in food emulsifiers/detergents that we ingest as a cause of UC. Any synthetic detergent that perhaps can pass through to the colon would tend to make the mucus barrier less hydrophobic the PC layer, and bacteria could get to the gut wall.  We eat detergents every day,toothpaste,mouth wash,many processed foods contain emulsifiers, we also have residual detergents left on our dishes, pots and pans.  It really does not take much detergent to lower the surface tension of water,just a small drop.

Old Mike

Yes, I do well with bananas & broccoli, but wouldn't want to eat them exclusively. Broccoli goes well with skinless chicken & rice, other UC-friendly foods. I mainly eat the florets, as the stems are tough and require longer cooking. They can be pureed to use in soups, too. Bananas are a staple for many of us when flaring. / Old Hat (30 yrs with left-sided UC; presently in remission taking brandname Colazal)

I microwave the brocoli with melted butter ( butyrate ) and a little lemon juice and its seems to do no harm.

Bananas are always in my kitchen, good to know they help!

An old thread pops up
Update on my comment from 10/2010: I did try plantain but not good results, made me constipated. I haven't had any member of the banana family since then. Too bad I do love bananas. My gut does not do well with starches or carbs, stops up the works lol.

Broccoli however makes my gut happy, the problem is my DH hates broccoli so it's not served often at our house. Maybe I'll make some for myself tonight, there's always a small bag of in in my freezer. Delicious with butter.