If I asked you to guess which fruit Dan Buettner, the found of the Blue Zones, said is his favorite longevity fruit, which would you choose? Pomegranates? Blueberries? Acai? Goji berries? You may be surprised to learn his favorite fruit is bananas. Here’s why:
They possess various health benefits depending of their degree of ripeness. Green or under-ripe bananas are a rich source of resistant starch and pectins. They act as prebiotics, feeding the good bacteria in your gut.
While yellow, ripe bananas lose some of this resistant starch as it develops into simple sugars, they also contain about 3 grams of both soluble and insoluble fiber per one medium banana.
Brown or over-ripe bananas have the most sugar but also the highest amount of antioxidants.
Bananas are also portable and inexpensive. So they are his number one choice based on convenience and practicality. However, that doesn’t mean you should eat a bunch daily or make that the only fruit you eat. But as many people stay away from bananas fearing they are too high in sugar, this may help you see them in a different light.
Besides the benefits already mentioned, bananas are also a great source of potassium, vitamin B6, choline, luteine and zeaxanthin, folate, vitamin A and carotenes. So don’t hesitate to include them in your healthy fruit choices.
Do you regularly eat bananas or do you avoid them?
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The wife eats bananas more than I do, as they do tend to increase my blood sugar, but when they sit too long on the counter and start getting soft, I’ll eat them rather than throw them out. I think wasting food should be a sin; or at least deserves a “Boo.” 🙂 Did you know that if you put bananas in the refrigerator, their peels turn brown much faster, but the fruit itself stays firm and yummy much longer. I wonder how their nutrient values change as a result of refrigeration. Curious mind this morning. Thanks as always for helpful info Ms. Ann. God’s blessings my friend.
I did know that and in order to keep from wasting them it’s not a bad idea! It does cause loss of their vitamin C content. They
are a tropical fruit so chilling or freezing does change their nutritional value. I so appreciate you my friend!
Once a week I have banana pancakes and I don’t add any sugar because the natural sweetness of a fresh banana is enough. ✌️
That is a great way to include this wonderful longevity food in a smart way!
I love bananas! When we go on long hikes or bike rides, we need to bring some sort of fuel to snack on. Bars are convenient. But I much prefer natural foods if I can get them and bananas are as good as it gets. They fit perfectly in the back pockets of cycling jerseys. 🙂
That’s great Holly – they definitely are easy to carry and I happen to love them.
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Ann, my aunt called them the perfect fruit that came in its own wrapper. I love bananas. Like everything, they seem to be banned from so many diets because of their sugar level. So glad to hear this good news about them.
That’s a great description Debbie!