...sometimes constipating and sometimes hydragogue? What could the reasons be for people when it's constant constipating or constant hydragouge for others?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/02/2010 11:01AM by Healthybun.

I think it depends on how one's own organism responds to them at a particular time. You know it when you feel it--depends on you : )

Yes, I understand that. I was wondering about the fysiological functions and it can't be easy to give answers about that. I know that cooked blueberries are constipating and raw blueberries are hydragouge. But bananas are always raw..

are you eating them at varying ripeness? They should be well spotted, moist and sweet. They can certainly be binding if they're not completely ripe. To me all-yellow isn't ripe enough, they must have spots.

rawpreston Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> are you eating them at varying ripeness? They
> should be well spotted, moist and sweet. They can
> certainly be binding if they're not completely
> ripe. To me all-yellow isn't ripe enough, they
> must have spots.

Funny, I personally prefer bananas when they just become yellow and have no spots. To me, really ripe bananas have a texture which is too mushy and they are too sweet for me (and I love sweet stuff!). I keep hearing how you can't eat them when they don't have spots, but I digest them just fine and find them to be like a laxative, not binding at all.

banana who Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Funny, I personally prefer bananas when they just
> become yellow and have no spots. To me, really
> ripe bananas have a texture which is too mushy and
> they are too sweet for me (and I love sweet
> stuff!). I keep hearing how you can't eat them
> when they don't have spots, but I digest them just
> fine and find them to be like a laxative, not
> binding at all.


Different batches of bananas are different. I only get organic, and if they have no spots, it actually peels difficult, that's a red flag for me of unripe. Whereas non-organic behave different still. Also, are you eating 10+ at a time like I do?

<
Different batches of bananas are different. I only get organic, and if they have no spots, it actually peels difficult, that's a red flag for me of unripe. Whereas non-organic behave different still. Also, are you eating 10+ at a time like I do?>

These days I usually buy bananas from Whole Foods. Most produce places seem to have gassed bananas (sounds horrific). You can tell they are not ripened naturally. WF offers a conventional brand called "Earth" which is not officially organic, but grown in a conscious way. They are about .20 a pound less than the organic ones. If the organic ones are not ripe yet, I will get the Earth ones.

Funny, but sometimes I will eat about 3 at a time and think I am overdoing it! 10 or more...sounds delish!

Healthybun,

Where did you hear that cooked blueberries are constipating? I don't know anyone for whom this is true.

My point is that it isn't the fruit that makes you constipated or not; it's what your body does with it depending on the amount eaten, how hydrated you are, etc. Bananas are high in pectin and potassium, which are anti-constipative, all things being equal.

>>>>Where did you hear that cooked blueberries are constipating? I don't know anyone for whom this is true. >>>>

Nah, the word constipating are wrong really. Here in Sweden we say that: "if you're having diarrea, eat blueberry-pudding so it stops..".

But it's probably the lack of water in cooked blueberries, lack of functional fibers, heavy on the system when eaten so the healingcrisis stops etc.. But it works.

I should be the same with bananas, and other dence fruits, right?

rawpreston and bananawho
I also thougt about the ripeness how It could affect the colon, but it's not a constant, changes with person to person as we discovered. ^_^

I stay away from bananas these days. They're definitely best when a tiny bit spotty, but there's a very small window between them being underripe and overripe. When they're too starchy, they can cause a lot of digestive distress -- but when they're too ripe, they can really acidify your system and throw you out of balance.

I found they're best avoided, unless they're red bananas or wild grown (which are becoming more and more rare to find these days). Of course, that's just my personal opinion, of how my own body reacts to them.

Best,
Mark

What makes you think they are acidifying when overripe Marksquire? Just curious. I thought it was unripe fruit that was acidifying.

Also what's your definition of overripe? To me an overripe banana = all brown, anything prior to that still being "ripe".

There are many types of bananas the cavendish is the main one you will see in the markets in the states.

When they peel easy and have the brown spots for me they are ripe.

As for constipation not for me I tend to eat alot of them ripe and spotted.
Keep the bananas coming.

Cherimoya,

Love Peace and Happiness,

I have eaten bananas that had gotten their peels all brown, but the meat was all yellow/white. You think it's still "overripe"? For me an overripe are when the meat are mushy and brown-yelly-like.

I'm also learned (brainwashed?) that fruits should be acidifying when unripe, nothing about overripe.
A thought, are that when the banana are overripe, it gets a low pH for the breakdown to becoming dirt again. We eat the banana and gets an low-pH fruit into us.

Also, a thought about unripe fruits could be that when it's unripe, we need alot of strong acids to break down the hard-digested banana and we produce alot of low-pH juices in our intestialtract.

I don't know..

