Along with the apple, it is one of the foods that generate more doubts as to whether they squeeze or not. Many people believe that banana is good for diarrhea and others, instead, associate it with fiber and use it when they have episodes of constipation, but who is right?
In we want to clarify what effects banana has on your body, how to eat it for intestinal problems and settle the doubt of whether it is astringent or laxative. We will also talk about what foods you should not eat if you are constipated. With all this, we hope to clarify your doubts about bananas and intestinal problems, so do not miss anything.
Does banana squeeze or is it laxative?
The answer to this great doubt has nuances and is that the banana squeezes, but if taken in the right way it provides such an amount of fiber that it can be a great ally in episodes of constipation, that is, as a natural laxative, achieving the opposite effect.
The green banana is astringent, that is, it squeezes, since it is a fruit rich in tannins and has a great capacity to absorb the water found in the intestine. In addition, the starch contained in green bananas is not well digested by the body and causes very heavy digestions that favor the appearance of constipation. Also, the ripe banana is laxative because it no longer contains so much tannins, among other aspects.
Does the banana squeeze baby?
These considerations about the banana should also be taken into account in babies and children, since another very frequent doubt with this fruit is if the banana squeezes the babies. Many babies who begin to switch from fluid to solid feeding go through phases of constipation. The introduction of new foods in fruit porridge together with the reduction of liquids, by not taking so much bottle, make the child suffer from this annoying problem.
It is recommended that you consult with your pediatrician what foods you should progressively introduce into your baby's porridge or purees to prevent it from becoming stressed. If the doctor has not advised against it, the ideal is to give the child only the ripe bananas to avoid constipation. You can include it in your fruit porridge or bake them and mash them with a fork (this will depend on the baby's swallowing ability), but never include green bananas or those that are not ripe enough in your diet. In this other article you can know how to make fruit porridge with various recipes containing ripe banana.
In addition to being a good fruit for constipation or diarrhea, depending on the point of maturity of the piece, the banana gives us many more benefits thanks to its properties. Here you can learn more about what are the benefits of bananas.
How to eat banana for constipation
If you suffer from constipation, the only recommended way to consume bananas, as we have been telling you, is that they have an optimal degree of ripeness. Ripe bananas, in addition to being sweeter, contain fructooligosaccharides, a type of soluble fiber beneficial in your digestion and with some laxative power. To take advantage of its digestive benefits, we recommend not mixing it with acidic fruits, such as lemon, orange, grapefruit, etc., since the acids of these can impede the process of digestion of sugars and starch and give you heaviness after eating.
What is the best way to eat ripe banana for constipation? As long as they are ripe, you can eat them in any way, but in we recommend one of the tastiest ways to eat it: in smoothies or smoothies. If you want to taste a rich banana smoothie it is very simple:
- Add 2 ripe bananas to the blender glass.
- Add 250 milliliters of a vegetable drink (soy, oats).
- Add a pinch of cinnamon powder (just a little to promote digestion since in large quantities it can constipate).
- Beat at high speed for 30 seconds and serve it cold. If the bananas or milk are not very cold you can add a couple of ice cubes before beating everything.
Here we leave you a list of Fruits for constipation, so you know more food options that do not squeeze to add to your diet on the occasions when you suffer from this problem.
Other foods that squeeze
Now that we have clarified whether banana squeezes or is laxative and we have also explained how to eat it so that it has a laxative effect and combat constipation, we detail some of the foods that squeeze:
- Dairy: dairy contains high levels of fat, lactose and lactic acid so, in addition to producing constipation, they produce abdominal pain, gas or poor digestion. If you suffer from any of these problems you can try vegetable drinks, a healthy alternative with different options.
- Rice: like bananas, the high starch content makes it an astringent food, so it is one of the most recommended dishes when there are episodes of diarrhea.
- Black tea: the tannins present in black tea act by absorbing water from the stool and reducing bowel movements so you should not consume this type of tea if you suffer from constipation.
- Red meats: they are considered one of the foods that squeeze the most due to the amount of fats they have. The concentration of iron they have makes digestion more difficult.
- Eggs: due to its high fat content, the egg affects the digestion process by slowing it down, so it is a food that you should not abuse if you are constipated.
- Caffeine: being diuretic causes great dehydration as it increases the elimination of water. The colon does not receive enough fluid to process the stool and that lack of fluid makes bowel movements not constant.
Expand this information about the Foods that squeeze with this other article.
