Finally, bananas might be good for something after all:
A simple fruit that many of us eat every day could soon prove to be a powerful new inhibitor of HIV, and lead to new treatments to prevent sexual transmission of the virus.
Bananas, according to new research of the University of Michigan Medical School, might be good for you in an exciting new way.
Lectins, naturally occurring chemicals in plants, are drawing the interest of scientists because they can stop the chain reactions that lead to a variety of infections.
In laboratory tests, BanLec, the lectin found in bananas, was as effective as two current anti-HIV drugs, according to a news release from the school.
Based on the findings to be published March 19 in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, BanLec may become a less expensive new component of applied vaginal microbicides, researchers say.
Now, that’s just bananas.
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