This Delicious Fruit Can Help With Your Digestive Issues

Bananas are a gift of nature. They’re delicious, nutritious, and make for the perfect healthy snack. Let’s not forget they’re also inexpensive and are convenient to carry anywhere. 

 

Bananas offer numerous health benefits. 

 

* They’re rich in nutrients like potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B6, magnesium, copper, and fiber. 

 

* They contain antioxidants that can boost immunity and reduce the risk of chronic disease. 

 

* They’re rich in soluble fiber that slows digestion and adds bulk to your digestive system. This may help keep you fuller for longer. 

 

* They’re low in calories (an average banana has just over 100 calories) and are hence a good weight-loss-friendly food. 

 

* They're also an excellent whole-food source of carbohydrates - our body's primary source of energy.

However, there’s one little-known health benefit of bananas that many are still not aware of. Recent studies suggest this fruit can also be highly beneficial for the health of your gut (more clinically referred to as the gastrointestinal system). Let’s find out more. 

Why bananas are great for gut health?

A 2021 review published in the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology examined 50 previous studies to understand the role of the gut on our health. The researchers reported the importance of a balanced microbiome - the bacteria that live in our intestines. 

 

Resistant starch, the type of fiber found in unripe bananas, is prebiotic. Prebiotics are specialized plant fibers that escape digestion and end up in your large intestine where they act as food for the preexisting good bacteria. This is done by binding with the bacteria. 

 

Health experts say that good bacteria need nourishment too and foods like bananas can be really useful for that purpose. Probiotics essentially help gut bacteria to perform a range of healthy activities and play key roles in our digestion and immune system regulation. 

 

Feeding the gut bacteria with prebiotics also allows them to increase in number and produce beneficial compounds called short-chain fatty acids. These acids improve gut health by providing protection against inflammation, maintaining intestinal barrier integrity, and mucus production.

 

There’s more. The chemical compounds in a banana become a film-like shield between the fruit and the lining of the intestinal tract. As the banana breaks down, it doesn’t rub on the intestinal lining, and its compounds coat and soothe it almost like a healing ointment.⁣

The importance of maintaining good gut health

Most medical professionals say that gut health strongly affects the overall health of the other parts of the body. It also plays a vital role in how the body processes a variety of ailments. Therefore, keeping your gut healthy can help your body operate more effectively and enhance your ability to fight diseases. 

 

Scientists also note that not feeding our gut microbiome’s good bacteria might create a gut bacteria imbalance known as dysbiosis. Research shows that this imbalance can lead to chronic conditions such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBS), obesity, diabetes, and even cancer. Without healthy bacteria in our gut, the gastrointestinal tract’s cell structures can weaken, leading to chronic inflammation. 

 

So, if you wish to keep your gut in good shape, continue eating bananas every day. There are, of course, other foods that can improve gut health such as yogurt, almonds, apples, asparagus, sauerkraut, olive oil, and whole grains. At the same time, ultra-processed foods with lower probiotic diversity can be harmful to your gut.

 

Bananas are easily available in all seasons, are super affordable, and also offer a host of other benefits. Now, you have an extra reason to add this amazing fruit to your daily diet!

14 health problems that can be treated with bananas, kindly read my next post.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   

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Can Eating Banana Peels Help You Lose Weight?

Bananas are insanely good for you. Not only are they packed with 12% of your recommended daily dose of potassium and 20% of vitamins C and B6, but a single piece of the fruit also boasts 3 grams fiber. They are also a great source of resistant starch, a type that naturally suppresses your appetite, ultimately aiding in weight loss. Did we mention they are also super delicious, whether you are eating them straight from the peel or blended into a smoothie, added to baked goods, or sliced up in your oatmeal? But according to one nutritionist, if you want to really amplify the health benefits of bananas, you should be eating the peel as well.

“Specifically, you will increase your overall fiber content by at least 10 percent as a lot of dietary fiber can be found in the skin of the banana,” a nutritionist wrote. “You will get almost 20 percent more vitamin B6 and almost 20 percent more vitamin C and you will boost both your potassium and magnesium intake.

She doesn’t suggest munching on the skins but cooking the skin to soften it first, which will “break down some of the cell walls within the skin helping to make the nutrients easily to absorb,” then blending it into recipes or smoothies.

She also maintains that the color of your banana skin makes a difference nutritionally. Green banana skins are both rich in the amino acid tryptophan (associated with good sleep quality) and also in resistant starch, which will benefit gut health. A ripened banana with yellow skin boasts a higher proportion of antioxidants associated with anti-cancer effects, she says.

But before you start boiling your banana skins, keep in mind that while banana peels are edible and do have some proven nutritional value, scientific evidence to back up Burrell’s weight loss claims is lacking.

“There is no published research on this, so we don’t know for certain how eating them may impact weight loss,”a nutrition editor explains. While theoretically nutrients like fiber, prebiotics, and antioxidants may help with weight loss, because the studies are lacking, there is no established form (green versus ripe), specific amount/dose, prep method, or frequency (daily, weekly, etc.) tied to a specific amount of weight lost over a given time frame. “I don’t think it’s absolutely necessary to try to incorporate them into your diet,” she says.

Adds New York City-based nutritionist : “There are so many more enjoyable ways to get fiber in general—and resistant starch in particular. I would much rather recommend someone enjoy a bowl of oatmeal or snack on some hummus, or add oats or beans to delicious recipes.

If you do decide to give them a try,she encourages you to choose USDA certified organic, and wash them well to avoid pesticide residues. “You can also start with a small amount and incorporate into dishes with ingredients that help counter the flavor, like a smoothie with sweet fruit and a touch of ginger root or vanilla,” she suggests.

this is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     
https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  
https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement