Ripe vs. Unripe Bananas: Which Are Better For You?

By Rima Chowdhury

on November 8, 2016

Bananas, one of the healthiest foods in the kingdom of fruits is the ultimate answer to most of the health-related problems.

We love to eat fresh fruits because once the fruit changes its colour, it signifies that the fruit is old, which means the nutritional value of the crop has already decreased. However, is this fundamental rule applicable to bananas as well?

Are Ripe Bananas Healthy To Be Consumed?

Banana is the only fruit which is consumed by a person even if it is not ripe, without knowing the real meaning behind it. If you always doubted if ripe bananas are safe to be eaten, check out the answer here.

Many legends believe that consuming ripe banana can affect your body in a negative way; while on other hand, others believe that ripe banana is more nutritious than an unripe banana. However, there was a study conducted to know if ripe bananas were healthier than unripe bananas.

Surprisingly, it was concluded that ripe banana contains a high amount of dietary fibre, vitamin C and a large amount of antioxidants, which is much more than an unripe banana.

However, some Japanese researchers also have concluded saying that ripe banana produces more vitamins, proteins, potassium and antioxidants than an unripe banana; and hence most of the Japanese depend on ripe bananas as their main food.

Benefits Of Having Ripe Bananas:

You might have usually observed that ripe bananas generally have dark spots over them which are regarded as dangerous by a few people.

But, these dark spots contain TNF or Tumor Necrosis Factor, which is a substance that banana produces to combat abnormal and cancer cells in the body.

A cup of ripe banana contains at least 0.55 milligram of vitamin B6, which is 42 percent of the amount of vitamin B6 required by an adult on a daily basis.

Regular consumption of ripe banana reduces the chance of suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, depression and heart disease. A ripe banana contains 11 percent of potassium required by a human body to develop strong bones and muscles.

Consuming one ripe banana every day can prevent the risk of high blood pressure, kidney stones, osteoporosis and heart stroke.

Other than this, it is said that consuming ripe bananas reduces the chance of formation of cancerous cells in the body.

Ripe banana contains the right amount of antioxidants that help to prevent diabetes, heart disease and neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's disease. Consuming ripe bananas also promotes a healthy digestive system due to their high dietary fibre content.

So, it has been proved that ripe bananas are equally healthy like the unripe bananas. Hence, you can consume both the varieties to benefit from them.