Today on The Chopping Block, our special guest is the banana. One of the most common questions I get from people is: Are bananas good for me? While bananas have great health benefits, they do have a higher sugar content compared to other fruits. Bananas are teetering on the edge of the chopping block.
Negatives of Bananas: 1. Bananas contain a lot of sugar, very little protein, and no healthy fat. -1 medium-sized banana contains 27 grams of carbohydrates—14 grams of which are sugar—only 1 gram of protein, and 0 grams of fat. -Bananas, when eaten alone, may affect blood sugar levels. -Bananas are higher on the glycemic index, so they tend to affect insulin and blood sugar more than other fruits, such as berries.
Benefits of Bananas: 1. Bananas are one of the most potassium-rich foods in the world. 2. Bananas are rich in electrolytes to help fuel the cells. -1 banana contains 500 milligrams of potassium and 32 milligrams of magnesium. 3. Bananas are lower on the glycemic index and have a lower amount of carbohydrates than whole grains. 4. Bananas are a great source of fiber. 5. Bananas are real food—unprocessed and unhybridized.
Conclusion: -For people who are trying to lose weight or have digestive issues or sensitive blood sugar, bananas are not the best option but still better than whole grains. -For people who are athletic, lean, and healthy, bananas are a great option.
*This content is strictly the opinion of Dr. Josh Axe, and is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of medical advice or treatment from a personal physician. All viewers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health questions. Neither Dr. Axe nor the publisher of this content takes responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons reading or following the information in this educational content. All viewers of this content, especially those taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition, supplement or lifestyle program.
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2.48 -> Hey guys, Dr. Axe here, and welcome again
to the Chopping Block.
6.85 -> Today on the Chopping Block our special guest
is the banana.
11.059 -> I'll tell you, surprisingly, one of the most
common questions I get from people is, "Are
16.08 -> bananas good for me?"
17.21 -> Now we've heard of some of the great health
benefits of bananas, but on the other end,
20.73 -> I think a lot of people worry about the sugar
content that's found in certain fruits like
25.789 -> bananas today.
26.789 -> I'll tell you here, bananas, they are teetering
on the edge here of the Chopping Block.
31.73 -> Let's talk about the negatives of bananas,
and then let's talk about the positives.
35.87 -> The negatives, without a doubt, is that is
does contain a large amount of sugar and doesn't
40.3 -> really have much protein or any healthy fat
whatsoever along with it.
45.64 -> One medium sized banana has 27 grams of carbohydrates,
14 of those grams are sugar, and then it contains
52.79 -> about 1 gram of protein and 0 grams of fat.
56.39 -> So if you're eating a banana by itself, there's
no doubt it could affect your blood sugar
60.27 -> levels in a small amount.
62.57 -> So that is really the negative side of bananas
is right there, is if you're a person who's
67.12 -> trying to lose weight, if you have sensitive
blood sugar, that bananas in terms of fruit,
72.66 -> it's higher on the glycemic index, which means
it will typically affect your insulin more
77.9 -> or affect your sugar more compared to most
other fruits.
82.32 -> Now let's talk about the positives with a
banana.
85.65 -> Bananas are one of the most potassium rich
foods in the entire world.
89.98 -> One single banana has 500 mg of potassium,
so it's packed with potassium.
101.47 -> It has 32 mg of magnesium, so it's really
loaded with electrolytes.
105.31 -> So if you're an athlete, if you're a person
that works out, this is an amazing food for
110.42 -> you because, again, it can really help fuel
your cells.
113.2 -> Now another thing in defending the banana
is that if you're comparing this banana even
117.58 -> to a bowl of oatmeal, this is still lower
on the glycemic index and has a lower amount
124.07 -> of carbohydrates than even healthier grains
out there like rice, bananas, and quinoa.
131 -> So again, this really is a better option compared
to any other grains out there in my book.
135.64 -> But when you're comparing it to other fruits,
like berries for instances, berries have more
141.18 -> antioxidants, they're higher in fiber.
144.349 -> Berries definitely have more benefits as well
as a lot of other fruits compared to a banana,
148.56 -> but bananas are still better than grains.
150.879 -> So what do I say about the banana in closing?
153.45 -> Well, here's what I would say.
154.92 -> If you're a person who is trying to lose weight
or has some digestive issues, I really think
160.56 -> if you're trying to lose weight or have sensitive
blood sugar, I would remove bananas from your
165.379 -> diet, but I would still eat them before any
other grains.
168.5 -> If you're an athlete or somebody who is already
pretty lean and healthy and just trying to
173.43 -> stay healthy, I think bananas are still a
great option for you.
177.84 -> So when it comes to bananas getting chopped,
we're going to spare the banana here, and
182.53 -> we're actually going to peel it here instead
of chopping it.
184.7 -> I'm actually about to go on a run, so I'm
going to eat a little bit of this banana here
189.91 -> because, again, it's still packed with potassium,
has some good amount of fiber, has magnesium,
196.67 -> and number one thing that saved the banana,
it is a real food, unprocessed, unhybridized,
203.969 -> completely real.
205.45 -> Again the banana is staying here on the Chopping
Block.
