I was astonished to see the health effects of eating bananas on an empty stomach the other day on some website. There are many different reasons not to eat bananas on an empty stomach, such as excessive intake of magnesium will affect the health of heart, tendency to get achlorhydria due to low gastric acids and causes diarrhea etc. Many people are confused whether or not they should eat bananas on an empty stomach. Does eating bananas on an empty stomach bring harm to health? Today RichInFoods will unravel this mystery for people who are in quest of the answer.
Eating bananas will not lead to excessive intake of magnesium
Bananas are rich in magnesium but they will not lead to a sudden increase in the amount of magnesium in the blood and will not affect the heart. We take in magnesium through foods and 70% of the magnesium we take in will be absorbed in the small intestine. In other words, the total amount of magnesium we take in is only 30%. A 100g banana has 43mg magnesium and 12.9mg magnesium after being absorbed. According to the Research Intakes, an intake of 350mg per day magnesium is suitable for an adult and the maximum intake of magnesium is 700mg a day. Excessive intake of magnesium only happens when we consume 55 bananas at once which is something unlikely to happen. Apart from that, leafy greens, food grains, nuts contain more magnesium than bananas. So far there are not any cases like eating nuts or leafy greens on an empty stomach causes damage to health. Therefore, eating a couple of bananas on an empty stomach will definitely not lead to excessive intake of magnesium.
Many people are worried that eating bananas are prejudicial to their hearts as bananas contain a lot of potassium. This statement is completely erroneous. Some nutritionist said that, normal serum potassium levels are between 3.5 – 5.5 mmol/L, any potassium levels that are higher than this are called hyperkalemia which may lead to abnormal heart rhythm and can result in death. A healthy adult requires about 2000mg potassium a day, meanwhile, kidneys are like a waste-water treatment plants that continuously filter out sodium, excess water and potassium up to 33000mg. In other words, even if a healthy adult takes in 30000mg potassium a day, it will not damage his heart.
Eating bananas on an empty stomach has a certain influence on gastric acid secretion
Some website claimed that, consuming bananas on an empty stomach will lead to a decreased secretion of gastric acid. This statement is utterly wrong. A stomach secretes gastric acid incessantly, its lowest discharge rate of gastric acid is 10% of the highest discharge rate. Gastric acid secretion reaches a peak after sleeping for a few hours and then reaches the lowest point again in the morning. Foods that go into the stomach will stimulate the gastric acid secretion and thereby increase the activity of pepsin to help to digest. Some people appear sick or nauseous after taking in some bananas on an empty stomach, mainly because bananas are rich in carbohydrates. In general, carbohydrates do not affect gastric acid secretion but monosaccharides and disaccharides will particularly stimulate the gastric acid secretion. Coincidentally, carbohydrates in the fruits exist as monosaccharides and disaccharides. Because of that, people who eat bananas on an empty belly secrete more gastric acid than other foods and eventually get something that is called gastric ulcer. People who have gastric ulcer will usually get heartburn and nauseous. On top of that, a normal healthy person will not feel or get anything unusual after consuming bananas on an empty belly.
Restore Energy By Eating Bananas While Doing Sports
Most athletes eat a couple of bananas during their break to restore energies that they lose while doing sports. As bananas are highly rich in potassium, they replenish the potassium that the athletes lose and restore their energies as well as give them additional stamina to carry on their sports. Therefore, bananas have been the first choice for athletes.
Health tips:
Studies have shown that, as the global temperature rises up ceaselessly, bananas may become the most essential food to human beings. According to food science and engineering, eating bananas on an empty stomach is definitely not a problem. Consuming bananas in a slow manner instead of gobbling them. For people who have underlying disease are advised not to consume any bananas before getting completely healthy again. Therefore, eating bananas on an empty stomach should no longer be a threat to those who are confused, it is only prejudicial to health if you are out of condition, otherwise bananas are a very good fruit for the health.