Ideally, you should eat fruits in the afternoon. So, unless and until it is very necessary, do not eat bananas at night. But if you still want to eat it, then there is no harm in it.
Rich in potassium, banana helps relax the muscle after a tiring day. Eating one or two bananas late in the evening helps your body get ready to fall asleep. According to Shashank, “One large banana contains 487mg potassium, which is about 10 percent of the required intake for an adult body.”
You can consume bananas in the morning along with other breakfast foods. However, you should avoid eating them on an empty stomach. Eating bananas at night should also be avoided if you have cough, cold, or breathing problems.
Our stomach takes a long time to digest a banana. On top of that, our body's metabolism is at its lowest in the night. Therefore, one should ideally consume bananas in the morning or the evening and must avoid eating them at night.
According to Dr. Anju Sood, a renowned Bengaluru-based nutritionist, "Bananas are acidic in nature and have high amounts of potassium. They are good to start off with in the morning but not on an empty stomach.
There is no scientific proof that eating bananas at night can be harmful to your health. But as per Ayurveda, banana can lead to mucus production and eating this fruit at night can choke your throat. Apart from this, banana is a heavy fruit and our stomach takes a lot of time to digest it.
A banana before bed is considered a natural alternative to sleeping pills and supplements because they contain tryptophan, an amino acid that your body needs to produce serotonin and melatonin. Serotonin can calm your mind and body, while melatonin is responsible for regulating your body's sleep-wake cycle.
Friends, according to the facts and experts mentioned above, you should avoid eating bananas on an empty stomach in the morning. If you want, consume it with dry fruits, milk, or other healthy food. But avoid consuming it on an empty stomach.
Cherries are known for being one of the best foods for sleep as they naturally contain melatonin. Snacking on cherries or drinking cherry juice can help promote longer, deeper sleep.
Another reason why experts suggest that eating bananas on an empty stomach may be bad for health as eating foods with high magnesium content early in the morning or empty stomach may impact metabolism and create an imbalance in digestion and in some cases it may have an adverse effect on heart health.
Digestion problem: Bananas are rich in potassium, fiber and magnesium, but at the same time the fruit is acidic and experts suggest that consuming acidic foods on an empty stomach can lead to digestive problems. That's why do not consume bananas on an empty stomach at all.
On digesting fruit
Its cousins, melons, as well as oranges, grapefruit, bananas and grapes, will leave your stomach in about 30 minutes. Foods rich in fiber help the digestive tract to function more efficiently. The majority of other fruits (apples, pears, kiwis, cherries, etc.) should take about 40 minutes to digest.
It is recommended to wait for at least 15-20 minutes to drink water after eating a banana.
Eating fruits at night is harmful because the sugars in the fruits will spike your energy levels. As this is a time your body is winding down, a rise in energy can cause insomnia and listlessness.
Recent medical studies have shown that eating between the hours of 12pm-11pm resulted in higher levels of blood glucose, insulin and cholesterol, than eating between the hours of 8am-7pm. So, if your goal is to reduce your body fat or your cholesterol, it may be beneficial to try curbing your late night eating habits.
Best known as a super-food, banana satiates hunger and is good for digestion. Bananas contain high amounts of magnesium and potassium and when eaten empty stomach, can imbalance magnesium and potassium levels in our blood.
2. Bananas. This low-acid fruit can help neutralize stomach acid by coating an irritated esophageal lining. And not only are bananas alkaline, they're also rich in pectin — a soluble fiber that helps keeps food flowing nicely through the digestive tract.
“If you are hungry, you should eat something, regardless of the time of day,” says Aimee Takamura, registered dietitian and director of wellness and sustainability at Restaurant Associates. “The act of eating late at night does not affect metabolism or lead to many of the adverse effects you may have heard of.