Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients are less likely to be vaccinated compared to that of the general population. Putting them at a greater risk of contracting vaccine-preventable illnesses. A recent Nutrients study assessed the therapeutic role of recombinant banana lectin (rBanLec) concerning IBD control and raising vaccination rates among IBD patients.
Study: Banana Lectin: A Novel Immunomodulatory Strategy for Mitigating Inflammatory Bowel Disease . Image Credit: Alex_Traksel/Shutterstock.com IBD severely affects people’s quality of life and is becoming increasingly common globally.
Conditions, including ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, cause issues relating to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. IBD patients are less often vaccinated and could experience more health complications compared to the general population. The risk of infections is elevated, given IBD treatment potentially suppresses the immune system.
Nutrition is key to managing IBDs, as certain food items can affect the immune system, either directly or indirectly. Bananas ( Musa sp.) are common in everyday nutrition and benefit the GI tract under certain conditions.
Recent research has shown that banana lectin (BanLec), an ingredient of banana, could contribute to the beneficial effects. Both isoforms of BanLec, i.e.
, naturally occurring and recombinant (rBanLec), are stable in the GI tract. The rBanLec influences the functional characteristics of macrophages and T cells and macrophages and is a.
