Bananas can help cure the flu
This protein provides a biological barrier to mop up stray viruses so they are rendered harmless. BanLec sticks to chains of sugar molecules and its use as a miracle antiviral has potential as most of the worlds deadliest viruses are covered in exactly the sort of sugar molecules the banana lectin prefers. When these viruses are covered in lectin, they become harmless.
Jonathan Ball, Professor of Molecular Virology at University of Nottingham has said "Lectins have that potential as they are able to bind to the sugars present on the surface of a range of viruses including HIV, influenza and Ebola."
The downfall of BanLec was that it used to cause inflammation, which limited its use, however now scientists have engineered a form that fights the viruses without causing any irritation.
