General diet advice
The knowledge we have about the food we eat today is so far ahead of what we knew even a decade ago. Scientific research into our diets, shows that there are many health benefits from following a healthy balanced diet, not only to prevent disease, but also to promote longevity. We're constantly being told that certain food are good for us, and this often sparks a new trend in healthy eating. The banana has not been overlooked when it comes down to analysing the food we eat. It's a very popular fruit that's consumed in many forms and most commonly as a snack. Like all fruits, the banana goes through various stages of ripening. So, how do we know when it's best to eat them, or it it just a matter of personal preference?Packed full of goodness
Bananas are an amazing fruit, containing potassium, vitamins A, B and C as well as being high in fibre, magnesium and phosphorus. Like a lot of fruits, bananas are made up of 50% carbohydrate and 50% water.
Unripe, or green bananas
When they're in the unripe stage, the resistant starch content in bananas is higher. Resistant starch is a type of starch that resists digestion. Even though we can't digest it, resistant starch is very important for us, since it ends up in the colon, where fermentation takes place, promoting the growth of good bacteria. This, in turn, can protect us from the risk of developing colon cancer. As well as promoting good bacteria, green bananas also promote the absorption of calcium and other essential nutrients.
This is achieved when good bacteria triggers the release of certain key digestive enzymes in the body. These help our bodies to absorb nutrients better, from the food we eat. One of the main drawbacks of eating green bananas is that they can be a little difficult to digest and can cause us to bloat and feel uncomfortable. However, they are good for people with type 2 diabetes, since green bananas have a lower sugar content.Ripe, or yellow bananas
As for ripe bananas, the ripening process changes the resistant starch to a simple type of sugar. This means they're easier to digest, but unfortunately higher on the glycemic index, so not good for diabetics. Ripe bananas are high in antioxidants, which are vital in our bodies for the health of cells. Antioxidants have the capacity to fight cell damage and disease and slow down the ageing process. Ripe bananas contain lots of antioxidants. In fact, the riper the better.
Ripe, or yellow bananas also produce a substance that's scientifically named 'Tumour Necrosis Factor' or TNF for short. This helps our cells in their immunity and defence processes. The riper the banana, the more TNF is produced, according to experts. If we dig a little deeper into the science behind this, TNF is a 'Citokine', which is the scientific name for a small protein that's important in cell signalling. When Cytokines are released by our cells, they effect other cells, which is how they fight tumour growth at cellular level. Cytokines also regulate cell growth and help balance white blood cells, which can prevent cell mutation into cancerous stages.So which should we eat?
So, there are a lot of different arguments as to why bananas are good to eat at different stages of the ripening process.
The advice from scientists and dieticians seems to be that unless you have good health reasons not to, you should consume both types of banana and get the all-round benefits they offer, with a tendency to lean towards the riper side of the fruit, to get the really high anti-cancer benefits.For More Posts Go To Main Blog
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