Bananas are a widely consumed fruit and many people like to eat bananas for breakfast. Bananas are sweet and easy to digest, so is it good to eat bananas when hungry?

1. Nutrition in bananas

Bananas come in many varieties and therefore their nutritional value varies. The nutrient content also changes as the fruit ripens.

Bananas contain many vitamins such as: vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K along with some minerals such as potassium, calcium, iron, zinc, selenium, magnesium, manganese, sodium, iodine and phosphorus… Bananas also contain bioactive compounds such as flavonoids, anthocyanins, phenolic compounds and carotenoids. These phytochemicals have antioxidant properties and other health benefits.

Each banana typically provides an average of 110 calories, 1 gram of protein, 28 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, and 450 milligrams of potassium. Bananas provide significant energy but little protein or fat.

Bananas are a fruit that provides many nutrients.

Bananas are rich in potassium

Bananas are particularly rich in potassium, providing 326 milligrams per 100 grams. Potassium is an important mineral that has many functions in the body. Getting enough potassium in your diet can lower your blood pressure if you have high blood pressure. Therefore, getting enough potassium can protect you from stroke and heart disease.

Carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are important in a healthy diet. About a third of your energy should come from carbohydrates. However, avoid foods and drinks that are high in sugar, as they provide calories but few other nutrients. Bananas provide carbohydrates for energy, but they also contain minerals, vitamins and fiber.

Bananas are often eaten during exercise for energy, along with commercial sports nutrition products. Carbohydrate intake helps improve endurance during exercise.

You especially need some carbohydrates in the morning after a night’s sleep. Bananas contain about 23 grams of carbohydrates per 100 grams. The sugar content in bananas is about 16 grams per 100 grams. Most of these sugars are glucose, fructose, and sucrose.

Fiber

Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that cannot be digested by the intestines. Animal foods such as meat and dairy are generally low in fiber, but plant foods such as fruits and vegetables provide significant amounts. Because fiber is not digested, it helps move food and other waste through the digestive system.

Bananas contain non-starch polysaccharides such as pectin, cellulose, and hemicellulose. These indigestible carbohydrates are forms of fiber.

However, the fiber content of bananas varies depending on their ripeness. Unripe bananas have 18 grams of fiber per 100 grams. This drops to 4 grams per 100 grams as the banana ripens.

Overripe bananas have only 2 grams per 100 grams. This makes unripe bananas valuable for increasing your fiber intake but not suitable if you are on a low-fiber diet.

Bananas are also a source of fiber.

2. Is it good to eat bananas in the morning?

There is no strong scientific evidence to suggest that bananas should not be eaten in the morning or that they are less healthy at a particular time of day.

However, pay attention to portion sizes and consider the overall balance of nutrients in a meal or snack, carbohydrates, when eaten without protein or fat, are absorbed into the bloodstream much more quickly and can spike glucose and energy levels like a “little bomb”.

So ideally you should not eat only fruit including bananas in the morning on an empty stomach, after a long sleep, especially if you are sensitive to sugar as this can lead to blood sugar levels spiking too high if there are too many carbohydrates.

Combine bananas with other healthy foods to create a balanced breakfast that provides energy for the body after a night.

To promote stable blood sugar, combine fruits like bananas and berries with healthy fats and/or proteins. Bananas can be included as part of a balanced breakfast with other healthy foods. Bananas can help provide a healthy breakfast that is high in fiber and low in salt, fat, and added sugar.

Many people think that eating bananas on an empty stomach is not good for the stomach, but in fact fruit is very good and is an important part of a healthy breakfast, so you can add a banana to your breakfast cereal.

3. Should diabetics eat bananas in the morning?

Eating bananas on an empty stomach can cause harm to people with diabetes. Illustration photo.

If you have type 2 diabetes, your carbohydrate intake needs to be moderated as it can raise your blood sugar levels. Along with the absolute carbohydrate content, the glycemic index (GI) is also important. Bananas have a medium GI and are safe for diabetics in limited amounts.

According to MSc. Dr. Nguyen Thu Yen, an Endocrinology – Diabetes specialist, bananas have a low or medium glycemic index (from 42 – 62), depending on the ripeness of the banana.

Yellow or ripe bananas contain less resistant starch, more sugar and starch than green bananas, and the glycemic index is also higher than green bananas.

Green bananas are good for diabetics because they do not raise blood sugar levels and can improve blood sugar regulation. The resistant starch content in green bananas can help improve insulin sensitivity.

Regarding eating bananas on an empty stomach, although bananas have many health benefits, eating bananas on an empty stomach can cause harm to people with diabetes.

Bananas are high in sugar, about 25%. They contain three different types of natural sugars: fructose, sucrose, and glucose. They provide instant energy and can quickly increase blood sugar levels.

This instant energy will last for a few hours and can easily lead to a sugar crash. This can leave you feeling sluggish and cause more harm than good.

Therefore, people with diabetes should not eat bananas on an empty stomach and should only eat small, unripe bananas and spread out the amount of fruit eaten throughout the day.