BananaAre bananas and plantains the same?Many friends have eaten bananas for many years, but they were surprised to find that they had also been fooled by plantains, which disguised themselves as bananas. What are the differences between bananas and plantains?In fact, bananas and plantains are different in terms of variety, nutritional value, and effects.Friends who want to eat bananas to relieve constipation should also choose the right type of banana.Let's get tips from MamaNet Encyclopedia!

Differences between bananas and plantains

Bananas and plantains both belong to the Musa genus. Their trunks and leaves are similar, and their fruits are also quite similar. Therefore, many people often confuse the two.In fact, bananas and plantains are different, although their nutritional value is similar, but there are also differences.From appearance, careful observation can distinguish between bananas and plantains.MamaNet Encyclopedia will teach you how to easily distinguish between bananas and plantains, so you won't be fooled anymore!

1. From appearance, bananas are curved and crescent-shaped, with short stems and the skin has 5-6 ridges.Plantains have narrow ends and thick middles, with a slightly flattened side and a slightly curved side, forming a "crescent shape". The stems are longer, and the skin has 3 ridges.

2. From color, unripe bananas are green, and ripe bananas turn yellow and have brown spots. The flesh is yellow-white, and the cross-section is almost circular.Plantain skin is grayish-yellow, and does not have spots after ripening. The flesh is milky-white, and the cross-section is oval.

3. From taste, bananas have a strong fragrance and sweet taste.Plantains are sweet, but have a sour aftertaste.

4. From properties, bananas are warm, and plantains are cool and sweet.People with warm constitutions can eat plantains, while people with cold constitutions can eat bananas.

5. By identifying the tree, banana trees are more "short and stout", with wide leaves, thick trunks, and green leaves with white frost.Plantain trees are more "thin and tall", with narrow leaves, thin stems, and yellow-green leaves without white frost.

Nutritional value of bananas and plantains

Bananas and plantains have similar color, fragrance, taste, and shape. The nutritional components of bananas and plantains are also similar, but there are slight differences.Both are highly nutritious fruits.Let's take a look at the nutritional components of bananas and plantains separately!

Nutritional components of bananas: 91 calories per 100g of banana flesh, 20g of carbohydrates,Protein1.2g, fat 0.6g, phosphorus 53mg, calcium 19mg, potassium 400mg, vitamin C 24mg.It also contains more than 15% sugar, 0.2-0.3% acid, and 1.5% protein.Bananas also contain pectin, various enzyme substances, and trace elements.

Nutritional components of plantains: Plantains contain a lot of sugar and other nutrients, which can satisfy hunger, supplement nutrients and energy.Plantains are also rich in potassium and magnesium, which can preventBloodpressure rises and muscle spasms. Magnesium can eliminate fatigue.Plantains contain ACE inhibitors, which can inhibit blood pressure.The large amount of carbohydrates and dietary fiber in plantains can prevent and fight cancer.The methanol extract in plantains has inhibitory effects on bacteria and fungi, which can eliminate inflammation and detoxification.

Functions of bananas and plantains

Bananas and plantains have many functions, not only in dietary health and beauty, but also in beauty and skin care.Bananas have many beauty effects, while plantains are mainly used for food. Both have a good taste.Next, MamaNet Encyclopedia will introduce the benefits of bananas and plantains to you!

Benefits of bananas:

1. Bananas help the brain produce a chemical substance called serotonin in the body. This substance stimulates the nervous system, giving people a feeling of happiness, peace, and sleepiness, and even has a pain-relieving effect.Therefore, bananas are also known as "happy food".

2. Eating bananas regularly can prevent high blood pressure, as bananas provide a lot of potassium, which can lower blood pressure, resist sodium pressure, and damage blood vessels.

3. Bananas contain a variety of nutrients, but have low sodium and no cholesterol, which can supply the body with various nutrients without making people gain weight.4. Eating bananas regularly is not only good for the brain, but also prevents nervous fatigue, and has the effects of moisturizing the lungs, stopping cough, and preventing constipation.

5. Bananas have many beauty effects, and there are many banana-containing beauty products on the market. Eating bananas directly can moisturize, brighten, and fight against oxidation, and can also remove freckles and dead skin.

6. For people with hemorrhoids and those who feel uneasy due to heat, bananas can be eaten raw, which can relieve the symptoms.

Benefits of plantains:

1. Plantains have very high health benefits, and have excellent effects on treating respiratory system diseases.

2. In the spring, when various diseases are prevalent, eating plantains can improve health and enhance immunity.

3. Plantains can clear heat, promote digestion, and treat heat and thirst.

4. Plantains are sweet and cool, and enter the lungs, large intestine, with the effects of clearing heat, moistening and promoting the movement of the intestines, and treating fever, thirst, constipation, and hemorrhoids.5. Plantains contain ACE inhibitors, which can inhibit blood pressure.Which is healthier, bananas or plantains?Many people don't pay much attention to the differences between bananas and plantains. Some businesses use plantains to disguise bananas. The two have different effects, and eating the wrong one may cause discomfort.

So, which is healthier, bananas or plantains?

In fact, there is no definitive answer. The nutritional value of both is similar. The most appropriate choice is the one that suits your body.

Experts say that from a nutritional perspective, plantains are slightly warmer and more suitable for elderly people and constipation patients.From the effect of detoxification and slimming, bananas are more suitable for weight loss.In short, different people with different nutritional needs and body types can choose the appropriate variety based on their own needs. This is not a scientific approach.Which is more effective at relieving constipation?

Because bananas and plantains have significant effects on relieving constipation, they are also sold at a high price.Many modern people suffer from constipation, and how to quickly improve the intestinal function and detoxification has become a concern for many people.Both bananas and plantains have certain effects on relieving constipation. However, which is more effective at relieving constipation is still a matter of debate.

According to traditional Chinese medicine, constipation is divided into four types: heat constipation, phlegm constipation, deficiency constitution, and cold constipation.

The symptoms of heat constipation are dry stool, short and red urine, red face, body heat, abdominal pain and bloating, and bad breath.Plantains are warm, containing a lot of dietary fiber and water-soluble plant fiber.Therefore, the laxative effect of plantains is more effective than that of bananas, and it is more suitable for elderly people with constipation.

For people with deficiency constitution and cold constitution, as their body is deficient in cold, eating bananas may worsen constipation.Therefore, if you have constipation, you should choose bananas based on the type of constipation.Banana is warm in nature and contains more dietary fiber and a large amount of water-soluble plant fiber.Therefore, banana's effect on relieving constipation is even better than that of bananas, making it suitable for elderly and middle-aged patients with constipation.Bananas are cold in nature and can clear heat from the intestines and stomach, making them particularly effective for constipation caused by heat accumulation. It is recommended to eat 1-2 bananas after meals, with 1-2 bananas per day.For those with deficient and cold constipation, due to their own deficient and cold constitution, eating bananas is not conducive to relieving constipation, so they should eat less.

Therefore, people with constipation should choose to eat bananas based on the type of their constipation. It is also not possible to say that one type of banana is more effective than another.