August 27/Liverpool, U.K./Liverpool Daily Echo --Plantain and broccoli fiber could help prevent relapses of Crohn's disease, a study worked on by a Liverpool professor said. Crohn's is a long-term condition causing inflammation of the lining of the digestive system, with symptoms including diarrhea and abdominal pain.

There are currently 90,000 people in the U.K. living with the disease.

Crohn's is most common in developed countries, where the typical diet is low in fiber and high in processed foods.

The research tested soluble plant fiber -- the kind which comes out of vegetables when they are boiled in water -- to judge its effect on Crohn's disease.

It found fiber from plantain and broccoli specifically stopped the bacteria E.coli from crossing into cells in the intestine.

Professor Jonathan Rhodes, from the university school of clinical sciences in Liverpool, said, "It shows soluble plant fibre is able to stop bacteria from finding its way through."

From the September 7, 2010, Prepared Foods E-dition