In today’s connected world, viruses can spread quickly across countries and continents, causing serious health problems and major economic losses. Recent years have shown us just how dangerous viral outbreaks can be.
Diseases like COVID-19, H1N1 (swine flu), SARS, Ebola, Zika, and bird flu (H5N1) have impacted millions of lives around the globe and cost billions of dollars. But it’s not only the big, scary outbreaks that matter. Everyday viral infections, such as seasonal flu and herpes, also create huge health burdens and financial stress on healthcare systems.
For instance, the flu comes back every year and causes widespread illness. In the United States alone, it costs more than $11 billion each year in lost productivity, healthcare expenses, and hospital visits. Another example is herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1), which is mainly spread through oral contact and affects more than two-thirds of people worldwide.
In Western countries, it is even the top cause of infectious blindness. Despite their major impact, vaccines for these viruses are either underused or don’t exist. The flu vaccine is available, but vaccination rates remain low. And for HSV, there is still no vaccine at all.
This has led scientists to think differently. Instead of only relying on vaccines or medicines after infection, what if we could reduce the amount of virus in the mouth—the main area where many of these viruses enter and spread?
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Dental Medicine and their collaborators in Finland are testing this idea with a surprising new tool: chewing gum.
Led by Professor Henry Daniell, the team created a gum using powder from lablab beans (a plant known as Lablab purpureus). These beans naturally contain a protein called FRIL that can trap and neutralize viruses.
In their study, recently published in Molecular Therapy, the team tested whether this special gum could lower the amount of virus in the mouth. They focused on four common viruses: two types of herpes (HSV-1 and HSV-2) and two influenza A strains (H1N1 and H3N2).
The results were striking. Just one tablet of gum containing 40 milligrams of bean protein was able to reduce the viral load by more than 95%—a result similar to what the team had found earlier in COVID-19 patients using a similar gum.
Even better, they prepared the gum in a way that met U.S. FDA safety standards for clinical drugs. So not only was it effective, but it was also proven to be safe for human use in future trials.
The team is not stopping there. They are now exploring ways to use the same bean powder to fight bird flu (H5N1), which has recently caused outbreaks among birds in North America.
Over 54 million birds have been affected in just three months, and a few human cases have also been reported. Daniell and his team plan to add the bean protein to bird feed as a way to reduce the spread of infection in poultry populations.
This approach has the potential to protect both animals and humans. In fact, other researchers have already shown that this bean powder can neutralize bird flu strains like H5N1 and H7N9, which can infect both birds and people. If it works as expected, this could offer a low-cost, natural way to help control virus transmission on a large scale.
In summary, the study shows exciting promise for a simple, plant-based solution to a complex global problem. By using natural antiviral proteins found in lablab beans, scientists were able to reduce the amount of virus in the mouth—a key location for virus spread—in both herpes and flu viruses.
The gum is easy to use, safe, and could be a powerful tool in preventing infection and limiting outbreaks. The same method may also help protect birds from bird flu, potentially stopping transmission before it reaches people.
More research is still needed, especially in real-world human trials, but this innovation could one day become a new way to prevent the spread of several serious viral diseases—starting with a simple chew.
If you care about nutrition, please read studies about a breakfast linked to better blood vessel health, and drinking too much coffee could harm people with high blood pressure.
For more information about health, please see recent studies about unhealthy habits that may increase high blood pressure risk, and results showing plant-based protein foods may help reverse diabetes.
The research findings can be found in Molecular Therapy.
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