Are Bananas Beneficial for Lyme Disease?
The article describes the bioactive compounds in banana and other products that help reduce symptoms of Lyme disease. It mentions the products that contain antioxidants, anti-inflammatory compounds, oils and probiotics, and the products that should not be consumed by people who are susceptible to inflammations as well (Medical News Today, 2022). The article claims that the products listed contain certain chemicals that help with Lyme disease and suggests various scientific studies that prove these points.
Bananas have anti-inflammatory characteristics that can improve the body’s immune system and decrease inflammation. Lyme disease presently has no particular diet, and most patients recover well with medications. Anti-inflammatory foods, on the other hand, may assist to alleviate symptoms. Lyme disease is one of the most prevalent vector-borne illness in the United States. A bite from a black-legged tick carrying the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria can transmit the illness to people. The bacteria can only be transmitted to a human if the tick is connected to them for 36–48 hours.
Evidence From The Article
One of the scientific studies mentioned in the article that backs up its claims is about the coenzyme Q10, which is an antioxidant supplement, that positively affects the symptoms of Lyme disease.
It is proven to reduce the fatiguing effect of the illness, tissue damage, and oxidative stress, and normalize the heart function. This study proves that antioxidants help with the Lyme disease and products that contain them are beneficial for such patients (Mantle, D., Turton, N., & Hargreaves I.P., 2022). Following supplementation with CoQ10, a variety of randomized controlled clinical trials have found substantial decreases in different circulatory inflammatory markers in a variety of illnesses. Cardiovascular illness, nonalcoholic hyperlipidemia, and polycystic ovarian syndrome are just a few instances. As a result, supplemental CoQ10 may be useful in lowering excessive inflammatory activity in Lyme disease and therefore mitigating tissue damage.
Peer-Reviewed Studies
Further investigation to support the article resulted in reviewing three studies regarding different compounds mentioned and their effects on Lyme disease. The study “A pharmacological perspective of banana: implications relating to therapeutic benefits and molecular docking” describes different benefits of bananas because of their antioxidants. It is claimed that Green fruits and vegetables are high in phytochemicals, notably antioxidants, which can scavenge damaging free radicals and defend the body from illness while also improving quality of life. Vitamin C consumption recommendations range from 60 mg to 200 mg per day, with five servings of fruits and vegetables recommended. These parameters, however, are difficult to obtain with regular diets. As a result, it is critical to incorporate fruits and vegetables in order to achieve daily requirements (Sarma et al., 2021). Total phenolic, Vitamin C and flavonoid levels in bananas are114.4 mg GAE per g, 5.9 mg per 100 g, , and 75.97 mg RE per g, respectively.
Banana is a well-known healthy food that contains various bioactive chemicals that help to maintain physical health and may have pharmacological effects. Coughs, colds, and gastritis (dry peel), dysentery (ripe pulp), diarrhea (seed), jaundice (inflorescence), and pinworm infections and gout (pseudostem exudates and ash) have all been treated using banana components in traditional medicine.
The study “Long-term dietary patterns are associated with pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory features of the gut microbiome” proves the negative effects of certain diets which result in inflammatory diseases or amplify them, and those that reduce these risks. Plant protein consumption was linked to many fermentation processes as well as the creation of anti-inflammatory substances and L-ornithine. Vegetarians revealed an enrichment of carbohydrate, amino acid, cofactor, and vitamin metabolic pathways in studies. Animal models have shown that nutrients created by microbial activity of plant polysaccharides suppress the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, implying that plant-based diets have anti-inflammatory potential via gut microbial metabolism.
Long-term diets rich in legumes, vegetables, fruits, and nuts, a choice for low-fat and fermented dairy and fish over strong alcoholic beverages reduced risks of inflammatory diseases (Bolte et al., 2021) Moreover, avoidance of strong alcoholic beverages, processed high-fat meat, and soft drinks have the ability to inhibit intestinal inflammatory reactions via the gut microbiome. The most damaging diets in terms of inflammations included animal proteins and alcohol consumption.
Low abundance of clusters of exploitative bacteria, routes for the manufacture of endotoxins, and inflammatory cytokines in feces are linked to diets rich in legumes, grains, seafood, and nuts.
The study “Bioactive compounds in Peanuts and Banana” describes positive effects of different compounds of bananas and peanuts. It states that these products include a variety of key bioactive chemicals that are beneficial to human health. Banana is high in carbs, dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals, according to reports. Secondary metabolism in bananas produces bioactive chemicals with a wide range of medicinal potential. The banana contains a variety of bioactive chemicals (Bhat et al., 2019). Due to bioactive ingredients such as phenolics, carotenoids, flavonoids, and biogenic amines, it has a stronger antioxidant activity. These chemicals have been shown to have antioxidant properties in several investigations, and they can thus be employed to prevent illnesses. These bioactive chemicals are common in peanuts and banana cultivars, and they should be studied further.
References
Sarma et al. (2021) ‘A pharmacological perspective of banana: implications relating to therapeutic benefits and molecular docking.’ Food & Function, 12(11), 4749-4767.
Mantle, D., Turton, N., and Hargreaves I.P. (2022) Lyme Disease: A Role for Coenzyme Q10 Supplementation? Mdpi.
Bhat et al. (2019) ‘Bioactive compounds in Peanuts and Banana.’ Biochem Anal Biochem, 8(382), 2161-1009. doi: 0.35248/2161-1009.19.8.382
Tee-Melegrito, R. A. (2022) ‘Are bananas beneficial for Lyme disease?’ Medical News Today.
Bolte et al. (2021). Long-term dietary patterns are associated with pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory features of the gut microbiome. Gut, 70(7), 1287–1298.