Bananas, a fruit long revered by people, have a wide range of health benefits. Eat it for constipation, for weight loss, when you're unhappy, or when you're stressed. Moreover, it is an inexpensive and easily accessible fruit for the masses, earning it the nickname "the poor man's doctor." So, with so many benefits, what are the taboos to keep in mind when eating bananas?
First, let's look at bananas from the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Li Shizhen's "Compendium of Materia Medica" records that bananas are sweet, very cold in nature, and non-toxic. They have the effects of clearing heat, moistening the intestines, and detoxifying. Second, from a modern medical perspective, bananas are a food high in potassium and magnesium, and low in sodium. They are also rich in phosphorus, protein, and calories. It is precisely because of these properties that bananas can effectively serve a health-preserving role.
What not to eat with bananas
Bananas have many benefits, but if these benefits are not utilized properly, they can instead harm your health.
1. Watermelon
Although it is now spring, watermelon is no longer a rare fruit and is available year-round. In TCM, watermelon is considered sweet, cold in nature, and non-toxic. Additionally, the TCM classic "Bencao in Xin" also mentions that watermelon is cool in nature.
If watermelon and bananas are eaten together, it's like consuming two cold-natured fruits. For people with weak spleen and stomach, this can easily lead to loss of appetite and excessive salivation. At the same time, for children and the elderly with poor gastrointestinal function, the lubricating effect of the banana combined with the cold stimulation of the watermelon can lead to diarrhea and loose stools.
Furthermore, fruits like pears, persimmons, and mulberries are also considered cold-natured. It is best not to eat them together. If you want to eat them, you can have them at different times, such as in the morning and afternoon.
2. Kelp
Bananas are high in potassium and magnesium, and kelp is also rich in various trace elements, making it a high-potassium, high-iodine food. If these two are consumed together, the body will receive a large amount of potassium. An excess of potassium can be harmful to patients with nephritis.
The kidney's filtration function is poor in nephritis patients. When these two foods enter the body, they can cause an imbalance of potassium, calcium, magnesium, and iodine in the blood, worsening the kidney disease.
3. Medication
The intake of medication should follow a doctor's advice, especially for drugs that need to be taken on an empty stomach. Taking them with other foods can reduce or alter their effectiveness.
Therefore, it is best not to take bananas or any other fruit with medication. Generally, there should be a 1-2 hour gap.
4. Staple Foods
As a fruit, bananas are rich in various nutrients, but they should not be eaten during or immediately after a meal. Because the body digests fruits quickly, eating them during or after a meal can slow down the digestion and absorption of other foods. It can also cause abdominal pain and bloating.
How to Eat Bananas
1. Before a Meal
Eating a banana half an hour before a meal can increase satiety, reducing the intake of main course foods and aiding in weight management and figure control. On the other hand, eating a banana before a meal allows the body to better absorb its nutrients without causing intestinal discomfort.
2. Before and After Exercise
Eating a banana before exercise can provide the body with energy, preventing dizziness and palpitations caused by insufficient energy during physical activity.
Eating a banana after exercise replenishes potassium, which is lost through sweat. This can alleviate muscle weakness. Supplementing with magnesium can help relieve muscle fatigue.
3. When Fatigued
Bananas can replenish the body's energy, and the potassium and magnesium in them can relieve fatigue and tension. Therefore, bananas are a good choice to eat when you are fatigued from work.
In addition, the magnesium in bananas can help relieve nervous tension and migraines.