Do bananas really reason behind causing constipation?Banana sometimes causes constipation when not taken in the right state. But when you eat bananas in right state it is can actually increase the frequency the bowel movement.
Constipation is a medical condition when you have less bowel movement than regular. It may be accompanied by bloating and gas. Constipation is caused by indigestible fiber. Generally, fruits are advised to increase the bowel movement.
Bananas are consumed in large quantity across the world among fruits. It has vitamins, minerals, and fiber. One medium sized banana contains 3.1 grams of fiber. Fiber moves to large bowel when you intake fiber rich food.
Insoluble fiber from bananas forms hard bulk in an intestine. It is very difficult to pass it out of the body. Hence it causes constipation.
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Reasons Of Constipation
- When diet lacks fiber rich food
- One major cause is dehydration. When your diet is deprived of water.
- You may replace fiber-rich plant food with animal food which lacks the important content needed by our body fiber.
- Physical activity is necessary for proper working of our body. So, if you are lazy motivate yourself and start doing some exercises or you can opt for morning walks also.
- Sometimes, when you are dieting there is a possibility of missing out many nutrients which are essential for you body.
- Some drugs have side-effects of constipation.
- In adults and children, consumption of dairy products may also cause constipation.
Fruit banana goes from primarily starch-based carbohydrate state to sugar-based carbohydrate state. Unripe or green banana contains 80% starch and 7% sugar while ripe bananas contain 8% starch and 91% sugar. Resistant starch has a fiber like properties. Our body can’t digest starch easily; rather it can digest sugar very easily.
So, unripe bananas can cause constipation while ripe can cure it. Bananas contain fiber. So, it absorbs water from the intestine. If a person is already hydrated he or she can suffer from constipation.
When you eat too many bananas at one go. It results in disturbing the balance of potassium. Hence work of the body slows down, which can lead to constipation.
Bananas contain soluble fiber and fructose, which can cause a gas problem. Some people have a problem in digesting fructose.
Unripe bananas contain tannin. In intestines, tannin acid coagulates protein in the intestine. 100 gm of banana contains about 100-250 mg of tannin acid. It decreases the secretions from the small intestine and inhibits peristalsis. That is the reason for constipation after eating unripe bananas.
How To Know If Banana Is Ripe Or Not?
i) You will observe yellow bananas with brown spots. They are ripe and safe to eat.
ii) But bananas are hard and it is not easy to remove the skin of the bananas then it is unripe.
iii) You may even observe unripe banana green in color.
Tip: No matter how many ripe bananas you eat, but if you are not drinking plenty of water then it will not have any good effect on the bowel movement.
If your body is dehydrated, it will be very difficult for your body to remove stools from your body as stools will become harder and bulkier.
If you don’t have the habit of drinking much water then at least try to take soups or fluids so that your body is not deprived of water.
Rich In Pectin
Bananas are rich in pectin. Some people are pectin while others are not. Pectin has the binding ability. So does it act with stool? Eating too many bananas result in taking lots of pectins. Hence it may result in constipation.
The capacity of eating bananas differs from one person to another. Special care should be taken if you are sensitive to pectin. Else it can have a negative effect on you.
Mucus
Bananas are believed to take part in mucus formation. Even in traditional Chinese medicine, it is known is mucus forming food which is cold and damp. Also, this results in constipation.
It is better to avoid bananas especially when you are suffering from cold. It will not result in the formation of mucus and phlegm.
Banana As A Constipation Cure
i) Eat 2-3 ripened bananas
ii) You can also slice down the bananas and mix it with the warm milk.
Another Side Of Banana
Banana has prebiotic properties. It helps in improving digestive growth as well stimulate growth. But it is very important to drink plenty of water after you eat fibrous fruit.
Bananas are also a good source of mineral potassium which is often called electrolyte. Electrolytes are important to balance the fluids present in body cells. As it is important to keep the body hydrated whenever you eat fibrously, potassium helps in doing so.
Bananas are also rich in FOS (Fructooligosaccharides). It is a food source for gut’s friendly bacteria.
Do Bananas Cause Constipation In Babies
Bananas are famous for toddler’s favorite food. It is very soft and easy to intake; hence it is good food for the little ones whose new teeth are forming.
Babies can suffer from constipation if they don’t get fiber and fluids in a proper amount. Since the whole body system of the babies are not strong enough to digest anything they eat, it’s better to avoid feeding bananas to them. It may cause constipation.
Conclusion
There are many benefits of eating bananas. As banana contains a high amount of potassium which helps in protection from cardiovascular diseases. It also helps in regulating blood pressure.
It has many nutrients which protect oneself from the diseases like ulcer and stomach pains. These nutrients suppress acid secretion in the stomach. This accumulation of acid in stomach results in pain.
It is also useful in increasing the strength and strengthening the bones. So, you do not think of cutting off the bananas from your diet.
But, see that you intake ripe bananas. Stay hydrated when you eat bananas. Also, eat bananas in an appropriate amount only else it will end up in an imbalance of potassium in cells.
