I always wondered about the weight
related effects of bananas but this article puts all that to sleep. It is all very good for your personal health
and for the heart in particular.
In fact it ranks as a low glycemic food
which is almost counter intuitive.
This is well worth the read just to
understand those core claims and how to store the fruit. As well once it becomes ripe and you have
more than you can consume, just freeze them skin and all. They will turn black but the contents remain
excellent and can be used in a smoothie.
Why
Bananas Are Good For Weight Loss and Immunity
October
4, 2013 |
The misinformation about bananas on the internet is
fairly extensive, especially relating to weight loss. There are some people out
there actually trying to convince audiences that bananas are as bad to consume
as cookies and french fries…I kid you not. If we look at the facts on bananas,
we find a fruit with a low glycemic index, high in fiber and full of vitamins.
They are one of the most nutritious and natural foods that help promote weight
loss and help enhance immunity.
High in Critical Nutrients
Bananas are very high in vitamin B6 and also contain
modest amounts of vitamin C, maganese, potassium and of course fiber. Sports
enthusiasts appreciate the potassium–power delivered by this high energy fruit
which many claim is as
effective and even superior to sport energy drinks.
Since the average banana contains a whopping 467 mg of
potassium and only 1 mg of sodium, a banana a day may help to prevent high
blood pressure and protect against atherosclerosis.
The effectiveness of potassium–rich foods such as bananas
in lowering blood pressure has been demonstrated by a number of studies. For
example, researchers tracked over 40,000 American male health professionals
over four years to determine the effects of diet on blood pressure. Men who ate
diets higher in potassium–rich foods, as well as foods high in magnesium, had a
substantially reduced risk of stroke.
A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine also
confirms that eating high fiber foods, such as bananas, helps prevent heart
disease. Almost 10,000 American adults participated in this study and were
followed for 19 years. People eating the most fiber, 21 grams per day, had 12%
less coronary heart disease (CHD) and 11% less cardiovascular disease (CVD)
compared to those eating the least, 5 grams daily. Those eating the most
water–soluble dietary fiber fared even better with a 15% reduction in risk of CHD
and a 10% risk reduction in CVD.
In addition to these cardiovascular benefits, the
potassium found in bananas may also help to promote bone health. Potassium may
counteract the increased urinary calcium loss caused by the high–salt diets
typical of most Americans, thus helping to prevent bones from thinning out at a
fast rate.
Eat a Banana Full Ripe or Yellow?
It is a fact that nutrient content of fruits
change slightly as they ripen. As a banana ripens and turns yellow, its levels
of antioxidants increases. These antioxidants in ripe bananas protect your body
against cancer and heart diseases. But while overripe bananas certainly have
nutritional value, they also lose some benefits. In full ripe bananas with dark
spots on skin, the starch content changes to simple sugars that are easier to
digest but the glycemic index also increases.
Tumor Necrosis Factor(TNF) is a cytokine,
substances secreted by certain cells of the immune system that have an effect
on other cells. This is indeed helpful in fighting abnormal turmor cells in
body. Research done on ripening bananas has proved that the levels of TNF
induction increased markedly with dark spots on skin before the entire banana
peel turned brown. The research concluded that the activity of banana was
comparable to that of Lentinan, a chemical immunostimulant that is intravenously
administered as an anti–cancer agent. So, ripe banana can act as an
anti–cancer agent by stimulating the production of white blood cells in the
human cell line.
Once bananas ripen fully, store them in the
refrigerator to minimize further vitamin loss. Fresh bananas with brown patches
on the skin are ripe enough to eat immediately. Make sure to avoid over–ripe
bananas whose skin has turned brown or split open.
If you want to extend the freshness of a
banana, the easiest way if you prefer to keep them at room temperature, is wrap
plastic around the top or separate them.
What About The Carbs?
What About Them? You can still eat bananas
regardless if you’re diabetic or on a weight loss program. All fruit has some
carbohydrate, so you simply need to count them in your diabetes or weight loss
meal plan. If you want to include bananas in your meal plan, become familiar
with portion sizes and the number of carbohydrates in each.
Bananas vary quite a bit in size, so counting
the carbs that they provide can be difficult. Below are some estimates for
different sizes.
Extra small banana (6 inches long or less) — 18.5
grams of carbohydrate
Small banana (about 6–6 7/8 inches long) –23
grams of carbohydrate
Medium banana (7–7 7/8 inches long) — 27 grams
of carbohydrate
Large banana (8–8 7/8 inches long) — 31 grams
of carbohydrate
Extra large banana (9 inches or longer) — 35
grams of carbohydrate
Carbohydrates affect blood sugar and insulin
levels. Slow–releasing carbohydrates are low on the glycemic index and can keep
your blood sugar levels stable. Foods higher up the glycemic index will release
their energy quicker, often causing the blood sugar levels to rise and fall
rapidly. Following a low glycemic index diet helps control diabetes, weight
gain and also plays a role in cardiovascular disease prevention.
Bananas are low on the glycemic index and
release their energy into the bloodstream slowly. According to the GI
Database, fully ripe bananas has a glycemic index of
51. This counts as a low glycemic index food, because its GI value is under 55.
The maturity of your banana can have an effect on its GI rating. Slightly
under–ripe bananas with green sections remaining have been calculated at 42 and
over–ripe bananas with brown flecks have a GI of 48. This is not a huge difference,
but it is something you might like to be aware of.
The Morning Banana diet was developed by
Hitoshi Watanabe, who studied preventive medicine in Tokyo, and his pharmacist
wife, Sumiko. The diet has since gained popularity by word of mouth, web sites,
TV shows, magazine articles, and a book written by the Watanabes.
Different versions of the Morning Banana Diet
tout varying explanations of exactly how bananas work to promote weight loss.
One theory suggests that certain enzymes in bananas speed up digestion and
elimination, causing rapid weight loss in some people.
Misconceptions
Eating bananas is only part of an overall
lifestyle change– including a healthy diet, cardiovascular exercise and
strength training — that can result in effective weight loss. Eating bananas
should not be the sum of your weight–loss plan, but rather one small part of
it.
Bananas, along with most fruits have long been
a part of healthy diets and weight loss plans. But while they are nutritious,
they don’t have any special weight loss properties on their own.
To lose weight, you need to be physically
active and control calories. And to stay healthy, you should choose healthy
foods.
The truth is, there are no bad fruits, just
poor lifestyle choices and often a misunderstanding of how to use fruits to
your advantage in any diet. Anytime someone tells you fruit is bad for weight
loss, disregard it. There really are no bad fruits, just good or bad diets.
About
the Author
Natasha Longo has a master’s degree in nutrition and
is a certified fitness and nutritional counselor. She has consulted on public
health policy and procurement in Canada, Australia, Spain, Ireland, England and
Germany.
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