Do you love eating bananas, but hate it when you suffer from indigestion and gas? Do you think that it is the banana, causing gas?
I was just going through some online discussions and forums wherein people were worried if the reason behind their stomach bloating and gas could be eating bananas? Are you too worried about the same? Is eating your favorite fruit causing the formation of gas in your stomach? Well, it is not common for bananas to cause gas in the stomach, but yes, they can be the reason behind the same! Though bananas are a great source of potassium, magnesium, iron and other essential vitamins and minerals, they also contain a lot of carbohydrates which can actually cause indigestion problem, especially when consumed in a hurry or in large quantities. Apart from these useful nutritional elements, it includes high levels of starch which gets converted into glucose, fructose and sucrose during ripening. The starch can also become difficult to digest for the stomach, thereby causing gas.
Indigestion Symptoms like Gas and Bloating due to Bananas
Some people have allergies from certain fruits, but this is not the case here! You would probably not consume bananas if you had an allergy. It is not ‘allergy’ that causes your stomach to bloat, rather it is more of the components in the fruit and the way you consume it, that causes gas formation. Mentioned below are some of the main causes of why do bananas cause gas and bloating.
Are you Eating Unripe Bananas?
Do you wait for the bananas to turn into a nice yellow or do you consume them when the peel is still green? Well, unripe bananas contain high levels of starch, which are converted into glucose only when they are completely ripened. The starch can give the digestive system a difficult time in breaking down causing gas and bloating.
Carbohydrates and Glucose
Bananas contain high amount of carbohydrates and glucose. This makes them an excellent and quick snack before working out. However, these carbohydrates and glucose, along with 66% of sucrose and 14% of fructose, can make it difficult for the digestive system to consume, especially if you are eating too much of it. The body needs some time to digest these elements, the imbalance can cause indigestion.
High Dietary Fibers
Although it is good to include dietary fibers in your diet, too much of it can cause gas because they become difficult to digest. If you think you’re consuming the bananas way too much before your body can digest them, then either lower the quantity, sticking to 1 or 2 bananas, or wait for your bowel to digest the eaten bananas.
Are you Chewing the Bananas or Gulping them?
Speaking of eating too much of bananas, it may not be necessary that you are eating too much of them…, may be you are eating too quickly! When we gulp the food, we also end up consuming air along with it. The air then reaches the bowel and causes formation of gas in the stomach. So eat your banana slowly and enjoy each and every bite of it.
Lack of Physical Activities
Again, the body can remain healthy and problem free only if a balance is maintained. If we are consuming something that contains carbohydrates and sugars, we should also allow our body to digest it. Why do experts recommend walking after eating? Mild exercises after eating promotes metabolism and eases the digestion process, which means no gas and bloating!
I hope you have figured it out as to what is the possible reason behind you experiencing gas after eating bananas. Do you need to slow down while you eat? Do you need to exercise or do you need to wait till they ripe? If you still have some doubts about the same, and if the gas is becoming too much of a problem, then I would advice you to get in touch with your healthcare specialist as soon as possible to make sure if bananas are good for you, or, if the gas problem is due to some other reason.
