Choose Your Banana Wisely: Your health depends on it!
1. Unripe and green
Green bananas are hard to digest unless they are cooked. But when cooked, they taste like potatoes and are quite delicious. Those who know Caribbean cuisine will know that green bananas are used in many dishes.
What you may not know is that green bananas have a low glucose value – perfect for people who need to monitor their sugar intake.
Another good thing about unripe bananas is that they are good for your immune system. Additionally, green bananas contain a certain starch, a type of carbohydrate that improves insulin sensitivity and reduces sugar levels.
Due to the amount of starch, green bananas fill up your stomach for longer periods, which can help if you want to lose weight. Cook them, mash them, or bake them.
The downside? Green bananas have fewer antioxidants than more ripe bananas, as antioxidants in bananas increase as they ripen.
2. Firm and yellow
Many of us prefer yellow bananas with few spots. At this stage, bananas are sweet and ripe. Pale yellow bananas contain a lot of antioxidants that protect the body against diseases, aging, and heart problems.
A medium-sized ripe banana also contains 37 mg of magnesium, a vital mineral that helps keep the brain sharp.
3. With spots
Sweet, tasty, and full of antioxidants: spotted bananas contain many resources to fight off diseases.
The more brown spots a banana has, the more anti-tumor properties it contains. These tumor inhibitors are cell-forming proteins that help fight cancer and bad cells in the body, although more research is needed on this. However, a study from Japan in 2008 showed that spotted bananas contain these substances.
4. Brown
Admittedly, not many people like to eat brown bananas. But if you want to save some money, you can often get discounts on overripe bananas. Buy them and make a smoothie or delicious banana bread.
When bananas are brown, they are very sweet and have a high concentration of antioxidants. They are gentle on the stomach and perfect for stomach aches. Just make sure to eat them before they rot!
Whichever type of bananas you prefer, they all have these benefits:
- They contain the amino acid tryptophan, a substance that brings serotonin to the body. Serotonin is often referred to as the happiness hormone.
- Bananas contain some sodium, as well as potassium, which is good for the heart.
- They have high levels of vitamin B6, which researchers believe helps alleviate symptoms of PMS.
- The fruit contains three natural sugars – sucrose, fructose, and glucose – in combination with fiber.
Since bananas lose some of their nutrients as they ripen, you can store them in the refrigerator to slow down the ripening process. Enjoy bananas in the morning, afternoon, or evening and discover the positive effects on your health!
Share this article with more people so they know how healthy bananas are!
