For most people, a banana is a food easy to tolerate when not feeling well. Bananas also are high in fiber, as one medium banana contains 3.1 g, according to MayoClinic.com. Although bananas generally are a healthy food, especially for the digestive system, the fruit can both cause and ease gastrointestinal discomfort.
Diarrhea
Because diarrhea can lead to dehydration and the loss of electrolytes, eating high potassium foods, including bananas, can help when you have diarrhea. Fluid and electrolyte imbalance can negatively affect key metabolic processes, and bananas have a binding effect for most people, although not everyone can tolerate them. Nancy Ling, a registered dietitian at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, recommends limiting fiber intake to fewer than 10 g a day when experiencing diarrhea or a flare of inflammatory bowel disease. Avoid eating too many raw fruits and vegetables for awhile until diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms subside. Greasy foods and foods high in sugar content also can make diarrhea worse. As symptoms improve, add soft, bland foods such as crackers, toast, plain rice, cooked carrots, boiled potatoes and bananas back into your diet. Bananas contain pectin, a carbohydrate that causes the bowel to reabsorb more water, thereby decreasing loose, runny stools.
Constipation
Although most fruits help to stimulate healthy bowel movements, bananas actually can cause constipation in some people. Bananas are a good source of insoluble fiber, which keeps stool moving through the intestine. Green, unripe bananas contain more starch and therefore might cause constipation. While bananas are high in potassium and vitamin B-6, do not eat a lot of them if you suffer from chronic constipation. Eat other high-fiber fruits and drink plenty of water. Dr. William Sears, an expert on childcare and nutrition, cautions that bananas can be constipating in children younger than 1. Delay adding bananas to your child's diet if he has problems with constipation.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
The University of Maryland Medical Center recommends that people with irritable bowel syndrome avoid eating certain foods, including bananas, cabbage, broccoli, nuts, raisins and cauliflower. Bananas are among the fruits that can cause gas in some people. Sometimes the body does not completely break down the natural sugars in bananas and other fruits. Although bananas are a good source of fiber, if you are eating too many, the fiber could be contributing to your discomfort. If you experience problems with bloating and gas, you might have to cut back for awhile on the number of bananas and other fiber-rich foods you eat.
Ulcers
Including bananas in your diet might help to treat ulcers. Eating bananas that are not fully ripened helps stimulate the cells that make up the stomach lining, creating a thicker mucus membrane. Bananas contain protease inhibitors, which help rid the stomach of harmful bacteria that can sometimes cause ulcers. Protease enzymes are digestive enzymes that help break down proteins. Protein inhibitors work by blocking this enzyme activity that certain viruses need to grow. Bananas also contain water-soluble polysaccharides, compounds used in some prescription medications that doctors often prescribe to treat ulcers.
References
- MedlinePlus; Diarrhea; August 2011
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; Diarrhea; January 2011
- MayoClinic.com; High-Fiber Foods; Mayo Clinic Staff; November 2009
- AskDrSears.com; Constipation; Dr. William Sears
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- DrDavidWilliams.com: Ulcers Natural Treatments/Remedies
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