A WOMAN who has lived with chronic kidney failure for 15 years claims her condition has been dramatically eased by eating a bizarre African "wonder" fruit.
Janine Franssen, 36, was diagnosed with renal failure last year and told she urgently needed a kidney transplant as her's was functioning at only seven per cent of normal capacity.
A scramble to find a suitable donor started and Janine was surgically fitted with equipment to allow for dialysis once her kidneys failed - which she has been told is inevitable.
But after the discovery of the Baobab fruit, Janine's kidney function has improved and she has even been taken off the transplant list.
She insists it is all down to drinking ground-up Baobab in water, and said: "It feels like I have won the lottery."
After nine months of worrying about her failing kidneys she says she has a new outlook, although she is well aware she has not been cured.
The discovery of the fruit was made by her partner Mark who read an article about the Baobab's high concentration of vitamins and nutrients.
They decided to import some to see if it could help Janine stay strong during the wait for a kidney donor.
T
he large, dry fruit has only been available in Europe since July last year.
It is said to have around six times the vitamin C content of an orange, more iron than red meat, more magnesium than spinach as well as high levels of calcium and antioxidants.
It is said that this makes it a valuable aid in the prevention and treatment of gastric and irritable bowel syndrome conditions, and effective for osteoporosis, varicose veins and even haemorrhoids.
Janine grinds it down and takes it with water in the morning and afternoon.
The Clydebank woman said she was "astonished" at the difference baobab made, and she credits it with her kidney function now climbing to 20 per cent.
Janine, who lives on Dumbarton Road, told the Post: "Mark said I should try it for a couple of months to see if it could increase my kidney function - buying me some time to get donor tests completed.
"Within that first month I started to notice some changes like my hair and nails getting stronger.
"The following week I had a hospital appointment to see where my kidney function was at and miraculously it had gone from seven per cent to twelve per cent.
"I was amazed as was my consultant and, not only that, but my blood pressure and cholesterol had come down."
Janine knows at some point she will need a kidney transplant - when her's succumbs to the illness she has had since 1994 - and her sisters Lesley and Annsophia, boyfriend Mark and close friend Christina have all now been tested for kidney donation.
But with her improvement she has been able to return to her work as an administration assistant - something unthinkable just 12 months ago.
Janine said: "I am under no illusions but I now have hope my kidneys will last a bit longer. My doctors reckon they will."
