People suffering from diabetes must keep their blood sugar levels stable at all times. This reduces the possibility of developing health complications linked to diabetes. As a result, diabetic people minimize or reduce meals with high sugar levels. Banana falls under the category of fruits. Fruits are healthy and contain a lot of nutrients. Banana contains high sugar and carbs levels. These two components increase the blood sugar levels in the body. This has raised the question if people suffering from diabetes should avoid banana or should freely consume them.
The main components of a banana
As earlier stated, banana contain high amounts of carbs and sugar levels. These two components are likely to increase blood sugar levels in the body when compared to other components. This makes it quite challenging for a person to control their blood sugar levels. The body for non diabetic people can naturally normalize sugar levels in the body. This is by producing insulin in the body. Insulin transfers blood into cells from the blood. It is either stored or used up by the cells.
This is quite the opposite for diabetic people. When diabetic people consume meals with high sugar levels and carbs, there body might produce less insulin. In other instances, the cells become resistant to insulin produced by the body. This might result into very high sugar levels if not properly managed. It is also bad for your health.
Fiber in bananas
Banana also contains a significant amount of fiber. Fiber can significantly help maintain sugar levels. Medical experts encourage people to consume meals with high amounts of fiber. This statement also applies to diabetic people. Fiber also helps the body in numerous ways. Diabetic people can greatly benefit from consuming high amounts of fiber. Fiber generally slows down the digestion process in the body. It also slows down the rate in which the body absorbs carbs. As a result, this helps regularize high sugar levels in the body. Regular consumption of fiber also enhances the rate your body regularizes blood sugar.
Consumption of Green bananas
Green bananas are also called unripe bananas. These bananas contain resistant starch. Green bananas contain less sugar levels and high amounts of resistant starch. Resistant starch contains long glucose chains. This makes it difficult to digest on the first part of the digestive system. In short, resistant starch works the same way as fiber. Therefore, diabetic people can keep their sugar levels normal. Resistant starch also feeds your gut with friendly bacteria. This helps diabetic people better control their sugar levels. It also improves the metabolic health of a person. Scientific research has been carried out on diabetic people. It revealed that diabetic women consume plenty of green bananas gain numerous health benefits as time progresses. These benefits range from reduced inflammation and improved insulin sensitivity.
As earlier stated, banana contains sugar and carbs. However, the amount of carbs in a banana depends on its ripeness. The amount of carbs in a banana varies, depending on how ripe they are.
Do banana have effect on sugar levels depend on its ripeness?
Ripe or yellow bananas contain more sugar and less resistant starch. This makes sugar in banana get easily absorbed when compared to the resistant starch. The absorbed sugar will increase the sugar levels in the body. This automatically means that ripe bananas are capable of increasing blood sugar levels when compared to unripe bananas.
There are different types of bananas. These bananas vary in size. Well; ripeness isn’t the only factor that can affect blood sugar levels for people. The banana size also influences blood sugar levels. Big bananas contain more carbs when compared to small ones. The levels of carbs increase as the banana size increases. This means the bigger the banana, the more effects it has on your blood sugar levels. Glycemic load is the effect of position size of the banana you consume. Below are some samples of the amounts of carbs contained in bananas of varying size:
- Very small bananas -18.4 grams
- Small bananas- 22.9 grams
- Medium sized banana- 22.9 grams
- Normal sized bananas-30.9 grams
- Extra big bananas- 34.9 grams
Therefore, diabetic people should be cautious on the banana size they choose. They should avoid eating a lot of carbs.
Are bananas recommended for diabetic people?
Doctors and nutritionists encourage diabetic people to adopt a healthy lifestyle. This mostly entails adopting a healthy diet. Fruits are one of the recommended diets. They contain different nutrients needed by the body. Fruits improve the general wellbeing of a person. It also manages chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart attack and cancer, among others. Diabetics should be managed before it gets out of hand and results into serious health conditions linked to diabetes.
Carbs found in bananas comes with minerals, vitamins, antioxidants and fiber. Medical report was conducted to find out if banana negatively affects blood sugar levels. It was discovered that consuming less amounts or no bananas at all, doesn’t enhance blood sugar control. People who are on a strict low carb diet should avoid bananas if they depend on the diet to control their diabetes. Be watchful on the amount of bananas you eat per day. You should also pay attention on the ripeness of banana.
How to eat bananas without affecting your blood sugar levels
Do you have diabetes and wondering how you will eat bananas without affecting your blood sugar levels? If yes, follow the below steps. They will help maintain your blood sugar levels:
- Be careful on the banana size you feed on- diabetic people should consider smaller bananas. Smaller bananas contain less sugar and carbs when compared to bigger bananas.
- Go for a nearly ripe banana. The sugar levels of bananas depend on how ripe they are. Over ripe bananas contain high sugar levels. Diabetic people should choose bananas that are not so ripe. They contain low sugar levels.
- Don’t consume your bananas at the same time. Consume them at intervals throughout the day. This helps keep your sugar levels intact.
- Mix your bananas with other healthy meals. It can be full fat yogurt or nuts. Nuts and yogurt slows down the digestion and absorption process.
Don’t stop consuming bananas because of diabetes. Instead, watch the amount of bananas you consume.
