Tracey Brigman, clinical associate professor in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences’ nutritional sciences department, recently spoke with Single Care about the health benefits of bananas.
Not only can bananas improve skin health, but they also promote gut health.
“Bananas contain a type of fiber called pectin. Pectin can help eliminate waste more effectively by softening stools and helping prevent constipation and bloating,” Brigman said. “Additionally, pectin contains resistant starch (a prebiotic), which gives good bacteria something to eat.”
Bananas also support bone health, heart health and reproductive health. They also help control blood sugar and can help with workouts.
Bananas have different health benefits at different stages of ripeness. Green, unripe bananas are rich in prebiotics and resistant starch. Yellow, ripe bananas have the highest potassium, vitamin B6 and antioxidants. Brown or very ripe bananas have more simple sugars, making them taste sweeter.
“As bananas ripen, the amount of sugar they contain increases, and the amount of pectin they contain decreases. This means there is less fiber in ripe bananas and less resistant starch,” Brigman said.
