Bananas (Musa spp.) are popular fruits native to tropical areas like Southeast Asia and Australia.
There are over 1,000 varieties of bananas, including red bananas, with reddish-purple skin and sweet-tasting flesh high in vitamins, minerals, and protective plant compounds.
Though red bananas share many of the same health benefits as more common yellow bananas, they’re higher in some cellular-protective substances, which gives them a slight nutritional edge over yellow bananas.
Design by Health / Getty Images
Your cardiovascular system relies on a steady supply of nutrients to function optimally. Vitamins and minerals in red bananas, like potassium and magnesium, are essential for heart health as they help regulate blood pressure.
Potassium and magnesium relax blood vessels and increase urinary excretion of sodium, which helps your body maintain healthy blood pressure.
A lack of potassium and magnesium may lead to elevated blood pressure or hypertension (high blood pressure), a significant risk factor for heart disease. Studies show that eating more potassium- and magnesium-rich foods, like red bananas, can lower your risk of developing high blood pressure and is an effective way to reduce blood pressure levels in people with hypertension.
A review of studies found that every additional 100 milligrams (mg) of magnesium daily was associated with a 5% reduced risk of hypertension.
Other research found that every 0.6 gram (g) daily increase in potassium intake may reduce systolic blood pressure (the top number) by 1.0 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) and diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) by 0.52 mmHg.
Eating two medium-sized red bananas daily provides 14% and 18% of your daily needs for magnesium and potassium, respectively. Therefore, red bananas are a delicious and effective way to support heart health.
All bananas provide a good source of protective plant compounds, such as vitamin C and flavonoids, but red bananas are higher in certain antioxidants than yellow bananas. For example, red bananas are much more concentrated in carotenoids, plant pigments that have powerful antioxidant effects on the body.
Antioxidants support and protect overall health by neutralizing reactive molecules called free radicals, which can cause cellular damage when levels get too high in the body.
Carotenoids, like beta-carotene, are concentrated in orange, yellow, and red-colored foods. Due to their reddish color, red bananas are higher in certain carotenoids than yellow bananas. A study that compared the carotenoid levels of yellow and red bananas found that red bananas had higher levels of total carotenoids, including beta-carotene and lutein, than yellow bananas.
Carotenoids have potent cellular-protective and anti-inflammatory properties, and increasing your intake of carotenoid-rich foods can support overall health and lower your risk of several common health conditions. For example, having higher blood levels of carotenoids is associated with a lower risk of breast cancer as well as cancer-related death.
People with higher blood levels of carotenoids have also been shown to be at a lower risk for developing heart disease and experiencing cardiovascular events, such as heart attack and stroke.
Beta-carotene and lutein, carotenoids concentrated in red bananas, may help support eye health by protecting against oxidative stress, the medical term for an imbalance between antioxidants and free radicals, and inflammation-related eye damage.
Diets high in carotenoid pigments are associated with reduced risk of conditions like age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), an eye disease that’s currently the most common cause of irreversible blindness in older people.
Eating carotenoid-rich foods, like red bananas, can increase your blood levels of carotenoids and lower your risk of ARMD. One study found that higher blood levels of the carotenoids β-carotene and lutein were associated with a significantly lower risk of developing ARMD.
Following a diet high in carotenoids may also protect against glaucoma. This condition causes increased pressure in the eye, which damages the optic nerve and causes vision loss over time.
Bananas, including red bananas, are a source of fiber—a nutrient that supports digestive health. Most people’s diets do not meet the daily fiber recommendation, currently set at 28 g daily.
Fiber promotes regular bowel movements and prevents constipation by keeping stool soft and easy to pass. It also encourages the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut, maintaining a balanced and healthy microbiome.
Unripe bananas are high in a special type of fiber called resistant starch, which passes through the digestive tract undigested and then feeds bacteria in your large intestine. These bacteria break down resistant starch, which releases organic compounds called short-chain fatty acids (SCFA). SCFAs, such as butyrate, acetate, and propionate, support digestive health by strengthening the gut lining, regulating inflammation, and fueling cells that line the colon called colonocytes.
However, the resistant starch content of bananas decreases during the ripening process. So, if you’d like to reap the health benefits of resistant starch, you’ll need to choose underripe red bananas, which are starchier and less sweet than ripe bananas.
Red bananas have a similar nutritional profile as yellow bananas and are rich in potassium, B6, fiber, and other important nutrients.
A medium-sized 118-gram banana contains:
- Calories: 105
- Carbohydrates: 26.9 grams (g)
- Protein: 1.29 g
- Fat: <1 g
- Fiber: 3.07 g
- Vitamin B6: 0.433 milligrams (mg), or 25% of the Daily Value (DV)
- Manganese: 0.319 mg, or 14% of the DV
- Vitamin C: 10.3 mg, or 11% of the DV
- Copper: 0.092 mg, or 10% of the DV
- Potassium: 422 mg, or 9% of the DV
Red bananas are especially rich in B6, manganese, and vitamin C.
B6, also known as pyridoxine, plays critical roles in immune function and is required for the formation of hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying component of red blood cells. The body also needs B6 to produce neurotransmitters and regulate homocysteine, an amino acid that harms health when levels get too high.
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that protects cells from oxidative damage. It is necessary for immune function, collagen and neurotransmitter production, and inflammation regulation.
Manganese is a mineral involved in energy metabolism and immune and nervous system function. Red bananas also contain smaller amounts of magnesium, potassium, and several other essential nutrients, making them an all-around nutritious fruit.
Bananas, including red bananas, are safe for most people to eat.
However, bananas are high in oligo-fructans, which are carbohydrates that cause digestive distress in some people. Oligo-fructans belong to a group of carbohydrates known as fermentable oligo-, di-, mono-saccharides, and polyols (FODMAPs), which are poorly absorbed by the digestive system.
High-FODMAP foods, like ripe red bananas, can cause significant symptoms, such as gas, bloating, and diarrhea, in people who are sensitive to these compounds. People with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are more likely to experience symptoms after eating foods high or moderately high in FODMAPS.
Bananas also have a high carbohydrate load. People with diabetes or other conditions that affect blood sugar control may want to limit their consumption of bananas and other high-carb foods to support optimal blood sugar regulation.
Finally, some people may be allergic to bananas. If you have a banana allergy, avoid consuming all types of bananas and foods made with them.
Red bananas taste similar to regular bananas but have a hint of berry flavor. Like regular bananas, red bananas are versatile and can be enjoyed raw or cooked and incorporated into recipes like baked goods and smoothies.
Here are a few healthy ways to enjoy red bananas:
- Freeze them to make homemade, dairy-free ice cream
- Add fresh or frozen red bananas to smoothies and protein shakes
- Slice them over breakfast dishes like oatmeal, granola, and chia pudding
- Use them in place of yellow bananas in baked goods like banana bread
- Pair one with a protein-rich food, like a hard-boiled egg, cheese, or nuts, for a blood-sugar-friendly snack
- Use fresh or cooked red bananas to add natural sweetness to Greek yogurt parfaits
Red bananas can be included in many other sweet and savory recipes, making a unique and flavorful substitute for yellow bananas.
Red bananas share many health benefits with yellow bananas but are higher in certain protective plant compounds.
In addition to being an excellent source of carotenoid antioxidants, red bananas are packed with nutrients that may improve the health of the heart, eyes, and digestive system.
Red bananas are nutritious and safe for most people to eat, but ripe red bananas are high in FODMAPs and carbohydrates, which may make them unsuitable for some populations.
link
