All those who love feasting on fruits would agree that banana is a munificent source of energy. It gives you the so-called "get-up-and-get-going" kick ... a major requirement when we expect ourselves to outdo our own records and accomplishments.
Some of you are desperate and exasperated to find out the carbohydrate content in a banana! You might have heard grannies and mommies say this innumerable times: "Eat a banana everyday. The energy it delivers is immense." Sound familiar, does it not?
It has, in the actual, become an adage of sorts. You might have never thought about the carb content in a banana before devouring one, not even when you happily relished a banana split!
What's in a Banana!
Well, bananas contain complex carbohydrates. They are ideal if you are rummaging for a snacker to fill your tummy, and fuel up your system.
They irrigate our system with vitamin A, niacin, vitamin B6, thiamine, riboflavin, and folic acid. It is a healthy source of potassium and other minerals that aid in maintaining health and fitness. The calories have its major source from carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates in this fruit are medium to low in content; that being a combination of simple sugars and starch. Nevertheless, the carbohydrate content is predominantly built from complex carbohydrates.
A fact worth mentioning is that the content of carbs in a banana change as the fruit ripens. The ratio of calorie content changes when the starch content plummets and the sugar levels rise. This means that eating a banana could be all the more fruitful, when it ripens completely and has a yellow skin on the outside.
If we consider one small banana, it consists of 23 g of carbohydrates. A medium-sized and a large one will have 27 to 27.2 g of carbs and 31 to 31.3 g of carbohydrates, respectively.
The glycemic index diet is a method to comprehend the effect of a banana on the blood sugar levels of the body. It measures the rate at which carbs make way into the bloodstream and the range that they maintain to raise the blood sugar levels of the body.
A fully ripe banana has a rating of 51 on the scale of 1 to 100. The glycemic index for this fruit maintains an ideal range of 42 to 51.
Digestion becomes easier when the banana that has turned yellow -- a sign that it has ripened. It consists of just a percent or two of protein, its fat content being less than half of the protein content. The carbohydrate content in a banana, preponderantly depends on the size of the banana.
What Are Carbs, Anyway?
To begin with, let us understand what are carbohydrates and what good and bad do they do to us and our bodies. Carbohydrates are a monolithic source of vitality and vigor. They are easy to digest as they convert readily into glucose -- a type of sugar utilized by our body.
Proteins and fats do not disintegrate as easily as carbohydrates. However, a diet that is duecedly rich in carbohydrates can disturb one's system and create an imbalance in the sugar levels of the body.
If the blood sugar level of the body is not maintained, it is probable that your mood meter may oscillate, irritation may tintinnabulate and fatigue may grip you tight. To err on the side of caution, one needs to maintain a balanced diet that has an adequate amount of proteins, fats, fiber, and carbohydrates.
To support the claim, here's a dietary recommendation right from the experts' desk. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a 55 to 75% of carbohydrate intake constituting the dietary requirement for an adult. For an elucidative account of the carbohydrate consumption, WHO recommends that approximately 10% should be derived from simple carbohydrates.
Now, this brings us to the subject of the types of carbohydrates. Simple and complex carbohydrates are the two branches that carbohydrates bifurcate into. There are two forms of complex carbohydrates: (1) Starch; and (2) Fiber.
Potatoes, rice, bread, and pasta are rich sources of starch; whereas, beans, whole grains, vegetables, oatmeal, nuts, etc. are of fiber. Simple carbohydrates, also known as sugars are found either in their natural, or processed form.
After clearing the air about the carbohydrate store in bananas, you'll be able to cherish a banana split all the more. Enjoy the benefits! After all, you have the carbohydrate intake of a banana spelled out on paper, right here!