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Bananas for Bananas

crohnsinct

Well-known member
O.K. I know I have a rep as the nutty nutrition wino but look what my research turned up on Bananas as aiding in absorption of nutrients:

Build better bones by eating bananas? Yes, enjoying bananas frequently as part of your healthy way of eating can help improve your body's ability to absorb calcium via several mechanisms.

Bananas are an exceptionally rich source of fructooligosaccharide, a compound called a prebiotic because it nourishes probiotic (friendly) bacteria in the colon. These beneficial bacteria produce vitamins and digestive enzymes that improve our ability to absorb nutrients, plus compounds that protect us against unfriendly microorganisms. When fructooligosaccharides are fermented by these friendly bacteria, not only do numbers of probiotic bacteria increase, but so does the body's ability to absorb calcium. In addition, gastrointestinal transit time is lessened, decreasing the risk of colon cancer.

Green bananas contain indigestible (to humans) short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that are a favorite food of the cells that make up the lining of the intestines. When these cells are well-nourished and healthy, the body's ability to absorb nutrients such as calcium can increase dramatically.

Research published in Digestive Diseases and Sciences underscores just how much bananas can improve nutrient absorption. In this study, 57 male babies (5-12 months) with persistent diarrhea of at least 14 days duration were given a week's treatment with a rice-based diet containing either green banana, apple pectin or the rice diet alone. Treatment with both green banana and apple pectin resulted in a 50% reduction in stool weights, indicating that the babies were absorbing significantly more nutrients.

Also, to check how well their intestines were able to absorb nutrients, the babies were given a drink containing lactulose and mannitol. Lactulose is a compound that should be absorbed, while mannitol is one that should not be. When the intestines are too permeable, a condition clinicians call "leaky gut," too little lactulose and too much mannitol are absorbed. After just one week of being given the green banana-rice diet, the babies' were absorbing much more lactulose and little mannitol, showing that their intestines were now functioning properly.

Some banana cultivars are also rich in provitamin A carotenoids, which have been shown to protect against chronic disease, including certain cancers, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. How to identify which bananas contain the most carotenoids? Check the color of their edible flesh. Bananas whose flesh is more golden contain the most carotenoids.
 
If I remember correctly from all the reading I did at the beginning of diagnosis, the SCD diet is based on bananas. I think it's one of the first foods that is safe to eat.
 
I try to get my son to eat a banana a day-if not straight up, in a smoothie. I have to limit it to one though, as I've always understood them to be constipating, and my son has always had issues with constipation. Also, I thought it was better to eat fully ripe bananas-yellow with brown spots-rather than green, or under ripe. Aren't green bananas too starchy? Maybe they both have their own, but different, benefits? Please set me straight!
 
No idea about the benefits but I can confirm that eating "raw" green bananas gets me a stomach ache like the worst flare you can imagine. Thats why only ripe, with black spots for me please. Starch is almost gone and transformed into sugars so its easier to digest.

They do contain stuff that produces TNF so is it good or bad with anti-TNF medication? Quote from onegreenplanet.org "One interesting fact about fully ripened bananas is that they produce a substance called TNF (Tumor Necrosis Factor). This means that ripe bananas have anti-cancer qualities as they combat abnormal cells. "
 
I try to keep bananas around at all times, they are one food I have no issues digesting :) I will usually throw them into a smoothie when I go on a liquid diet
 

crohnsinct

Well-known member
Crohnskidmon: I know right? I always heard the same and have a younger daughter who also suffers horribly from constipation. Here is what the site says on that:

Improving Elimination

Bananas are a smart move if you suffer from elimination problems. A bout of diarrhea can quickly deplete your body of important electrolytes. Bananas can replenish your stores of potassium, one of the most important electrolytes, which helps regulate heart function as well as fluid balance.

In addition, bananas contain pectin, a soluble fiber (called a hydrocolloid) that can help normalize movement through the digestive tract and ease constipation. Bananas also contain resistant starch, but this amount varies depending on their degree of ripeness. In their lesser ripe stages, bananas score as low as 30 on the glycemic index (below 50 would be considered low). In their riper stages, this number usually rises to a moderate level in the 60's. All of the above features help place banana in a more favorable digestive light than might otherwise be expected for a sugary fruit.


Haha and no this stuff isn't from the Banana council!

TNF? I never heard that. I have read cancer fighting because of antioxidants but not because of TNF producing qualities. A quick search and I found this http://www.skepticalraptor.com/skepticalraptorblog.php/checking-pseudoscience-real-science-news/ I can't vouch for who this person is but I like their explanation. I think I will go read the study now.
 

crohnsinct

Well-known member
P.S. I don't think limiting intake to one a day is a bad thing. They key is a varied and healthful diet filled with good foods that supports lots of bodily functions and health concerns. There just isn't one super food that we can overindulge in that will fix everything.....but if I could pick can it please be wine or chocolate?
 
