The worst type of banana and the best one for weight loss | The Times of India (2024)

Bananas are among the healthiest carbs. They are a good source of muscle supporting potassium, mood-regulating folate and tryptophan and energizing carbs. But despite all the good things about bananas, there is one worst way to eat them. Not that it's bad for you, but eating that way isn't great for you.

Each stage of banana ripeness offers its own benefits and drawbacks. Here in this article, we will tell you the worst way to have bananas and also the best way if you are trying to lose weight.

Studies have found that overripe bananas that have brown spots are the worst ones to consume. When bananas ripen, the beneficial starches start to break down and are converted into sugar.

An overripe medium-size banana contains 17.4 grams of sugar whereas a yellow banana of the same size contains just 14.4 grams of sugar. This means there is a 3 grams rise in the sugar from glucose and fructose in the ripened bananas.

The sugar content increases because the starch in the banana which is a complex carb naturally breaks down into simple sugar over time. A yellow banana has 6.35 grams of starch, which goes down to 0.45 grams in overripe bananas.

Overripe bananas also have less fibre. Ripen bananas have 1.9 grams of fibre while yellow bananas have 3.1 grams of fibre, which makes yellow bananas great for digestion.

According to a study published in the Journal Diabetic Medicine, diabetics' blood sugar did not spike much when they consumed unripe bananas as compared to when THEY consumed overripe bananas.

Last, but not least, the micronutrient levels of overripe bananas also decrease.

A standard yellow banana might be your best bet. A perfectly ripe yellow banana is perfectly good to eat. You reap all the benefits of a banana when you consume a yellow banana.

The lesser ripe banana - the green bananas are known for lesser sugar content and more resistant starch. Resistance starch is good for digestion as it cannot be broken down by stomach enzymes and thus keeps your satiated for longer.

You can add green bananas to your smoothie, use banana flour or make a green banana subji.

Talking about weight loss, the resistant starch and low sugar content of green bananas make them your best bet if you are trying to shed extra kilos. However, they are a little hard to incorporate into your daily diet, the next best option is yellow banana.

Overripe bananas are higher in sugar but by pairing them with low-digesting foods like peanut butter, nuts, whole grain bread, oats they can still be healthy as compared to simple white bread.