Hey there, viewers! Are you a banana lover? If so, you’re probably picky about their ripeness.
If you’re like me, you prefer under-ripe green bananas. There are others who like overripe
bananas that are almost completely brown. While taste is a factor, so is your health.
Wondering which banana is perfect for your health? In today’s video,
we’ll be talking about which banana you should eat, as the answer may have an
effect on your health. Should you go for green bananas? How about yellow ones?
We’ll be talking about all of these AND more…
(Pause)
Let’s begin by discussing why you should eat bananas in the first place.
Bananas are a healthy choice all around. You can have them as a snack, or make smoothies out of
them for breakfast. Bananas are loaded with nutrients and fiber that keep your digestive
system running smoothly. A medium-sized banana comes with about 3 grams of fiber. Fiber helps
keep you full for a longer period of time. Bananas also have a good amount of potassium.
This mineral is important in regulating your blood pressure levels and keeping your kidneys working.
Many people don’t get enough potassium, and bananas can help with that.
Another reason why you should eat bananas is they’re a great source of magnesium.
One medium-sized banana will give you 8% of the magnesium your body needs every day. If you
get enough magnesium every day, you can protect yourself from heart disease and type-2 diabetes.
Bananas can also be safe for people who have diabetes, as long as they’re eaten in moderation.
Despite being high in starch and sugar, bananas rank low on the glycemic index. This index
shows how foods can increase blood sugar levels after finishing a meal.
For the most part, bananas pose little danger. The people who really need to look out are those
with latex allergies. It’s been noted that these people can also be allergic to a few plant foods.
(Pause) There are other factors you need
to consider before eating bananas. The negative effects are all based on the stage of ripeness.
Let’s talk a little more about that… (Pause)
Green bananas are a great choice. You see, green bananas have resistant
starch in them. Resistant starch helps control your blood sugar levels, helping reduce your
risk of diabetes. Green bananas also have high fiber content. Since the fiber keeps you full,
you won’t eat as many snacks during the day. Over time, you’ll lose weight.
Green bananas rank the lowest on the glycemic index among all other stages of ripeness.
It makes for a great snack for people that need to keep their blood sugar levels under control.
(Pause) Yellow bananas are also ideal.
Yellow bananas that are still firm are packed with antioxidants. These antioxidants are important for
your overall health as they reduce illness. Yellow bananas also have an antioxidant called dopamine,
which is usually associated with brain chemicals that help you feel good. But, the dopamine
you get from bananas doesn’t alter your mood. This is because the dopamine doesn’t move across
the blood-brain barrier. Instead, it helps reduce the risk of heart disease. It also helps lower the
risk of degenerative diseases. (Pause)
Do not throw away yellow bananas with brown spots. The bananas that have reached this stage of
ripening are not as healthy as the younger ones. But, they still come
packed with important antioxidants. They tend to be much sweeter than the yellow bananas,
which is why so many people prefer them. In one study, it was seen that brown spotted
bananas can help fight cancer cells. They have 8 times the Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) compared
to green bananas. TNF can help break down abnormal cells. This includes cancer cells.
TNF also benefits your immune system by guiding the white blood cells to the infected area of
your body. (Pause)
Brown bananas ain’t bad either. Brown bananas have a high amount of
potassium, which can prevent conditions such as osteoporosis. Bananas with this advanced stage
of ripeness also have an amino acid called tryptophan (trip·tuh·fan). Tryptophan can
help control your mood and treat signs of depression and anxiety.
Since brown bananas are the easiest to digest, it works as a great snack for people with digestive
issues. But, the longer brown bananas are left out in the open, the faster they lose their
nutritional value. So brown bananas should be kept in your refrigerator if you want to avoid
nutrient loss. (Pause)
Still not convinced about eating bananas? Well, let’s go a little deeper into the health benefits
of this fruit. (Pause)
We just discussed how bananas are rich in soluble fiber and can regulate your blood sugar levels.
When you eat foods with soluble fiber, they turn to gel that dissolves in liquid during
the digestive process. This brings us to the first health benefit of bananas…
(Pause) They’re a prebiotic.
