Which banana you like or prefer eating- an unripe green or a bright yellow or a ripe spotted banana? Apart from color, all of these have different taste, texture and use. Nutritional values also change as a banana ripens. Let's give you a brief overview of the types of bananas and the different ways to consume them.
Green Banana
Unripe green bananas are full of resistant starch which gets a little harder on your stomach as it is difficult to break them down. It is not easy to eat green bananas though, as these taste awful as compared to its ripe versions. Green bananas have a waxy texture due to the high starch content which sometimes may make you feel bloated or gassy.
The best thing about green bananas is their low glycemic index. The starch is converted into glucose which keeps blood sugar levels in check. Green bananas are best eaten as a curry or fried chips.
Yellow Banana
While green bananas are high in starch and low in sugar, it is the exact opposite for yellow bananas. This is why these pleasant-looking bananas are soft and sweet. This variety has a high glycemic index but easy on the stomach. The nutrients are quickly absorbed by the body due to low starch content. Also, these are loaded with antioxidants which are good to boost your immunity. The only unfortunate part is that nutrient level decreases as a banana age this means green bananas are nutritious than yellow bananas.
Also Read: A Cup Of Banana Tea Daily Can Aid Weight Loss, Insomnia
Tip: If you want to prevent nutrient loss, store banana in the frige which would slow down the rate of nutrient loss.
Spotted Banana
Spotted bananas are sweeter, older and wiser. The spots on them indicate that they are aging and what amount of starch is converted to sugar. These brown spots are similar to little sugar freckles which means higher the spots, higher the sweetness.
Spotted bananas are better immunity boosters as these have higher antioxidants which are linked to prevent cancer as well! These brown dots are linked with Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) which has the potential to kill the cancer-causing tumor. So, if you avoid eating spotted bananas for their appearance, time to rethink about it.
Also Read: Ripe vs. Unripe Bananas: Know The Difference Between Them
Brown Banana
This is the final stage of a banana, right before it is declared rotten. These bananas have a mushy texture due to the extreme sugar content present in it. As all the starch that was there in its unripe green version has now converted to sugar. But this also increased their antioxidant level which means out of all the four versions, fully ripe brown bananas have the highest antioxidant value.
While it is hard to eat them like the regular ones, these are perfect to be used for caking-baking.
Also Read: Don't throw away the banana peel: Know health benefits
The Final Verdict
Eating a banana depends on the benefit you are looking for. If you have diabetes, prefer eating a green banana. If you want to taste and health both, pick a yellow or spotted banana. To get the antioxidants, buy a brown banana.
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