Even though bananas are a fruit that tastes quite sweet when ripe containing 14-15 grams of total sugar bananas receive a rating of low in their glycemic index value. Fiber is a nutrient that helps regulate the speed of digestion, and by keeping digestion well-regulated, conversion of carbohydrates to simple sugars and release of simple sugars from digesting foods also stays well-regulated. As bananas ripen, their water-soluble pectins increase and this increase is one of the key reasons why bananas become softer in texture as they ripen.

Key Takeaways:

• Even though bananas are a fruit that tastes quite sweet when ripe—containing 14-15 grams of total sugar—bananas receive a rating of low in their glycemic index (GI) value.
• Within their total fiber content, bananas also contain pectins. Pectins are unique and complicated types of fiber. Some of the components in pectins are water-soluble, and others are not.
• In one study involving female participants, eating two bananas each day for two months led to significant increases in Bifidobacteria. Along with these increased levels of Bifidobacteria, participants also experienced fewer gastrointestinal problems and more regular bowel function when compared to other women in the study who drank a banana-flavored beverage that did not contain any actual banana.

“In one study involving female participants, eating two bananas each day for two months led to significant increases in Bifidobacteria.”

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