The resistant starch you get from unripe bananas acts as a prebiotic. Prebiotics don’t go through
the digestion process and instead land in the large intestine. Here, they act as food
for the good bacteria in your gut. This increases the population of good bacteria,
which helps you digest food. (Pause)
Bananas can help relieve constipation and reduce your risk of getting colon cancer.
Bananas also have a special fiber called pectin. This particular fiber, which is found in both ripe
and unripe bananas, can help soften your stool and prevent constipation. Research has shown that
bananas have the capacity to prevent colon cancer. (Pause)
Eat bananas to reduce weight. We mentioned this a few minutes ago. There’s
a misconception that bananas are a big NO-NO when you’re trying to lose weight. That’s not true at
all. Bananas are a great snack to include in your weight loss program. They’re low in calories,
but high in nutrition and fiber. In fact, the average banana only gives you about 100 calories.
Eating a banana increases the feeling of fullness and reduces appetite. An increase
in fiber intake is directly linked to weight loss. One particular study measured the food intake of
252 women for 20 months. It was reported that for every extra gram of fiber the women ate per day,
their body weight was less than 0.25 kg lower. That’s almost half a pound!
If you’re looking to eat bananas strictly for weight loss, make sure you choose unripe,
green bananas. They’re high in resistant starch, which increases fat burning.
(Pause) The magnesium in bananas can be a life saver.
The average banana also provides a good amount of magnesium, which is an important mineral.
Magnesium deficiency has shown to be the cause of high blood pressure and increased
risk of heart disease. Adding bananas to your regular diet will help alleviate these issues.
Magnesium is so important that it’s involved in more than 600 reactions in your body,
including converting food into energy, protein formation, gene maintenance, and muscle movement.
Pretty much any banana, whether ripe or unripe, has a good amount of antioxidants.
These help fight free radicals in your body, which would otherwise cause damage to your cells.
A high amount of free radicals in your body can also cause chronic diseases like cancer.
Magnesium is also pretty important for brain function. Low magnesium has been linked to an
increased risk of depression. (Pause)
Eating an unripe banana is great for your blood sugar.
Unripe bananas help improve insulin sensitivity in your body.
Insulin resistance is a major factor when it comes to chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes.
Research has shown that eating unripe bananas can improve your insulin sensitivity.
This would make the hormone that regulates your blood sugar levels
more responsive. (Pause)
Bananas help keep your kidneys healthy. Potassium can improve the health of your
kidneys. One study was conducted on more than 5,000 people with early-stage kidney disease.
The potassium lowered their blood pressure and slowed down the progression of the disease.
At the same time, people who are on dialysis should reduce the amount of potassium they eat.
The same goes for those dealing with late-stage kidney disease. It would be best to talk to your
doctor if you fall into these categories. (Pause)
Bananas help you recover from a workout session.
Bananas work as a great snack for people recovering after exercise. During a workout,
you lose a lot of electrolytes through your sweat. The potassium and magnesium you get from bananas
can help reduce the cramps and soreness that come from the loss of electrolytes.
The best thing about bananas, apart from all the benefits, is that they’re easy to include
in your diet. You can add them to yogurts and cereal, or have them as part of your smoothie.
If you like eating whole-grain toast with peanut butter, you should add bananas on top. They help
enhance the flavor. Bananas can also work as a substitute for sugar when you’re baking.
If you’re not into fancy recipes, you can always go old-school and just eat the banana as it is.
All you need to do is peel them and they’re ready. On top of that,
bananas are also easy to transport long distances. You can carry them with you in
your car and not have to worry about them going bad for a few days. This makes them one of the
perfect foods. (Pause)
Bananas are clearly good for you, but so are plenty of other foods. Interested in learning
about others? Let’s keep the conversation going with a couple more food-related videos,
shall we? Here’s what you need to know… Check out the 12 Healthiest Foods You Should
Eat In The Morning. You can also try our video on 12 Mistakes That Are Making Your Salad Unhealthy.
Go ahead, click one. Or better yet, watch both, and learn more about health and nutrition. Would
you consider eating more bananas after watching this video? Let us know in the comments below!