There is no evidence that eating bananas in the afternoon is healthier than eating them in the evening

on Tik Tok A video about the best time to eat has been circulating since February 10, 2023. The creators of the video, @healthyselections, also posted the video on Instagram. And also Others Channels He took the video.

According to the video, eating bananas for lunch is healthier than eating them for dinner. Eating bananas in the afternoon is said to have a positive effect on the immune system and skin. On the other hand, eating bananas in the evening leads to disturbed digestion and increased mucus production.

the video It has already been viewed 7.1 million times and has 879,000 likes. The video does not indicate the source of the information and @healthyselections was not there to clarify that.

Screenshot of mail From @healthyselections.

There is no preferred time according to official guidelines

Many blog sites have already written about this claim. a Blog post from Storia Foods and BeveragesAn Indian company that produces natural and health-promoting drinks says, “There is no scientific evidence that eating bananas at night is harmful.” Storia Food and Beverage Refers to traditional health teaching”Ayurveda” as an explanation for the claim. Which He learns It originated from Hinduism and lacks scientific proof.

On the Joyful Belly websitethe Ayurvedic school of diet and digestion, states that bananas are actually more difficult to digest. the site They also say that eating bananas leads to mucus production, but they believe that this has a positive effect on health. A little further on the site Results of our own research Where Ayurveda students ate bananas for three days.

Supreme Council of Health in Belgium In his report, he recommends eating 250 grams of fruit daily. The report specifies that you can eat the fruit “for breakfast, as a snack, or as a dessert.” the Global Health Organization It recommends eating 400 grams a day of fruits and vegetables. They also do not differentiate between eating fruit in the afternoon or in the evening.

Research on eating times looks at genes, not foods

Christine VerbekeThere is no research to support this claim, says the professor at the Faculty of Medicine at KU Leuven and head of the Translational Research Unit for Gastrointestinal Disorders. There is research on the impact of mealtime on health, but it does not look at individual foods like bananas. “This investigation will pass Clock genes (Genes that provide the biological clock in various organs via proteins). Research on mice It is shown that they eat all day long and become unhealthy when their circadian genes are turned off. Verbeke explains that people who regularly travel to other time zones or work shifts may experience a similar effect.

Clinical research testing mechanisms in bananas are missing

Bananas, especially unripe ones, contain resistant starch Which does not break down during digestion. This resistant starch thus ends up in the large intestine, where it is fermented by microbes. This can positively affect healthBut Professor Verbeke believes it is too early to draw conclusions about the time-dependent effect on nutrients. “Just because a mechanism can explain this effect, does not mean that the food also has this effect on health. We can only know this by conducting clinical studies,” she says. And these studies are missing here. So the positive effect comes from bananas and not from The time you eat it.

Professor Verbeke says about the negative impact on the digestive process: “When we eat late and are no longer active, the digestion process is slow. But this is not necessarily a problem. However, for weight control, it is recommended Eat at times when you are still activeBut again, this has not been studied specifically for bananas. the morning Already wrote on December 13, 2023 about the story that bananas cause constipation.

Professor Verbeke points out that conflicting claims are also appearing on social media. This is how it will be Financial Express It is best to eat bananas in the evening. Bananas contain tryptophan, a building block for serotonin and melatonin. These hormones ensure better sleep. “This mechanism exists, but no research has been done on bananas to verify it,” says Professor Verbeke. Such messages draw conclusions when there is no data to support them. It also warns against exaggerating the positive effects of bananas. the Amount of tryptophan In bananas, less than D Recommended daily amount.

Variety and combination of foods is important for health

Rosa LuytenAn employee at the Independent Expertise Center Flemish institute for healthy living vzwHe says the health impact of one food at one time is very limited. She explains: “Since reviewing the available scientific knowledge in 2017, we have been using a tool Comprehensive vision On healthy food. The focus is no longer on nutrients such as fiber and vitamins found in bananas. The comprehensive overview also takes into account food and diet.

According to Luiten, bananas fit into a healthy diet, because they are present in the diet The dark green area of ​​the inverted food triangle. Such foods are preferred, but the diet should include a variety of foods. “A varied diet that combines foods is important. This way, the food remains delicious, we get all the necessary nutrients and we eat varied according to the seasons.

Conclusion

There is no scientific evidence to suggest that eating bananas for lunch is healthier than eating them for dinner. Because of the nutrients it contains, bananas have a positive effect on health, but this does not depend on when you eat them. Bananas are part of healthy diets, but they should be combined and varied with other foods.