For many years, the green banana has been attributed a series of health benefits, among them, that it provides the body with fiber, contributes to weight control, helps regulate cholesterol and promotes cardiovascular health, among others.
However, a new study ensures that daily consumption of this fruit might help prevent and avoid the development of some types of cancer. Research carried out by scientists from the universities of Newcastle and Leeds, in the United Kingdom, determined that the intake of resistant starch, in addition to providing energy, prevents various forms of this disease.
Starch is a nutrient found naturally in green bananas, and according to analysis, the greener the banana, the more starch it contains.
The study, published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research, looked at more than 900 patients with Lynch syndrome, a genetic disorder that predisposes to a number of cancers. Participants received either a daily dose of powdered resistant starch (equivalent to a green banana) or a placebo. The test was carried out over a period of two years.
At the end of the treatment stage, there was no difference between those who had taken the resistant starch and those who had not. However, the researchers decided to work on the longer-term effect and designed the study to be able to follow up the patients, and that was precisely what allowed them to find conclusive results.
As it was known, in that subsequent period there were only five new cases of gastrointestinal cancer among the 463 participants who had taken the resistant starch, compared with 21 among the 455 who took the placebo.
The researchers determined that resistant starch, which is one of the main components of green bananas, helped reduce the risk of cancers in people with a high genetic predisposition, especially those related to the upper gastrointestinal tract, including those of the esophagus, stomach, biliary tract, pancreas and duodenum, which are not normally easy to detect.
Professor John Mathers, an expert in human nutrition at Newcastle University, said resistant starch was found to reduce a number of cancers by more than 60% and, according to known information, the protective effect lasted ten years following stopping starch. eat the green banana.
Other benefits
Information from the wellness and health portal Tua Saúde indicates that precisely this resistant starch, which abounds in this raw fruit, increases the presence of water in the intestine, facilitating the passage of feces, which helps prevent constipation and improve digestion. On the contrary, if the fruit is eaten cooked, it helps reduce the amount of liquid in the intestine, being a good natural remedy to combat diarrhea.
Additionally, its high fiber content helps reduce the absorption of sugar at the intestinal level, regulating blood glucose levels and preventing insulin resistance and the development of diabetes.
It is a recommended food to help control weight thanks to the fact that it is very low in calories and due to its resistant starch it generates a feeling of satiety, significantly reducing appetite, specifies information from the Better Health portal.
It also contributes to regulate cholesterol and protect cardiovascular health. In the first case, because it is a low-fat food, it helps limit bad cholesterol (LDL), while increasing HDL, known as good.
As a consequence of this, it helps prevent heart problems, since it prevents the retention of LDL in the walls of the blood vessels and eliminates the possibilities of inflammation that can affect the heart and, in general, the chest area.