Raw banana Powder: A pro in the field of Prebiotics - Analogous to VazhaiKacchal

In recent years, there is an enormous upsurge in awareness about use of Prebiotics and probiotics in the daily diet. This has resulted in enormous marketing of related dietary supplements. This ushers in for the use of natural, home based, cost effective prebiotics that can be given across all ages. This post is to guide physicians in counselling patients about the right use of pre and probiotics. Regular intake of pre and probiotics will help to optimize intestinal microflora. Infants at birth have sterile gastro intestinal tract (gut), but bacterial colonization occurs rapidly. The regulation of the intestinal defence system is essential for the prevention of immunological diseases such as asthma, eczema, allergic rhinitis, type 1 diabetes mellitus and list goes on.

            Tamilian cuisine includes foods like idly, aapam, koozh, kali which basically involves fermentation in their preparation. Such processes not only improve the flavour but increases the probiotic content and the bioavailability of essential micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) to larger extent.

            These form the array of traditional pre and probiotics. These are non-digestible fibre foods with minimal digestion in the small intestine and the much undigested part will be fermented in the large intestine. To explain in abstract, in a garden the seeds (probiotic bacteria) is added while the water and fertilizer (prebiotic fibre) is essential for the seeds to grow and flourish. In the same way, the fermentation feeds the beneficial bacterial colonies (probiotic bacteria) resulting in better gut outcome and reduced health risk.

Scientific literature indicates that increased prebiotic fibre intake supports immunity, digestive health, bone density, weight management, and brain health. Siddha list of prebiotics include green banana, onion, garlic, barley, beans, apple with skin, potato with skin.

Unripe banana powder:

            Low in sugar and high in resistant starch (degraded on heating) can help diabetics better control of glucose. Vazhai Kacchal as proposed by the Pathartha Guna Sinthamani is capable of relieving irritable diarrhea, bleeding in ano, polyuria and stomach ulcers.

Slow digesting, low glycemic starch, metabolised in the small intestine, resistant starch, insoluble dietary fibre, which resists digestion in the small intestine and reaches the large intestine where it is fermented.

            The uses of green banana flour are that it addresses issues of digestibility, insulin, glycemic response, colonic health and fermentation, satiety and other metabolic problems. Apart from being potassium rich, it’s fermentation promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria (R.bromii, Akkermansia, Bifidobacteria) which help in tacking growth of potentially harmful bacteria and diarrhoea. Hence it can be termed to be a Prebiotic. The colonic fermentation produces butyrate which apart from being a primary nutrient for colonocytes, is also a facilitator in gut tissue development, immune modulation, oxidative stress reduction and diarrhoea control through sodium reabsorption.

            Banana powder when mixed with curd, fermented staple Tamilian foods will render the probiotic effect as well.

Dr.G.Kiruthiga, Research Associate, Siddha Central Research Institute, Chennai.