[Article updated on 19/09/2023]
There are around 1000 varieties of bananas… Each French person consumes 8.5 kg/year, which makes it the 2nd best-selling fruit in France!
Before reading on
I’m not an expert in this field, but I am passionate about nutrition and health.
The articles you’ll find on my site are the result of in-depth research that I’d like to share with you. However, I would like to stress that I am not a health professional and that my advice should in no way replace that of a qualified physician. I’m here to guide you, but it’s important that you consult a professional for specific questions or medical concerns. Your well-being is important. So be sure to consult the appropriate experts and take the best possible care of yourself.
But some of you are a little afraid of it because it has the reputation of being too rich, of making you gain weight,…
Let’s sort out the truth from the fiction.
Is the banana interesting in terms of notutritional?
Do you know the expression “to have the banana” which refers to the smile?
Well it is also consistent with the virtues of this fruit because, contrary to what one might think, the banana has several interesting virtues.
First of all, bananas contain vitamin C (15 mg per 100 g of banana) and it is therefore an antioxidant food, meaning it slows down the aging of cells.
Banana is a fruit rich in potassium and we know that a high consumption of potassium reduces blood pressure in people suffering from hypertension, which helps reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke (Cerebrovascular Accident).
Banana is also an ally of digestion because it has anti-acid and anti-ulcer effects.
(Source: Doctor Ralph Best, Aston University, Birmingham, Great Britain).
And then it is an “anti-depression” fruit because the banana is rich in dopamine and vitamin B6, compounds which act on your nervous system giving you a “relaxation” effect.
It contains a lot of sugars, right? Does it make you gain weight?
Yes it’s true, it contains a lot of sugars! But it’s not serious in itself, unless you “overconsume” it.
In France, we particularly consume the Cavendish, the best known, and the plantain, which is cooked in a savory version.
We will end up with approximately the equivalent of 5 lumps of sugar for a Cavendish banana (90 Cal) and 7 lumps of sugar for the same quantity of plantain (130 Cal), it’s like eating pasta at this time. which concerns the plantain which is the sweetest but, in caloric equivalent for the Cavendish, it is like eating only natural yogurt!
And it contains no fat!
And then, let’s remember that our body needs “sugars” to function, and the banana contains interesting sugars especially since it also contains fiber so storage in the body only happens in the same way if you had eaten sweets which will be stored more quickly in the form of fat in your body.
So is it really an interesting fruit for athletes?
It’s a very interesting exercise food!
Therefore, for athletes the banana is particularly indicated, because of its richness in carbohydrates (=sugars), B vitamins, potassium and magnesium (important for good muscular work).
Thanks to its sugars which can be assimilated in less than two hours by the body’s muscles, it allows you to recover quickly after exercise.
It therefore represents an excellent snack for athletes, students and children.
It can also be a good alternative for breakfast when it is difficult to eat one: a banana provides, depending on its size, as much energy as 35 g of bread (half of an individual roll).
Can bananas help with diarrhea?
Indeed, the banana has the ability to relieve the symptoms of diarrhea thanks to its particular fibers, therefore ideal for regulating transit.
It really has a lot of advantages: it is practical, with its thick skin which protects it, it is easy to take everywhere and it is available all year round.
We are rarely disappointed by the taste of banana unlike other fruits where we are never sure if they will be sufficiently ripe, juicy or sweet…
How do you know when a banana is ripe?
You have to look at its color: when the banana is pale yellow with green ends, it is still ripening, the flavor is tangy and the texture is firm.
When the banana is completely yellow, it is ripe and the flavor is sweeter and the texture softer.
Finally, when the banana is tiger yellow, the banana is fully ripe, you have 2 days to consume it, the flavor is very sweet and the texture is melting.
Any tips for storing it?
Banana can be stored between 18 and 20°C, especially not in the refrigerator!
And if it’s not ripe but you’re dying to eat a banana, wrap it in newspaper or a paper bag, it speeds up the ripening.
Finally, to prevent the banana from blackening once cut, put a squeeze of lemon on it!
TO SUM UP:
- The banana is a nutritionally interesting fruit
- The banana is a practical fruit
- Banana does not make you gain weight