Can Fermented Plantain Juice Heal Ulcers? Experts Give Insights
Janet Obasi, a 38-year-old single mother and foodstuff dealer, had been suffering from stomach pain caused by what she believed to be an ulcer.
A stomach ulcer, also known as a gastric ulcer, is a break in the tissue lining of the stomach resulting from damage to the protective layer, which can be cured without complication.
Obasi said that when she shared her concerns with a friend, she was introduced to a remedy that claimed to cure her condition.
“My friend advised me to dice and soak unripe plantain for three days, then drink the juice using a small glass cup every morning,” Obasi explained. “She assured me it was a quick remedy for ulcers.”
Obasi followed the advice and started taking the plantain juice. Within a few days, she began to experience relief from the pain. She repeated the process after the first batch was finished, and gradually, her pain subsided.
When asked if she had undergone any medical tests to confirm the presence of an ulcer, Obasi replied that she hadn’t.
However, people she had spoken to about her symptoms suggested that it was likely an ulcer. “Although I used to buy medication for it when the pain was severe, after starting the plantain juice, I found relief,” she told THE WHISTLER in an interview.
Just like Obasi, there is a widespread notion that fermented unripe plantain juice can heal stomach ulcers.
THE WHISTLER spoke with experts to ascertain the validity of this claim. Speaking on the issue, Director/Head Research and Development, Department of Traditional Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Dr Kingsley Nnalue, explained that with all their research so far, they have not seen any ulcer healing properties in plantain.
“Unripe plantain has no power over the healing of an ulcer. We have carried out some research, and unripe plantain was not found to have healing properties for an ulcer,” he said.
He further explained that an ulcer, which results from high acid concentration in the stomach, causing inflammation and a wound on the walls of the stomach, gets infected by a bacteria called Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) if not treated immediately.
Speaking on the treatment, Nnalue stated that if the ulcer gets infected by Helicobacter pylori, it is usually treated with a three-combination therapy, after which magnesium hydroxide is administered to normalise the acid concentration and hasten the healing of the wound.
Also speaking, Chidimma Ogubude, a registered dietitian nutritionist at Holy Rosary Hospital in Owerri, Imo State, stated that she was not aware of any benefits of fermented unripe plantain juice for ulcer treatment.
Instead, Ogubude recommended alternative remedies. “Blended cabbage taken as a smoothie can help heal ulcers,” she stated. Additionally, she suggested that African yam beans, consumed as a meal or snack, can also aid in ulcer healing.
According to Ogubude, these foods have shown potential in supporting ulcer recovery, contrasting with the claim about fermented unripe plantain juice. “These are the ones I know studies have proven,” she asserted.
However, Uju Onuorah, a Lagos-based registered dietitian nutritionist, offered a different insight, suggesting that fermented plantains may produce probiotics, beneficial microorganisms (bacteria or yeasts) found in the human body.
According to Onuorah, the fermentation process can lead to the development of these beneficial bacteria, which could potentially contribute to gut health.
She added that unripe plantains contain resistant starch that acts as a prebiotic, potentially supporting gut health and digestion.
According to her, certain studies suggested that unripe plantain flour may help with ulcer healing. She added that some animal studies have shown that plantain extract or its fibre content might have gastroprotective properties by stimulating mucus production, which helps protect the stomach lining.
She, however, stated that these findings are not conclusive in humans, emphasising that fermented plantain juice should not replace medical treatment for stomach ulcers.
She further stressed that if someone has an ulcer, they should focus on a diet rich in anti-inflammatory foods such as vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.
Others include probiotics from yoghurt or fermented foods to support gut health. Such fermented foods in Nigeria include: pap (Ogi, Akamu); Kunu (fermented cereal drink made from grains like millet, sorghum, or maize, often spiced with ginger and cloves); Iru (Fermented locust beans); Ogiri (Ogiri Igbo, Ogiri Okpei) – Fermented seeds (melon, castor oil seeds, or African mesquite seeds); Garri (Eba); Fufu (Akpu)
Onuorah further advised that ulcer patients should avoid irritants like spicy foods, alcohol, and NSAIDs (such as ibuprofen), which can worsen ulcers.
She, however, emphasised that ultimately, for personalised nutrition recommendations, it’s always important to consult with a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) and medical doctors for medical guidance.
Meanwhile, research work carried out by the National Institute of Health (NIH) in 1984 on a rat study using unripe plantain (Musa spp.) noted that using unripe plantain can serve as a prophylactic treatment (a preventive measure) and also as an anti-ulcerative drug, as it has anti-ulcerogenic properties in animals.
The study said that various preparations of dried unripe plantain bananas were found to be anti-ulcerogenic against aspirin-induced ulceration in the rat and were effective both as a prophylactic treatment and in healing ulcers already induced by aspirin.
Also, a study by BioTechnology, an Indian journal, on the anti-ulcer effects of aqueous extract of unripe plantain peels on male Wistar (albino) rats in 2014, repeated the same theory on NIH, revealing the same result.
It added that the usefulness of plantain in the gastric mucosa is due to the multiple active compounds. It also said that the natural flavonoid from the unripe plantain pulp, leucocyanidin, protects the gastric mucosa from erosion.
Can Fermented Plantain Juice Heal Ulcers? Experts Give Insights is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
