Broccoli Could Save People from Crohn’s Disease

Broccoli’s unique health benefits have always grabbed attention. And a recent study has again brought it in the spotlight for its fiber’s property to boost defenses against the Crohn’s disease. It was a research carried out by the University of Liverpool and published in the medical journal Gut.

Chron’s disease is a long term disease that affects your digestive system. Inflammation can occur in any part of the digestive system from your mouth to the anus. Diarrhea (often with blood) and pain are the common signs and symptoms along with other effects such as weight loss, skin problems and arthritis. Previous studies have shown that E.coli, a bacteria living in the gut aggravates the immune response in people with Crohn’s disease.

Therefore this research aimed at finding out if certain plant soluble fibers from foods and, the substances found in processed foods had any effect on E.coli. The disease is highly prevalent in developed countries where the diet is generally low in fibers and high in processed food. However places such as Africa, India and Central America, where the diet is usually high in fibers, have low incidences of diseases related to digestive system. Due to these facts the researchers speculate that diet could have an impact on Crohn’s.

The research was conducted in a laboratory and included six people with Crohn’s and five people without Crohn’s. The strains of E.coli were isolated from all the samples for the study. The researchers used the soluble fibers derived from broccoli, leek, apple and plantain plus the two common emulsifiers used in processed foods. The human colon cells were then taken from the samples and grown in the laboratory conditions encouraging them to mimic their behavior from the digestive system.

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Tagged Africa, arthritis, broccoli, Chron’s disease, E. coli, entral America, India, skin problems, weight loss