Researchers from the University School of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool, tested whether preparations of plant soluble fibres prepared from leeks, apples, broccoli and plantains, and the fat emulsifiers polysorbate 60 and 80, commonly used in processed food manufacturing, could alter E. coli translocation across M cells.
Plantain and broccoli fibres (5 mg/ml) reduced translocation of E. coli by between 45 per cent and 82 per cent, while leek and apple fibres had no noticeable impact. By contrast, the emulsifier polysorbate 80 substantially increased translocation.
via www.imt.ie
First of all, I love that this study was published in a journal called "Gut." That's hysterical.
The findings seem quite preliminary, but since I love both plantains and broccoli, I will keep them both in my diet.
Some Crohn's sufferers can't eat any of the broccoli/cabbage family of vegetables, so I wonder if a supplement of the soluble fiber is available?
I eat steamed broccoli quite often. I cook it a lot longer than I used to back in the days before I worried about too much fiber and I think that helps. I am pretty sure that my mom's famous broccoli sauce is probably not that good for you, but tough. I love broccoli dipped in the sauce which is a 50% 50% mix of ketchup and mayo. Don't knock it til you try it.
When I was pregnant with my younger son I ate broccoli dipped in this sauce incessantly.
I wonder if regular bananas have the same type of fiber as the plantains? We all love bananas in this house and we run through them like crazy.
You have to cook up plantains which makes them a bit harder to get into the everyday diet.