Banana dietary taboos

The claims that eating bananas, milk, yogurt, sweet potatoes, and seafood can cause poisoning and cancer are all rumors. Bananas themselves have no absolute dietary taboos. What really needs attention is only for three special groups of people and two specific consumption scenarios.

A while ago, I saw someone in my mother's family group post "Banana and yogurt are a poisonous meal, if you eat intestinal polyps." It happened that I lost weight during that time and had half a banana mixed with sugar-free yogurt for dinner every day for two weeks. The core basis of the person who spreads this is that the tannic acid in bananas will combine with protein to form a precipitate, which is difficult to digest and can cause cancer. But we have to look at the content: the tannic acid content of fully mature bananas is only about 0.1%. Even if you eat two bananas at a time. Bananas, and then drink 200 ml of yogurt. The tannic acid-bound protein is not enough to stuff between your teeth, and it is not enough to cause gastrointestinal discomfort. Unless you eat three pounds of unripe green bananas in one go, let alone yogurt, you will get constipated just eating bananas.

Of course, there are different opinions. For example, traditional Chinese medicine believes that bananas are cold in nature. If eaten with crabs and iced watermelons, which are also cold in nature, people with weak spleen and stomach will easily suffer from diarrhea. This statement is actually reasonable, but the premise is that you have a weak spleen and stomach. You usually have to run to the toilet to drink iced milk tea, so don’t bother. But if you usually eat hot pot with iced cola and don’t react, you don’t have to worry too much if you occasionally eat a banana with two bites of iced watermelon.

To really consider bananas a "taboo food", we must first mention patients with renal insufficiency. I accompanied my grandfather to the nephrology department for a review, and the doctor specifically told him not to touch bananas because the potassium content of bananas is really high, with 256 mg of potassium per 100 grams. People with renal insufficiency have poor potassium excretion capabilities. Eating too much can easily cause hyperkalemia, and in severe cases can affect the heart. This is really a strict taboo. There are also diabetics with unstable blood sugar control. The glycemic index of ripe bananas is 52. If the skin is completely black and the flesh is soft and translucent, the GI can reach over 60. It is a medium GI food. Eating a whole banana at a time can easily cause blood sugar to spike. If you really want to eat it, you can eat half a banana that is just ripe and yellow with a little green, which is relatively stable.

Another question that people ask the most is: Can I eat bananas on an empty stomach? I used to work overtime until early in the morning on a project. There were only bananas in the office, so I didn’t feel anything wrong with one. However, my colleague has reflux esophagitis. The last time he ate a banana on an empty stomach, he had acid reflux all morning.

Let me tell you my tips for picking bananas. Many people throw them away when they see dark spots on the skin. In fact, as long as the flesh is not black and smelly, bananas with "sesame spots" are fully ripe and have the lowest tannic acid content, so they are suitable for people with constipation. On the contrary, raw bananas with green skins have more tannic acid, which will aggravate constipation. Don't do it the other way around.

In fact, after all, there are so many mysterious dietary taboos. To put it bluntly, it is nonsense to discuss the harm without dosage and personal constitution. Ordinary people eat 1-2 bananas a day, and mix them however they like. Don’t be frightened by those shocking health posts. Special people can adjust according to their own physical conditions. It’s just a piece of fruit, there is no need to be so tired.