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It is sometimes said that eating a lot of bananas at once may be dangerous, as a result of their potassium content. Is this true? What is the permissible amount of bananas to eat daily?
Bananas are one of the most popular fruits in the world, full of vitamins and minerals. But what about its potassium content?
Catherine Collins, a nutritionist at St. George's Hospital in London, said in statements to the BBC that potassium is an extremely important element for survival, and it can be found within every cell of the body.
“We use it to help generate an electrical charge that helps the cell function properly,” she adds. “It helps keep the heart rate steady, helps stimulate the release of insulin from the pancreas to help control blood sugar, and most importantly keeps blood pressure under.” the control".
On the other hand, if the potassium level in the body is too low or too high, it may lead to irregular heartbeat, stomach pain, nausea and diarrhea.
Potassium chloride is one of the chemicals used in lethal injection in the United States, as extremely high doses can cause cardiac arrest.
400 bananas
Collins says that for a healthy person it would be impossible to overdose on bananas. You would probably need about 400 bananas a day to build up the potassium levels that would cause your heart to stop beating.
Bananas are not dangerous, and they are very beneficial. Adults should consume about 3,500 milligrams of potassium daily, according to the United Kingdom's National Health Service. An average banana, weighing 125 grams, contains 450 milligrams of potassium, which means a healthy person could consume at least 7 and a half bananas before reaching the recommended level.
On the other hand, Collins warns that there are some people who should stay away from foods that contain a high percentage of potassium, and they are those who suffer from kidney disease.
She says: “These patients suffer from severely reduced kidney function, which may lead to the accumulation of harmful levels of potassium in the bloodstream, because they cannot get rid of the mineral when urinating. So in theory, it is possible for a person with kidney disease to die from high levels of potassium. The level of potassium in the blood if he decides to eat a lot of different types of foods rich in minerals.
Collins adds that she once had a patient on dialysis who had a heart attack after eating too many tomatoes, another fruit rich in potassium. His kidneys had already stopped working, so he was unable to get rid of the excess.
Bananas are a superfood
A report on the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health website says that bananas are nutritious, and may hold the title of the first “superfood,” which was approved by the American Medical Association in the early 20th century as a healthy food for children and a treatment for celiac disease.
Bananas contain the following nutrients:
Vitamin B6
Dietary fiber
Potassium
magnesium
Vitamin C
Manganese
Nutritional information for a medium ripe banana
110 calories
0 grams of fat
One gram of protein
28 grams of carbohydrates
15 grams of sugar
3 grams of dietary fiber
450 milligrams of potassium
Bananas and health
Bananas and cardiovascular health
Bananas are an excellent source of potassium, a vital mineral in the body that carries a small electrical charge. These charges cause nerve cells to send signals to the heart to beat regularly and the muscles to contract.
Potassium is also necessary to maintain a healthy water balance in cells, and offsets the effects of excess dietary sodium. An imbalance in a diet that contains too little potassium and too much sodium can lead to high blood pressure. Excessive sodium intake can lead to fluid buildup in the blood, which puts pressure on the walls of blood vessels and eventually causes damage.
Potassium helps the body expel excess sodium in the urine, and relieves tension in the walls of blood vessels.
Bananas and digestive health
Bananas are included in the BRAT diet (short for banana, rice, applesauce, and toast), a diet that was commonly prescribed to patients suffering from diarrhea or who needed a bland, easily digestible diet after stomach ailments. Not only are they easy to eat, but bananas can help replenish electrolytes like potassium that are lost due to diarrhea or vomiting, and contain resistant starch (especially if you use less-ripe cooked green bananas) that may support gut healing.
Unripe bananas contain resistant starch, a type of carbohydrate that “resists” digestion in the small intestine. It is absorbed slowly and does not cause a sharp rise in blood sugar.
Starch serves as food for the growth of beneficial microbes in the digestive system. Microbes break down and ferment starch as it passes into the large intestine, producing short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) that may play a role in preventing chronic diseases, including gastrointestinal disorders. Clinical studies have shown that SCFAs can be used to treat ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, and antibiotic-associated diarrhea.
Bananas and weight control
There is no evidence that bananas contribute to weight gain, despite popular belief. In an analysis of three large studies, researchers looked for associations between eating specific fruits and vegetables and weight changes in 133,468 American men and women who were followed for up to 24 years.
Researchers found a link between eating bananas and weight loss.
Do bananas cause high blood sugar?
Do bananas cause blood glucose to rise quickly? Can it be included in the diet of people with conditions such as type 2 diabetes or prediabetes?
The glycemic index (GI) is a measure of the rise in blood sugar levels after eating a particular food. A glycemic index of 55 or less is classified as low, meaning the food will not raise your blood sugar significantly. The glycemic index of bananas is 51, meaning it is low, meaning that bananas raise blood sugar slowly.
There is also the glycemic load (GL), which is a more specific measure that not only calculates the glycemic index of a food, but also takes into account the amount of carbohydrates in one serving of that food. A glycemic load of 10 or less is classified as low, and the glycemic load of ripe bananas is 13.
However, the type of carbohydrate found in bananas is classified as resistant starch, which functions similarly to dietary fiber. Resistant starch is not broken down in the small intestine, resulting in less glucose being released into the bloodstream. This results in a lower glycemic index and a greater feeling of fullness as the starch is digested slowly.
A diabetic or someone who has prediabetes can eat bananas, provided that they count them within their daily caloric intake.
Source: Al Jazeera + agencies + BBC