The idea that people with prediabetes or diabetes should avoid eating sweet fruit is a myth, as long as you’re staying within your carbohydrate needs. This is about one-half of a Cavendish, which is the most ubiquitous banana type.
Indeed, bananas, which contain pectin and resistant starch, might actually help lower blood sugar. Richards says that these soluble fibers act in concert with each other by increasing the sensation of satiety, preventing overeating, and slowing the rate of digestion.
“Bananas are well known for their potassium content, but there are other vitamins and minerals that deserve some attention as well. The banana provides a significant source of B6 and fiber, which play vital roles in important functions of the body like reducing cholesterol and balancing mood,” says Lisa Richards, a certified nutrition consultant.
In fact, just one banana can give you 9% of your recommended daily intake (RDI) of potassium and 8% of magnesium. As for vitamin C, a banana might not be the first food to pop into your mind. But the fruit supplies around 11% of your RDI.
“The key is to pair the carb source with protein and fat. Otherwise the blood sugar will spike and then go down,” says Monica Auslander Moreno, MS, RDN, the lead dietitian at Miami’s Essence Nutrition. She suggests combining high-carb bananas with eggs, yogurt, or peanut butter.
Bananas may support heart health
Potassium is a double threat. While most people think of it as a mineral, it also functions as an electrolyte. Electrolytes are instrumental for regulating muscle contraction. “Because the heart is a muscle,” Moreno says, “potassium and heart health are very closely linked.”
