Bananas may help in fight against HIV

I have to admit I did a double take when this email reached my inbox: Researchers say bananas could be the next tool in the arsenal against HIV in women. You have to skip the obvious line of thought here: The reason for bananas' effectiveness is not because they are a powerhouse of nutrients that can bolster the body's natural defenses, although that is certainly true. The reason, according to this recent report, is that there is a natural chemical in bananas that may actually block HIV's entry into the body when used in a microbicide.

In laboratory tests, researchers with the University of Michigan Medical School found that a certain banana lectin (called BanLec) was as potent as two current HIV drugs. Lectins, which are sugar-binding proteins found in plants, can identify and attach to foreign invaders. By binding to a sugar-rich HIV-1 protein, researchers say, BanLec can blocks HIV's entry into the body. The study findings were published in the March 19 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, and its authors suggest that BanLec could become a less expensive and highly effective new component of vaginal microbicides,

"The problem with some HIV drugs is that the virus can mutate and become resistant, but that's much harder to do in the presence of lectins," study author Michael D. Swanson, a doctoral student in the university's graduate program in immunology, said in a news release from the school. "Lectins can bind to the sugars found on different spots of the HIV-1 envelope, and presumably it will take multiple mutations for the virus to get around them."

Wow. I certainly hope that the results researchers found in the lab ultimately turn out to work for humans as well. As a believer in the healing power of foods, I cheer every time I hear about a new discovery that links a specific food to a specific health condition, with positive results. (I've written before that I've found relief from some of my asthma symptoms by loading up on raspberries, apples and onions, known for their anti-inflammatory properties). But what I find so interesting about this study is that the banana lectin appears to have barrier qualities of a true medication (think of all those allergy medications that "block" the brain's response to allergens) rather than the healing qualities of an orange or chicken soup (or apples, or raspberries). In other words, researchers aren't suggesting that women ingest bananas to protect themselves against HIV, they are suggesting the women use a microbicide that includes the banana compound.

I'm impressed. What about you?

Photo Credit: ian ransley