Keep reading to discover five surprising side effects of eating bananas.
Be Mindful of Your Blood Sugar
The riper the banana, the sweeter it is – that's no secret. Be careful with spotted bananas, though, as they significantly impact blood sugar levels and are digested quickly, leaving you hungry again. As a banana ripens, its glycemic index doubles. Hence, this isn’t the best fruit for people with diabetes. The best time to eat bananas is when they’re still slightly green – this way, you’ll get the most balanced sugar intake.
Bananas May Affect Digestion
While slightly green bananas have less effect on your blood sugar levels, they may negatively affect your digestion, causing constipation. This phenomenon is a result of high pectin fiber and starch content. Therefore, if you tend to have slow digestion, don’t forget to drink a lot of water when eating bananas.
Bananas Keep You Full
Due to the high fiber content, unripe bananas can keep you full for hours. Note that the riper a banana is, the quicker it will be digested and the less time it will keep your feeling full.
An Excellent Potassium Source
Potassium is a vital mineral responsible for correct fluid balance and nerve signal control in the body. An average banana contains about 420 milligrams of potassium. Therefore, you can get about 9% of your daily potassium intake from a single banana.
Bananas Hydrate Your Body
Potassium and magnesium are essential minerals making up the electrolytes necessary to hydrate your body. This combination is rarely found in nature, but bananas are one of the best electrolyte sources. Therefore, bananas help to keep your muscles hydrated throughout the day.
