Broccoli May Lower Your Risk Of Crohn’s

Millions suffer from Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory bowel disorder that causes swelling and irritation of the digestive tract. Treatment usually consists of medications, surgery and various dietary supplements.

But a study now shows that broccoli and plantain may also help curb the disease.  One of the key stages in the development of Crohn’s is invasion of the cells lining the bowel (epithelial cells) by bacteria, particularly a sticky type of Escherichia coli, so the researchers looked at dietary agents that might influence this process.

They found that plantain and broccoli fibers reduced translocation of E. coli by between 45 and 82 percent, while leek and apple had no noticeable impact. By contrast, the emulsifier polysorbate 80 substantially increased translocation.

The findings suggest that supplementing the diet with broccoli/plantain fiber might prevent relapse of Crohn’s disease, say the scientists.