If you or someone you care about has been suffering from Crohn's disease for any length of time, you'll probably be very encouraged by this recent study about fibers from bananas and broccoli blocking the infiltration of a stickier form of E.coli bacteria in the cells lining the bowel (a Crohn's trigger point).

In a comparison of fibers from various whole foods, broccoli and plantains reduced the invasion of bacteria that spurs diarrhea by as much as 82 percent, but leeks and apple fibers had little to no impact.

Researchers also tested the effect of fat emulsifiers used to make processed foods and cosmetics -- polysorbate 60 and 80 -- on bowel lining cells. Polysorbate 80, a common chemical used to make ice cream and medicines, greatly increased the invasion of harmful bacteria.

Which explains, in a nutshell, why you should be incorporating more of nature's healthiest whole superfoods into your daily diet.

BMJ Group Free Full Text Study

BBC News August 25, 2010

NutraIngredients-USA.com August 26, 2010

ScienceDaily August 25, 2010