Bananas and Blood Sugar – What You Need to Know!

Banana is a fruit full of benefits, in addition to being tasty and affordable. However, it's important to consider its effects on blood sugar levels, especially for people with diabetes.

In general, fruit consumption is encouraged due to the presence of fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

It is recommended to prioritize fruit consumption over sweets, both industrialized and homemade, which tend to have a higher amount of added sugar.

The Carbohydrate Problem

There is a concern with banana consumption regarding blood sugar or glucose, especially for people with diabetes. It is believed that despite being a nutritious fruit, bananas contain a significant amount of carbohydrates per serving, which directly affects blood sugar levels.

When we consume foods rich in carbohydrates, the digestive system turns them into sugar, which is absorbed into the blood. Bananas can contain anywhere from 15 to 29 grams of carbs per serving, depending on the type.

Therefore, it is important to consume bananas carefully and in combination with other suitable nutrients. Otherwise, blood glucose levels may rise, especially for people who need to manage their diabetes condition.

Sugar level

The glycemic index is a measure that evaluates how quickly carbohydrates in food are absorbed. In other words, it is a value assigned to foods based on how quickly they cause increases in blood sugar levels after they are consumed.

Foods with a low glycemic index tend to release glucose slowly and steadily, while foods with a high glycemic index release glucose quickly.

In the case of bananas, a curious fact is that its glycemic index changes according to the degree of maturation of the fruit.

More ripe bananas, with more black spots, softer and naturally sweet, have a higher glycemic index than bananas that are not so ripe.

However, not so ripe does not necessarily mean unripe, as eating unripe bananas is indigestible unless you cook and prepare the green banana biomass, but that is another matter.

The message here is that the more yellow the banana peel is, the slower the absorption of its carbohydrate will be and the more resistant starch it will have, which will contribute to blood glucose control.