Some people in some parts of the world eat banana peels or skins — whichever way you call it. What many of us do after opening banana and eating the flesh is to thrash the peel. Yes, this is what many people do. This is just because banana flesh is soft and sweet while the peel is thick, fibrous, slightly bitter and sometimes dirty.
However, Apparently, they know some things about banana and its peel that people like us over here and in many other parts of the world don’t. They know the benefits that come with eating them and we don’t. This post will show you some of the health benefits of banana skin
We have mentioned banana in some articles in the past. It is one of the foods you can snack on at night if you are truly looking to avoid gaining weight. There was also an article that showed how to make a very healthy and delicious cream from banana and if you are looking to make your banana last for extra 5-7 days, you should read this. Now back to today’s topic.
Should Banana Peel Be Eaten? What Danger Does It Pose?
It has been established that banana peels are neither dangerous nor hazardous to the health if consumed. In fact, if eaten with the sweet flesh of the fruit, they come packed with many health benefits and straying a little away from the food angle, eating the peel is also better for the environment as a whole.
So, what are the nutritional/health benefits?
Here are the benefits the skin has;
Laura Flores, a San Diego-based nutritionist informed LiveScience that the skin of banana “contains high amounts of vitamin B6 and B12, as well as magnesium and potassium. It also contains some fiber and protein”.
“It contains high amounts of vitamin B6 and B12, as well as magnesium and potassium. It also contains some fiber and protein.”
Banana peels have also been found to possess “various bioactive compounds like polyphenols, carotenoids and some others. So, why throw it away next time. Here are some ways you can enjoy eating banana peels.
Ways you can enjoy eating banana peels;
As mentioned earlier, banana skins can be dirty and there can also be leftovers from pesticides used on them during storage. Therefore, you should wash your bananas if you intend to eat the peel too. Here are some of the ways to eat your banana peel.
When fully ripen and soft, your banana peels can be eaten along as you eat the bananas i.e. bite them and eat them together.
You can also blend the banana peels into smoothies. You can fry, bake, or boil them for at 10 minutes or more to make them less fibrous, easy to eat and digest.
So, when next you buy that hand of bananas, you might want to consider eating some. By the way, “a hand” is what a bunch of banana should be called. A single one is a finger.
