Bananas and Constipation

All these years we’ve been told by our grandparents/parents/elders that if you have constipation, take bananas or prunes. This remained as a rule of thumb for me, until when I was told that bananas can actually cause constipation in babies / kids. So, when I shared this info with my elders, they went “Really? But we’ve never come across such situations before.”

I’ve got to admit, when I shared this info with my family, I didn’t really do much research on it myself as I’ve got this piece of info from my friends –who are a mom themselves, who does extensive research when it comes to diets for children, and also because I was lazy. So I did look a bit like a fool without much evidence or solid reasons and facts to back me up.

I did some research on my own finally since I had some leisure time yesterday, and there are some interesting information that I’ve gathered.

Let me begin with some facts of bananas.

Photo from healthmetz.com

o   Bananas are rich in minerals – potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium and some other minerals in small amounts.

o   Bananas are rich in vitamins – Folate, Niacin, Vitamin K, C, B6, E and some other vitamins in small amounts.

o   One medium banana contains 1.29 grams of protein, 105 calories and 3.1 grams of dietary fiber.

o   Bananas are high in soluble fiber that helps bowel movement

o   The potassium in ripe bananas helps to alleviate diarrhea since it replaces needed electrolytes

o   Fructooligosaccharide are found in bananas; an enzyme producing compound that assists in natural digestion and hinders the fermentation of bananas once inside the intestinal tract; this helps to prevent constipation in some cases

o   The ripeness of a banana will determine whether or not it will make you constipated when it is consumed.

Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2664942, http://www.healthalternatives2000.com/fruit-nutrition-chart.html

Ok, now it seems like banana plays both role of causing and aiding constipation.  An article in http://www.buzzle.com further explains the dual role that banana plays.

“Bananas Alleviating Constipation:

Bananas are one of the best-selling fruits across the globe. Cherished for their nutrient value these fruits are available in several sizes and colors. Loaded with ample amounts of potassium, calcium, zinc, copper and other vitamins and minerals, bananas are also high in fiber content. Dietary fiber is in the form of pectin, which increases the bulk of the bowels, so as to conduce to proper bowel movement. One banana furnishes the body with fifteen percent of the body's daily fiber requirement. Thus, consuming bananas helps furnish the body with adequate amounts of dietary fiber, thereby facilitating good bowel movement and preventing constipation issues.

Bananas Conducing to Constipation:

So if bananas actually alleviate constipation by furnishing the body with dietary fiber, how then can it be responsible for triggering constipation? The truth here is that though ripe bananas relieve constipation, the unripe bananas spearhead constipation. Unripe or green bananas are difficult for the body's digestive system to digest. Moreover, the pieces of unripe bananas block the digestive tract, thereby leading to uneasiness along with constipation. The high starch content also contributes to the constipation. “

The article also mentioned that in order to maintain a healthy bowel movement, it is important to not have more than one to two bananas in a day. As bananas have starch contents, hence having more bananas will only bind the stools together and absorb water from the digestive tract instead which then leads to constipation.

Having that said, ripe yellow bananas with brown spots don’t stop diarrhea but enhance it instead. This is due to the high fiber content in ripe bananas. So, in the event of diarrhea, take only raw bananas as it will bind the loose stool together and replenish the lost electrolytes.

Photo from ucanr.org
1- Green: unripe, 4 - Yellow with Green Tips: partially ripe and can be used for broiling, baking or frying, 6 - All yellow: ripe and can be eaten raw. Great for pudding, cakes and pies, 7 - Yellow with brown flecks: completely ripe and perfect for salads, bread and eating raw (http://www.everydaycook.com/recipebox/tipbox/food/ripebananas.htm)

Now this has made me understand bananas’ roles better. So, does this mean we can safely feed one banana a day to our babies? Then again, the site did mention that usually doctors do not recommend giving bananas to babies if they are having constipation. Hmm...

Every adult has different reaction to food, and it’s the same with babies. I guess the best way is to start at a small scale when introducing them to babies, say a quarter of a very ripe banana? Now, this is strictly my personal guesstimate and same as other type of food to be introduced, it takes trial and error before knowing what food and amount reacts best to our little ones. Happy experimenting! :)