UANL’s newest development eases Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Specialists from the UANL School of Public Health and Nutrition have developed a nutraceutical composition called Ananá.

Among its qualities are improvements in digestion, reduction of inflammation, and overall enhancement of the digestive tract.

Specialists from the UANL School of Public Health and Nutrition have developed a new method to combat the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.

Six out of 10 Mexicans suffer from irritable bowel syndrome.

Ananá, a nutraceutical composition formulated with pineapple, guava, and walnut, has helped mitigate this ailment.

Irritable bowel syndrome is associated with gastrointestinal discomfort, including symptoms like gas, abdominal distension, bloating, inflammation, and certain types of colic. Its exact cause is unknown, but it is often linked to stress and nutrition, as stated by Abdel Zaid Martínez Báez.

“Natural products, including food and plants, contain nutrients that provide us with energy and functional benefits, which can vary greatly depending on the type of plants. These benefits may include anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial actions, among others. The range of functional activities offered by natural products is extensive.”

Adbel Zaid Martínez Báez
Head of the Food Chemistry Laboratory at the UANL School of Public Health

According to the specialist, in this nutraceutical composition, pineapple provides the enzyme bromelain, which aids in food digestion improvement, while guava and walnut contain components with anti-inflammatory activity.

A nutraceutical composition contains components of natural origin aimed at benefiting the patient’s health.

“The fact that we identify a component of a plant or food, incorporate it into a product as a food supplement, and demonstrate its effectiveness in patients enables us to propose combinations or mixtures tailored to a group of patients with specific needs. This includes those identified in the ingredients of this nutraceutical composition, which aim to improve digestion, inflammation, and overall digestive tract health,” said the head of the Food Chemistry Laboratory of the FASPYN.

Following this protocol, Ananá is expected to be presented to a company for distribution as a portable, viable, and practical product.

The team led by Martínez Báez also includes Luz Pérez Ávila, a specialist in clinical nutrition, and Irasema Medina Lozano, a clinical chemist and biologist, both of whom have contributed to the development of Ananá.