Bananas & plantain
Musa spp.
Fruits. Caribbean and Modern nutrition.
Also called Plantain, Cooking banana
Pinyin: Xiāng Jiāo
Spanish: Plátano
Bananas and plantains are long, starchy fruits from giant herb plants, eaten fresh or cooked for energy, fiber and potassium.
Did you know? The banana plant is a giant herb rather than a tree, and its trunk is made of tightly packed leaf stalks.
What it may help, and how strong the proof is
- Blood pressure. Bananas are rich in potassium, and potassium-rich diets help lower blood pressure. Banana alone has not been tested in trials.Traditional proof
- Digestion & gut health. Green (unripe) banana has resistant starch, which feeds gut bacteria. Small studies have looked at green banana flour for diarrhea, with mixed results.Traditional proof
- Energy & tiredness. Bananas give quick carbs and potassium, which many athletes eat before exercise. Trials are few, and the benefit is much like that of other carb foods.Traditional proof
Parts of the body
Heart & vessels, Gut & intestines, Stomach, Energy & metabolism
Traditional use
Bananas and plantains have been staple foods in Africa, Southeast Asia and the Caribbean for centuries. Folk healers in some places used unripe banana for diarrhea.
How it is classified
How people take it
Eaten raw, cooked or fried. Plantains are cooked as a vegetable. Green banana flour is sold as a fiber powder.
Food.
Where to get it
Grown in tropical areas of Ecuador, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Philippines, India and across Africa and the Caribbean. Sold fresh, dried, as chips and as flour. Key nutrients: potassium, vitamin B6, vitamin C, fiber and resistant starch (in green bananas).
Be careful
People with latex allergy can react to bananas (called latex-fruit syndrome). People with ragweed allergy may react too, through a cross-reaction. Large amounts of potassium are risky for people with kidney disease.
Avoid if: latex allergy; ragweed allergy; kidney disease.
Mixing with other things
- Works well together
Usually blended with banana in smoothie bowls for sweetness and body.
- Works well together
Banana and oats are a classic breakfast pairing.
- Worth knowingBlood pressure medicine (lisinopril, amlodipine, losartan)
ACE inhibitors and ARBs can raise potassium. Normal banana intake is usually fine, but ask a doctor if you take these.
The honest take
Bananas are a convenient food with fiber, potassium and vitamin B6. Their blood pressure and energy claims rest on general nutrition, not on banana trials. Green banana flour has some interesting early studies, but they are small.