Dr. Manjusha Agarwal, senior consultant in internal medicine at Gleneagles Parel Hospital (Mumbai) said that bananas are a nutritious fruit, but the carbohydrate and natural sugar content in bananas can significantly affect blood sugar levels, especially for people with diabetes or controlling blood sugar.
According to Dr. Manjusha Agarwal, an average banana contains about 27g of carbohydrates, of which 14-15g is sugar.
Eating a fruit will cause blood sugar to increase gradually, depending on each person's insulin sensitivity and metabolic rate.
Conversely, eating two bananas will increase the total amount of carbohydrates to about 54g, which can easily cause a more sudden increase in blood sugar because the body has to process the amount of sugar twice as much.
"The ripening of bananas is also an important factor. Ripe bananas contain a lot of monounsaturated sugar because the starch has been metabolized, causing blood sugar to rise faster," said Dr. Manjusha Agarwal.
Sharing the same view, Dr. Narander Singla, senior consultant in internal medicine at CK Birla Hospital (Delhi), said that the glycemic index (GI) of bananas changes with the ripeness: green bananas have a GI of about 42, ripe bananas about 51 and ripe bananas can be over 62.
Green bananas are rich in resistant starches, slow-digesting carbohydrates, while ripe bananas contain a lot of easily absorbed sugar.
For people who need to control their blood sugar, choosing a reasonable serving is key.
Eating a banana is often easier to control and only causes a moderate increase in blood sugar. Eating two fruits at a time can reduce glucose processing, especially in people with insulin sensitivity, warns Dr. Singla.
To enjoy bananas while still stabilizing blood sugar, experts recommend: eating bananas that are just ripe, limit bananas with many brown spots, divide the portion (cut in half or three fruits eaten scattered in a day), combine with foods rich in protein and healthy fats such as yogurt, nuts or seeds to slow down glucose absorption.
By controlling the quantity, choosing the right ripeness and combining foods appropriately, bananas can still be part of a healthy and balanced diet, even for those who have to closely monitor blood sugar.
