Are Over Ripe Bananas Bad for you?
By: Jingrong Lyu
There are changes in the nutritional components of banana once it gets over-ripen. However, having changes does not mean the loss of nutritious value. Over-ripen banana, instead, contains more considerable numbers of benefits than other stages can provide:
It is scientifically proven that the higher the ripening degree, the higher the mineral contents, such as iron, zinc, manganese, and copper.
Over-ripen bananas contain more antioxidants and Vitamin C than other stages since they reach the highest accumulation. The higher antioxidants that over-ripen bananas contain can better prevent and defer the damage to cells. Besides, the immune system is also proven to be enhanced with more antioxidant consumption in a proper amount.
Over-ripen banana is the optimal dietary option for improving long-term constipation since it contains lower tannin and resistant starch than bananas in other stages. The excessive intake of these two substances can lead to symptoms like constipation, abdominal pain and headache. Meantime, along with the maturity of bananas, the carbohydrates they possess are also converted into free sugars, which makes them easier to digest.
https://www.boldsky.com/health/nutrition/2019/overripe-bananas-nutrition-benefits-recipes-12 7886.html
There will be no health risks from consuming over-ripen bananas before being highly ripened, such as the appearance of a weird smell and trace of moulds. The brown dots on the skin of over-ripen bananas don’t affect their quality. That is due to the generation of ethylene gas during the maturity of the fruit. Meanwhile, if bruises are noticed, the problem can be solved by using a knife to remove them.
References: Rop, O., Sochor, J., Jurikova, T., Zitka, O., Skutkova, H., Mlcek, J., Salas, P., Krska, B., Babula, P., Adam, V., Kramarova, D., Beklova, M., Provaznik, I., & Kizek, R. (2010). Effect of Five Different Stages of Ripening on Chemical Compounds in Medlar (Mespilus germanica L.). Molecules, 16(1), 74–91. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules16010074
Saranya, N., Srinivasan, K., & Kumar, S. K. P. (2021). Banana ripeness stage identification: a deep learning approach. Journal of Ambient Intelligence and Humanized Computing. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12652-021-03267-w
Washmuth, M. (2021, July 7). Is It Safe To Eat Overripe Bananas? Health Digest. https://www.healthdigest.com/454967/is-it-safe-to-eat-overripe-bananas/
