Banana eaters traditionally peel off the skin, chuck it in the bin and then devour the soft yellow fruit inside. But one dietitian has claimed eating banana peel can improve people's sleep, give them healthier skin and also help with weight loss.
Susie Burrell wrote in her blog Shape Me that eating the peel can increase a person's "overall fibre content by at least 10% as a lot of dietary fibre can be found in the skin of a banana". The Australian dietitian adds: "You will get almost 20% more Vitamin B6 and almost 20% more Vitamin C and you will boost both your potassium and magnesium intake."
The NHS recommends eating foods high in fibre when trying to lose weight, and Vitamin C is known to help with maintaining healthy skin. Burrell assures her readers she is not telling them to bite down on the "bright yellow banana skin along with the banana". She advises people to cook the skin to soften it up and help break some of the cell walls, which in turn will make the nutrients easy to absorb.
She also maintains that the colour of your banana skin makes a difference nutritionally. Green banana skins are both rich in the amino acid tryptophan (associated with good sleep quality) and also in resistant starch, which will benefit gut health. A ripened banana with yellow skin boasts a higher proportion of antioxidants associated with anti-cancer effects, she says.
But before you start boiling your banana skins, keep in mind that while banana peels are edible and do have some proven nutritional value, scientific evidence to back up Burrell's weight loss claims is lacking.
"There is no published research on this, so we don't know for certain how eating them may impact weight loss," Health's contributing nutrition editor, Cynthia Sass, RD, explains. While theoretically nutrients like fiber, prebiotics, and antioxidants may help with weight loss, because the studies are lacking, there is no established form (green versus ripe), specific amount/dose, prep method, or frequency (daily, weekly, etc.) tied to a specific amount of weight lost over a given time frame. "I don't think it's absolutely necessary to try to incorporate them into your diet," she says.
Adds New York City-based nutritionist Jackie Newgent, RDN, CDN: "There are so many more enjoyable ways to get fiber in general-and resistant starch in particular. I would much rather recommend someone enjoy a bowl of oatmeal or snack on some hummus, or add oats or beans to delicious recipes.
If you do decide to give them a try, Sass encourages you to choose USDA certified organic, and wash them well to avoid pesticide residues. "You can also start with a small amount and incorporate into dishes with ingredients that help counter the flavor, like a smoothie with sweet fruit and a touch of ginger root or vanilla," she suggests.
