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Bananas can help cure the flu
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
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Bananas are an excellent antiviral agent – this was stated by an international group of researchers. During their work, scientists found that bananas, or rather the substance they contain, effectively combat the flu virus, hepatitis C and HIV.
The studies were conducted on laboratory rodents. Scientists introduced bananas into the diet of their test subjects – the purpose of the experiment was to establish how such a diet would affect the life and health of the animals. A special protein H84T, which is part of bananas, has the ability to control sugar outside the cells and the level of viruses. It is this protein that prevents viruses from infecting cells, while the protein itself does not have any side effects. As a result of their experiments, the scientists found that a banana diet helps rodents more easily tolerate flu and other viral infections.
Based on the data obtained, scientists intend to develop a full-fledged drug based on the H84T protein. In addition, scientists recommend that patients add this tasty and healthy treat to their diet. By the way, at Imperial College, specialists also studied the properties of bananas and found that children who regularly eat bananas (at least once a day) are less likely to develop asthma. Another healing property of bananas is their ability to improve digestion and fight constipation due to special fibers. In addition, potassium-rich fruits improve appetite and normalize the balance of electrolytes in the gastrointestinal tract.
The healing properties of bananas were announced several months ago, when Japanese experts conducted a series of experiments and found that ripe fruits help reduce inflammatory processes in the body, which are known to be one of the main causes of cancer.
Researchers have stated that fruits with darkened skin or deep yellow with black spots are especially useful for our immunity. Including such bananas in your diet will help your immunity better resist pathogens.
Research has shown that ripe bananas contain substances that help activate special cells in the body that produce anti-inflammatory proteins. High levels of such proteins help slow down the development of cancer. The experts themselves noted that they did not expect that a fruit that is so familiar to everyone would be so useful in the fight against cancer. According to one of the researchers, the riper the banana, the more substances it contains that activate white blood cells, while unripe fruits do not have such properties.
White blood cells help our body maintain overall health and fight off viruses and bacteria. But in any case, experiments in this area are ongoing, and scientists still have a lot of work to do that can confirm or disprove their assumptions about the benefits of bananas in the fight against cancer.
But in any case, these fruits should be included in your diet, but people suffering from diabetes or kidney disease should limit their consumption of bananas.