Don’t eat bananas! You will gain weight; going gym and having a banana waste of time and money; these are some of the comments you might have heard from dozens of people. But Does Banana Cause Weight Gain? In fact, banana powder for weight gain is promoted and sold in the market. But how far is it true does bananas lead to weight gain? Is it an obstacle in the weight loss journey?
Well, sometimes people blame carbohydrate content and high calorific value. Since medium size approx. 118 g contains 27 g of carbs, 105 kcal, which is more or less high compared to any fruit except Avocado, a fat-rich fruit with 160 kcal [1, 2].
Make sense; high calories and high carbs definitely it will cause weight gain, but here is the catch; out of 27 g of carbs, 3.1 g is dietary fiber, a type of Carbohydrate that hardly contribute to calories, in fact, prevent glucose spike in blood [2].
In addition to it, 50% of carbs in unripe bananas or ~1g/100g of ripe bananas are resistance starch which is undigestible in the stomach & small intestine and gets fermented in the colon to produce metabolically active short fatty acid chains. Hence, it is noticed that eating bananas can actually help lower body weight and increase insulin sensitivity [3].
Does Banana Cause Weight Gain?
Carbs in bananas got unnecessary limelight, especially in case of weight management issues, and it was so intense that it went unnoticed that it also contains a good amount of protein (1.09 g/100g), a high amount of fiber & potassium, essential nutrients like vitamin B-6, selenium, vitamin C, phosphorus, etc. [4]
The fiber and protein in the banana can give you the feeling of satiety, which is good for preventing overeating [6]. Moreover, the glycemic index of bananas is also low (51), and its antioxidant value is similar to kiwi and orange juice; therefore, banana is a unique mixture of nutrients that can support prolonged and intense exercise [2].
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Trust me, daily consumption of bananas is safe, and due to their rich nutritional profile, they can even be eaten by both diabetic and hypercholesterolemic people, as stated in the studies [5].
So, what is wrong? Even scientific studies have acknowledged the fact that banana is a rich source of nutrients and can boost you with energy as well as help in weight management along with other health benefits. The problem behind the criticism of bananas being the enemy of weight loss aspirants is the spread of misinformation.
Anyway, next time when you see a banana, don’t hesitate to eat it unless you are not allergic to bananas.
