Banana lovers have very different tastes when it comes to the famous fruit. Some like to eat the underripe green bananas, while others prefer overripe bananas that are almost completely brown. It turns out that the color banana you like to eat can have a huge impact on your overall health.
Overall, bananas are very healthy, as they help with your digestion, heart health and promote weight loss. However, what many people don’t know is the colorization of the bananas come with their own health benefits.
Green Bananas contain resistant starch – Registered dietitian Jill Corleone explained that this particular type of starch acts more like fiber once it is in your body.
“Resistant starch in your diet, like the green banana, may reduce your risk of diabetes by aiding in blood sugar control, and heart disease by helping to lower blood cholesterol levels,” she said.
This all means that green bananas will keep you feeling full longer. They are also very low on the glycemic index, which makes them an ideal snack for those who need to control their blood sugar levels.
Yellow, firm bananas contain antioxidants that protect our bodies from various illnesses – Writer Adda Bjarnadottir pointed out that these bananas contain dopamine, which reduces the risk of heart disease as well as degenerative diseases.
“Dopamine from bananas does not cross the blood-brain barrier. It simply acts as a strong antioxidant instead of altering hormones or mood,” she wrote.
Yellow bananas with brown spots aren’t quite as healthy as their younger counterparts, but they still contain a lot of antioxidants – Researchers have found that bananas at this ripeness can actually fight cancer. They contain 8 times the amount of Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) than green bananas. These bananas can also help boost our immune system by guiding white blood cells to areas in the body that are inflamed or infected.
Brown bananas, while they are the sugariest, still have high levels of potassium – Bananas at this ripeness are high in potassium and help prevent conditions like osteoporosis. They also contain the mood-altering amino acid tryptophan, so they can help ease depression, anxiety and also help you sleep better.
Which typo of banana is your favorite? Let us know in the comments section, and SHARE this story so your friends and family can see it as well!