Does anybody have a thought on the "baby bananas" that come in clusters of maybe 8-10 or more? I find them interesting: the flavor is more complex, they seem "softer" somehow, even while the skin fits tighter and is a bit more difficult to peel.. I don't believe they are organic, but certainly have a more "uncultivated" taste than the regular sized ones.

Any other info on these babies?

I think they taste more.

Rawpreston,

When bananas are overripe, did you ever notice that they start to smell like liquor? They sugars RAPIDLY ferment once a banana gets ripe, so you have a pretty small window. Fermented foods are great, but not a high calorie fruit. Flooding your body with fermented fruit alcohols is a pretty nifty way to get sick.

I consider bananas being overripe when they're heavily spotty and have a different kind of smell.

Best,
Mark

marksquire Wrote:
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> Rawpreston,
>
> ...They sugars... RAPIDLY ferment once a banana gets ripe, so you
> have a pretty small window.

Not debating content. But "they sugars rapidly???" hurts my ears. Please proofread before posting. Thanks.

Paul

Healthybun Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have eaten bananas that had gotten their peels
> all brown, but the meat was all yellow/white. You
> think it's still "overripe"? For me an overripe
> are when the meat are mushy and brown-yelly-like.

I was speaking generally. As I said earlier, all banana batches seem to be different. I agree with your last sentence.

> I'm also learned (brainwashed?) that fruits should
> be acidifying when unripe, nothing about
> overripe.

I don't think it's brainwashing that unripe fruits are acidifying, there is definitely truth to that.

> A thought, are that when the banana are overripe,
> it gets a low pH for the breakdown to becoming
> dirt again. We eat the banana and gets an low-pH
> fruit into us.

Keep in mind that acid/alkaline-causing fruits has little to do with the actual fruit's pH, it has to do with the pH of the ash left in the body after we digest it. This is why highly acidic fruits (citrus) can be alkalizing.

marksquire Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Rawpreston,
>
> When bananas are overripe, did you ever notice
> that they start to smell like liquor? They sugars
> RAPIDLY ferment once a banana gets ripe, so you
> have a pretty small window.

I guess I haven't experienced this, no. I wouldn't describe the window as very small personally, I think it's a few days at least. Again bananas vary though, sometimes I've had them where the window is almost nonexistent, but that is a rare exception more than the rule in my experience. That seems to happen when they're really green in the store, then they end up going from green to greyish-greenish-yellowish, to brown. I hate that.

If they get too ripe for me I will peel and freeze them. But that rarely happens, I eat a lot of bananas.

marksquire Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I stay away from bananas these days. They're
> definitely best when a tiny bit spotty, but
> there's a very small window between them being
> underripe and overripe. When they're too starchy,
> they can cause a lot of digestive distress -- but
> when they're too ripe, they can really acidify
> your system and throw you out of balance.
>
> I found they're best avoided, unless they're red
> bananas or wild grown (which are becoming more and
> more rare to find these days). Of course, that's
> just my personal opinion, of how my own body
> reacts to them.

Well, I have absolutely no trouble with the non-spotted ones, nor do I enjoy the flavor and texture of "ripe" bananas. They do smell fermented, like they are 100 proof! I think the ones which are simply yellow have a more banana-ish flavor!

Pborst,

First of all, sorry for the typo. I don't know what got into me. Secondly, I wouldn't mind punching you in the face, if I'm being honest. In fact, I'd really enjoy it.

Best,
Mark



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/17/2010 04:14AM by marksquire.

I agree with everyone bananas at the end of yellow phase taste fine, and they also do with brown spots, and sometimes even completely brown. I think if they are at the room temperature, the "window of opportunity" is 2-3 days (that is how long they are edible).

marksquire Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Pborst,
>
> First of all, sorry for the typo. I don't know
> what got into me. Secondly, I wouldn't mind
> punching you in the face, if I'm being honest. In
> fact, I'd really enjoy it.

I'm kidding of course, but that was certainly a dickish thing to write, in regards to a very minor typo. Maybe a slap in the face, not so much a punch. :-D

Best,
Mark

marksquire Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> marksquire Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Pborst,
> >
> > First of all, sorry for the typo. I don't know
> > what got into me. Secondly, I wouldn't mind
> > punching you in the face, if I'm being honest.
> In
> > fact, I'd really enjoy it.
>
> I'm kidding of course, but that was certainly a
> dickish thing to write, in regards to a very minor
> typo. Maybe a slap in the face, not so much a
> punch. :-D


LOL

I'd forgive that typo, as it was a genuine typo, but the one that gets me is 'your' for 'you're. Think that so-irritating mistake is set for world domination.

I know - need to gedda life etc :-)

The one that gets me is saying "is" twice. Like "the point is is that..."

I love bananas . Constipation after eating bananas may have something to do with other factors, like maybe other stuff in the system that hasn't yet come out that the bananas are getting stuck on, or lack of exercise, or who knows. But I don't think it would be from just the bananas.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 05/21/2010 12:30AM by suncloud.