Among all fruits, bananas are among the most consumed. They are the ideal on-the-go snack because they are very portable and simple to eat. Additionally, bananas are pretty nutritious and rich in fiber and antioxidants.
However, you may have heard that eating bananas is actually bad for your health, particularly if you have diabetes or are insulin resistant. It’s still controversial to eat a banana on an empty stomach. Because they are afraid of gaining weight, many people cut bananas out of their diet.
Is a banana your best friend or worst enemy?
The Most Common Banana Myths
Here are 5 widespread myths about bananas to help you decide whether or not to consume your preferred fruit.
Myth #1 – Bananas contain too much sugar.
If you’re going to eat a banana, you might as well eat a candy bar, one might hear. Let’s sort things out, then.
There are 14 grams of sugar in a medium banana, which is a significant quantity. 14 grams of sugar are also included in one ounce of dark chocolate. The sugar in a banana is entirely natural, whereas the sugar in chocolate is entirely artificial.
What sets them apart?
Bananas typically include 3 grams of fiber, which decreases the blood sugar absorption. Some of this fiber is derived from pectins, which further delay the breakdown of carbs and minimize a spike in blood sugar. You can still eat bananas even if you have diabetes or have been warned that your blood sugar is a little high. Combine a banana with protein and healthy fat, such as nut or seed butter or yogurt, to decrease the sugar rise.
But bear in mind that eating fruit is still very different than eating candy bars, even if you do solely snack on fruit! A banana also has fiber, a ton of other vitamins and minerals, and even more protein than 1 gram!
Myth #2 – Bananas make you fat.
You might be advised not to consume bananas after 3 o’clock or to incorporate them in a diet to lose weight.
In actuality, a banana has about 100 calories and less than 0.5 grams of fat. It’s true that more sugar can be absorbed and stored as fat when it’s digested, but if you eat just when you’re hungry and don’t overeat, this won’t happen when you consume a 100-calorie banana.
There is no justification for preventing somebody who is dieting from eating bananas. Bananas typically meet 6.1% of a woman’s daily energy needs who is trying to lose weight. Thus, a banana can be a great snack or one of your daily fruit servings in a well-rounded diet for weight loss. Bananas that are slightly green and firm have a lower glycaemic index than ripe, squishy bananas.
There is no reason to refrain from eating bananas after a specific time of day, either. As a fruit that is primarily composed of carbohydrates, bananas have very little fat and are simple for the body to digest and absorb.
A banana can provide you with instant energy and be the ideal pre-workout food. However, the secret is moderation. Although eating bananas won’t give you a bloated stomach, a wider waist, or chubby thighs, you still need to burn off the energy that any food provides. If you consume too many bananas, the extra glucose may be turned into fat. So be cautious about how many bananas you have been eating every day.
Myth #3 – Bananas are a poor choice.
Maybe you’ve heard that bananas are a bad fruit choice. Uncertain why, but bananas seem to have a terrible reputation in the world of fruit.
In actuality, they share a lot in common with other well-liked and less controversial fruits in terms of composition. For instance, a medium apple and a banana both have roughly 100 calories and fewer than 0.5 grams of fat. Compared to a banana, the apple has less protein and 19 grams of sugar. Compared to a banana, a cup of seedless grapes has less protein and fiber and 23 grams of sugar.
The versatile fruit banana is full of beneficial elements, including:
- Calories – 110 kcals
- Carbohydrates – 25 gms
- Proteins – 1 gm
- Potassium – 50 mg
- Dietary Fiber – 3 gms
- Vitamin C – 15% of the daily requirement.
- Vitamin B6 – 22% of the daily requirement.
Yes, there are fruits (such as berries, citrus fruits, and melon) that have less sugar than bananas, but bananas are also portable, reasonably priced, and widely available. Also note that bananas are free of cholesterol, lipids, and salt.
Myth #4 – You shouldn’t eat bananas on an empty stomach.
Breakfast is regarded as the most significant meal of the day and should be consumed with a royal diet of good and nourishing foods. But most frequently, it turns into a meal-on-the-go, and we choose one of the simplest options—a banana—because it doesn’t need to be washed.
However, are bananas as healthful as they are sometimes said to be?
Bananas are not a healthy food to eat on an empty stomach, according to a number of sites. Some of the causes are as follows:
- Bananas have a lot of natural carbohydrates, which can give you a quick energy boost but also drain you after a while.
- Bananas temporarily fill you up, but they also make you drowsy and exhausted.
- Since bananas are naturally acidic, eating one on an empty stomach could result in gastrointestinal issues.
As a result, it is best to avoid eating fruits first thing in the morning. Technically, fruits in general—not just bananas—should be avoided. Natural fruits are difficult to find these days. Our purchases are grown artificially, thus they shouldn’t be consumed first thing in the morning.
Fruits can be mixed with other foods so that the effect is lessened by the nutrients in them, which is one strategy to avoid eating them directly. A banana first thing in the morning is acceptable as long as it is combined with other items. To start the day off right, carefully organize your breakfast by combining and contrasting various components.
Myth #5 – Health claims.
Several proponents of bananas make health claims, including that consuming one will lower cholesterol, calm an upset stomach and diarrhea, and instantly relieve hangovers and premenstrual syndrome. Bananas’ tryptophan is also attributed for fostering sleep. Then, that anaemia, blood pressure, bowel issues, constipation, depression, heart issues, morning sickness, neurological disorders, stress, and ulcers can all be helped by eating bananas.
Anyone reading this would think that bananas are loaded with nutrients and the cure for every disease and issue known to man.
As omnivores, humans have the best chance of surviving and remaining healthy if we consume a balanced diet that includes a variety of diverse foods. Each meal can contribute to our nutrient intake and our health.
In line with the aforementioned, “Eat a variety of foods” is the earliest and most significant South African food-based dietary recommendation. Therefore, it makes sense that no one meal, like the banana, is the answer to treating or preventing all of the ailments mentioned above.
Bottom Line
Taking into account everything stated above, you can include bananas in your diet in the following ways:
- You would be able to exercise well and not quickly run out of energy if you consumed it as a pre-workout meal or added it to your bowl of oats with milk and some almonds.
- You can eat bananas with your breakfast. Put it in your smoothie, overnight oats, muesli, mixed fruit bowl, pancake batter, and smoothie batter. Never has breakfast been better.
- You can eat it as a mid-morning or late-night snack because it’s a terrific alternative for snacks.
Even if eating a banana is good for you and won’t make you gain weight, you should limit yourself to 1 or 2 each day. You may always combine a banana with a few other fruits in a bowl and eat a variety of fruits. Eat a variety of fruits because each one has advantages that you would not want to miss. Never stick to just one fruit; explore new things.
This demonstrated that if you want to reduce weight, you do not need to avoid bananas. Remember, though, that nothing is inherently good or harmful; everything is good in moderation. In addition to providing you with immediate energy, bananas can also improve your mood and reduce stress. So don’t worry; a banana is your friend and ought to be consumed every day.