Why bananas are bad

The more you eat, the more your guilt about much of what else you eat subsides. Daryl Gioffre is quoted by well-regarded health magazine Cosmopolitan as saying you should beware your banana. As I perused his ideas , I was moved not only by his passion, but by his revelations.

And you thought lemons and grapefruit were among the most acidic things on earth? Not so, apparently. As I dug deeper into his theories, there was more acid indigestion. I wouldn't dream of suggesting that his theories are any more great than that of even those who might have appeared or not on Oprah.

They found that taking 24 grams of banana starch each day for 4 weeks caused weight loss of 2. Other studies have also linked fruit consumption to weight loss. Fruit is high in fiber, and high fiber intake has been associated with lower body weight 19 , 20 , Moreover, resistant starch has received some attention recently as a weight loss friendly ingredient It may contribute to weight loss by increasing fullness and reducing appetite, thus helping people eat fewer calories 8 , Although no studies have shown that bananas per se cause weight loss, they have several properties that should make them a weight loss friendly food.

That being said, bananas are not a good food for low-carb diets. A medium-sized banana contains 27 grams of carbs. The fiber content of bananas may promote weight loss by increasing the feeling of fullness and reducing appetite. However, the high carb content of bananas makes them unsuitable for low-carb diets.

It plays a crucial role in blood pressure control and kidney function A potassium-rich diet can help lower blood pressure and positively affect heart health. A high potassium intake is linked to a reduced risk of heart disease 25 , 26 , Bananas are high in potassium, which may help lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease. Magnesium is a very important mineral in the body, and hundreds of different processes need it to function.

A high intake of magnesium may protect against various chronic conditions, including high blood pressure, heart disease and type 2 diabetes 28 , Magnesium may also play a beneficial role in bone health 30 , 31 , Bananas are a decent source of magnesium, a mineral that plays hundreds of roles in the body. Magnesium may protect against heart disease and type 2 diabetes. These compounds act as prebiotic nutrients, which feed the friendly bacteria in the digestive system These nutrients are fermented by the friendly bacteria in the colon, which generate butyrate Butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid that contributes to digestive health.

It may also reduce the risk of colon cancer 35 , Unripe, green bananas are rich in resistant starch and pectin, which may promote digestive health and reduce the risk of colon cancer. Opinions are mixed about whether bananas are safe for people with diabetes, since they are high in starch and sugar.

However, they still rank low to medium on the glycemic index, which measures how foods affect the rise in blood sugar after a meal. Bananas have a glycemic index value of 42—62, depending on their ripeness Below, we rank the 3 stages of banana ripening from worst overripe and brown to best. A brown banana is on the far end of the ripeness spectrum and the sweetest option.

For example, an overripe, medium-sized banana contains That calculates to a 3-gram increase in sugars , mostly from simple sugars fructose and glucose, just because you left the banana out for a bit longer before biting into it.

For context, the sugar content of bananas isn't that high. One medium-sized apple contains 19 grams of sugar. The reason sugar content increases is that a banana's starches, which are complex carbs, naturally break down into their simple sugar parts over time. As context, a yellow banana contains 6. Overripe bananas are also lower in digestion-slowing fiber , having only 1. A study published in the journal Diabetic Medicine found that diabetics had a lower glycemic response—meaning their blood glucose levels didn't spike as much—to under-ripe bananas compared with overripe bananas due to higher starch content.

But before you go toss out your bananas, note that eating overripe bananas is still better for your blood glucose levels than eating white bread.

Lastly, some micronutrient levels decrease in overripe bananas like vitamin A, vitamin B6, and vitamin K ; however, the level of change is insignificant. Another thing that could cause some to worry about bananas is radiation.

Like many foods, bananas naturally contain some radioactive isotopes - enough for the US-based think tank, Nuclear Threat Initiative, to warn that they can trigger sensors used at US ports to detect smuggled nuclear material. A typical banana contains 0. To put that in context, a typical CT scan in a hospital exposes humans to between 10 and 15 millisieverts - about , times more.

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