Which Stage of Banana Ripeness is Finest for Blood Sugar and Digestion?

As bananas ripen, their starches convert to easy sugars, which have an effect on the feel, style, and coloration of the fruit. The ripeness stage of a banana may influence your total well being and vitality ranges, affecting blood sugar, intestine well being, and digestion.

“Ripe, noticed bananas are sweeter and simpler to digest as a result of their starch has transformed to pure sugars,” Keri Gans, RDN, writer of The Small Change Food plan, and podcast host of The Keri Report, informed Well being.

Nonetheless, with regards to intestine well being, Gans says underripe (greener) bananas are higher as a result of they include extra resistant starch, which features as prebiotic fiber that promotes wholesome intestine micro organism. “This could assist digestion, although some individuals may discover them harder to tolerate if they’re delicate to fiber,” mentioned Gans.

The resistant starch present in underripe bananas helps wholesome blood sugar administration as a result of it is digested extra slowly.

“Underripe bananas are much less candy in style, however they supply a candy deal on your blood sugar and microbiome,” Bonnie Taub-Dix, RDN, CDN, host of the Media Savvy podcast, and creator of BetterThanDieting.com, informed Well being. “Basically, consuming bananas alone can elevate blood sugar extra rapidly, inflicting spikes and vitality that doesn’t final lengthy. Pairing them with protein (like cottage cheese or peanut butter) will help improve satiety and create smoother blood sugar ranges.”

As bananas ripen, their starches convert to easy sugars (sucrose, glucose, and fructose), which make ripe bananas style sweeter than unripe ones. Ripe bananas are digested sooner as a result of they include extra simply digestible easy sugars, the physique’s most well-liked supply of vitality, which gives a fast supply of gasoline for the physique.

Learn how to inform what stage of ripeness bananas are in, in keeping with Jamie Mok, RD, a Los Angeles-based registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Diet and Dietetics:

Unripe bananas are gentle inexperienced, with solely a touch of yellow. These will really feel very agency and have a peel that’s fairly troublesome to peel off.Semi-ripe bananas are yellow, however nonetheless present some inexperienced coloration on the edges, ideas, and stems. These are agency in texture, however the peel sticks barely to the banana’s flesh.Ripe bananas are fully yellow and have minimal to no brown spots. These are gentle, maintain their form properly, and the peel ought to come off simply.Overripe bananas are darkish yellow with many brown spots and darkish stems. These are very gentle and mushy, and have skinny peels that may be simply separated from the banana’s flesh.

“The perfect time to purchase a banana is when it’s principally yellow with a slight inexperienced tint on the stem,” mentioned Gans. “At this level, it’s agency, mildly candy, simple to make use of in some ways, and can keep contemporary for a couple of days.”

Nutrient details for 1 banana (115 grams):

Energy: 101Total fats: 0.33 grams (g)Saturated fats: 0 gTrans fats: 0 milligrams (mg)Ldl cholesterol: 0 mgSodium: Whole carbohydrates: 24 gDietary fiber: 2 gTotal sugars: 18 gProtein: 0.85 gVitamin C: 14 mgFolate: 16 micrograms (mcg)Potassium: 375 mgMagnesium: 32 mgPhosphorus: 25 mg

Relying in your well being or motion objectives, the ripeness stage of a banana could make all of the distinction, particularly should you monitor your blood sugar ranges or train incessantly.

Steady blood sugar: You probably have prediabetes, sort 2 diabetes, or are monitoring your blood sugar ranges, go for unripe bananas, that are barely inexperienced or have only a trace of yellow.
Fast vitality: In case you’re an athlete or somebody who workout routines incessantly, select ripe or noticed yellow bananas to assist gasoline your exercises or video games.
Intestine help: If you wish to construct or keep a wholesome intestine microbiome, devour underripe (greener) bananas moderately. Needless to say underripe bananas might be more durable on delicate stomachs as a result of they include extra resistant starch and fiber, so strive a small quantity first to see how your physique responds.