Hey there, viewers!
Bananas may be the oldest fruits in human history.
Believe it or not, this yellow fruit is a berry.
It starts out with hard seeds and pulp.
Bananas get a mixed reaction.
Health freaks trying to lose weight may say no to them.
On the other hand, athletes often make a point to have bananas all the time.
Who’s right in this situation?
In today's video, we break the myths about bananas.
Let’s First Go Through All Of It’s Nutrition
A balanced diet should always include things like bananas.
Bananas have a lot to offer when it comes to great health.
They contain so many essential vitamins and minerals.
Bananas are an excellent source of fiber.
They are also low in both fat and protein.
Potassium and magnesium are two of their highlighted minerals.
Bananas contain antioxidants and plant compounds like dopamine and catechin.
This makes them excellent mood elevators.
They will definitely turn that frown upside down.
Do you eat bananas on the regular?
Which is your favorite banana recipe?
Sound off in the comments section and start a conversation with our Bestie community...
With More Fiber and Low Calories, Bananas Are a Wonderful Fruit!
A medium-sized banana contains almost 3 grams of fiber.
Just so you know, the recommended daily intake of fiber in adults comes to 25 grams.
High fiber intake with low calories offers a lot of health benefits.
Research shows that higher fiber intake causes weight loss, and stabilizes your blood sugar
levels.
Research also shows that an increase in dietary fiber reduces hunger cravings.
It can also control appetite, allowing you to lose weight properly.
Fiber also lowers cholesterol levels, leading to a reduced risk of heart disease.
When you get enough fiber , your chances of diverticulitis go down.
This is a serious intestine condition.
On top of that, fiber can also contribute to lower cancer risk.
How Ripeness Affects Bananas Glycemic Index
The Glycemic index (GI) of any food is a measure of how much your blood sugar level will rise.
A score above 70 is high, while below 55 is low.
Foods with mostly simple sugars will have high GI value.
This is because they’re more easily absorbed.
They cause a higher rise in blood sugar levels.
But why do we need to care about GI?
Research shows that eating foods with a high glycemic index (GI) causes weight gain and
other health issues like obesity, heart disease and diabetes.
Foods with lower GI will have a slower absorption, keeping your blood sugar at a decent level.
Bananas contain mostly carbs, which categorizes them as high sugar fruits.
This can worsen your sugar control.
However, you’d be surprised to know that the GI of bananas is only 41 to 62.
This puts bananas in the category of low to medium GI foods.
Bananas cause a slow release of sugar.
This makes you feel full, and lowers your calorie intake.
In the end, it helps weight loss.
So why do we care whether the bananas we’re eating are ripe or not?
As the banana ripens, its GI increases.
The sugar content increases as the banana becomes riper.
This affects your blood sugar levels.
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Green Or Yellow, Which Banana Should I Eat?
The ripeness of a banana affects the type of carbs it contains.
While yellow bananas are high in sugar, unripe or green
bananas are richer in starch.
Resistant starch contains long chains of glucose and is resistant to digestion.
It acts like fiber in the body, and offers a lot of health benefits like weight loss,
less cardiovascular disease, and good sugar control.
It also keeps you full by slowing the absorption of sugar in the body, maintaining good glycemic
control.
To add to it, resistant starch increases fat burni ng in your body.
So the next time you go to buy bananas, choose green for a healthier you.
Before we continue, here’s another video you might like.
Take a quick look at 21 foods you should not refrigerate.
Bananas Are Just So Filling
Eating a banana can make you feel full for a longer period of time.
It seems crazy since they’re actually low calorie.
Thank fiber for this.
Eating a banana can slow down your appetite, stopping you from overeating and gaining those
extra pounds.
Want Potassium?
Have A Banana!
Bananas are also rich in potassium.
Did you know a medium-sized banana contains less than a gram of potassium?
A medium-sized banana will give you 12% of your recommended daily intake.
A diet rich in potassium has lots of health benefits like blood pressure control and good
kidney function.
A healthy heart needs potassium to work.
Eating potassium-rich bananas helps to improve heart health.
For people with high blood pressure, good potassium can do wonders for your blood pressure.
Research shows that potassium can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Want Magnesium?
Bananas It Is!
That’s right, bananas contain around 8% of your daily suggested intake.
It’s a fact that magnesium is a vital mineral in the body with many different purposes.
Magnesium is known to fight against chronic conditions like hypertension, cardiovascular
diseases, and diabetes.
Magnesium, along with calcium, strengthens the bones as well.
It also keeps those awful cramps away when you push hard in the gym or run a while on
the treadmill.
The Can Also Cure Your Upset Stomach
It’s a known fact that eating a banana can cure a sick tummy.
Raw green bananas have resistant starch and pectin.
These substances are used by the friendly bacteria in your digestive system.
They act as prebiotic substances, which are fermented by colon bacteria to produce a chemical
called butyrate (beaut-a-rate).
Butyrate generated by gut-friendly bacteria helps prevent colon cancer and improves digestive
health.
So Can Diabetics Eat Bananas?
Banana consumption by diabetics is controversial.
Many people have opinions on it.
Since bananas are high in sugar, it’s thought that they’re no good for people with diabetes.
But since bananas have a low GI of 42 to 62, it means that their potential to raise blood
sugar levels is not very high.
Moderation is the key to all of this.
Having too many ripe bananas is not advised for people having diabetes.
Having only small amounts is safe.
But just a word of caution.
Diabetics should always monitor their blood sugar levels before eating any foods rich
in sugar and carbs.
Do Bananas Have Side Effects?
No, bananas don’t seem to have serious effects on your body.
The only thing you should be concerned about is allergies.
An allergy to bananas is similar to an allergy to latex.
Studies have shown that half of the people with latex allergies can show some allergic
response to plant-based foods.
So Do Bananas Cause Weight Loss?
Well at this point, you’d think yes!
But there has been no direct study proving the weight loss benefits of bananas.
But beneficial effects of eating unripe bananas have been documented.
One study found that bananas with resistant starch can cause weight loss and reduced insulin
resistance.
They concluded that taking 24 grams of banana starch each day for 4 weeks lead to a weight
loss of 3 lbs.
Resistant starch has great potential when it comes to weight loss.
As we explained a little earlier, it slows down your appetite, making you eat less.
It’s a known fact that increased consumption of fruits helps in weight loss and other health
benefits.
The high fiber content in fruits has been associated with weight loss and reduced calorie
intake.
Just try and stay away from them if you’re on a low carb diet.
Diets are serious business.
Speaking of carbs, have you been having too many?
Check out 8 healthy ways to cut carbs.
If you need more help, watch 20 foods low in carbohydrates you need to eat.
Go ahead, click one.
Or better yet, watch both, and learn more about how to lose those extra pounds.
What are some weight loss fruits you love to eat?
Let us know in the comments below.