I saw a picture going round Facebook recently about bananas and TNF, although in that case it was to do with cancer prevention (I think). Having been on biologics and knowing a little about anti-TNF I looked into this and found the same site as crohnsinct which made me pretty dubious about it all.
 
Looks like the whole TNF thing and bananas is just another hoax, sorry for even posting that! I'm not exactly living in a banana-country so I try find my vitamins, antioxidants and other good stuff on berries and such that are available locally. Are there any other prebiotics or "absorption helpers" out there besides bananas?
 
I've never liked bananas, but I love them in smoothies for some reason. Even by themselves, frozen and blended into *ice cream*. My son drinks 2 or 3 bananas everyday, but rarely eats one.
 
I've never liked bananas, but I love them in smoothies for some reason. Even by themselves, frozen and blended into *ice cream*. My son drinks 2 or 3 bananas everyday, but rarely eats one.
At what point in ripeness are you eating them? If they still have any green on the skin, then they are not ripe and won't taste very sweet. I usually wait until they have at LEAST a few spots on them and that's when the sugar content is higher and the banana tastes much better.
 
I will keep you posted if anything turns up in my research.
I'll save you some time :)

Regarding prebiotics: YES, other foods, besides bananas have them.

http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6442477443

"Prebiotics in Your Diet

Prebiotics include fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), such as inulin, and galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS). But rather than focusing on these lengthy words, include more prebiotics in your diet by eating these foods recommended by King: bananas, onions, garlic, leeks, asparagus, artichokes, soybeans and whole-wheat foods."
 

crohnsinct

Well-known member
Thanks Vegan but is it the prebiotics or the SCFA's that are actually helping heal the lining of the intestines so the can absorb better?
 
Thanks Vegan but is it the prebiotics or the SCFA's that are actually helping heal the lining of the intestines so the can absorb better?
Prebiotics are basically the foodstuff that probiotics like. The probiotics, in turn, create byproducts which aid our immune system, heal the gut, produce serotonin, etc.

Of course, feeding your gut bacteria the wrong stuff, could have negative implications too: http://www.livescience.com/41869-gut-bacteria-change-diet.html

"This finding supports a link between dietary fat (from animal fat), bile acids and an increase in growth of microbes that may affect the risk of inflammatory bowel disease, the researchers said."

Researchers are still learning about how pre/probiotics affect us. The SCFA's could help too - I tend to think that things work in synergy, and not by themselves.
 
Good to know all this, it seems I am already eating lot of prebiotics as I do eat whole-wheats, everyday. Onions and garlic almost on daily basis and artichokes, asparagus and soy quite a lot too. I am leaning towards vegan diet more and more but not planning on forgetting meat for good.
 
Location
Canada
Prebiotics include fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), such as inulin, and galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS). But rather than focusing on these lengthy words, include more prebiotics in your diet by eating these foods recommended by King: bananas, onions, garlic, leeks, asparagus, artichokes, soybeans and whole-wheat foods."
Interesting, this seems to be the exact opposite of the FODMAP diet. These are all the foods that you are supposed to avoid according to the FODMAP diet (except for the bananas). The whole idea of the FODMAP diet is to reduce the indigestible sugars that feed the bacteria and produce gas.
 
Interesting, this seems to be the exact opposite of the FODMAP diet. These are all the foods that you are supposed to avoid according to the FODMAP diet (except for the bananas). The whole idea of the FODMAP diet is to reduce the indigestible sugars that feed the bacteria and produce gas.
I suppose just like gluten-free diets, unless you have an identified malabsorption issue or sensitivity, there's really no good reason to avoid these foods.

Considering that "bananas, onions, garlic, leeks, asparagus, artichokes, soybeans and whole-wheat foods." are among the most beneficial foods, I wouldn't avoid them unless specifically warranted.
 
At what point in ripeness are you eating them? If they still have any green on the skin, then they are not ripe and won't taste very sweet. I usually wait until they have at LEAST a few spots on them and that's when the sugar content is higher and the banana tastes much better.
They are quite spotted with brown when I add them to smoothies (as directed by the SCD) and they taste better that way, anyway. I buy a bunch everytime I go to the store, so we have revolving bananas...green, yellow and spotted.

In the past, I always ate bananas when they just turned yellow, as I did not like them darker, or green.
 
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