@CCABananaNibblers
by Kate Monko
By now, I assume you have acquainted yourself with the infamous @ccabanananibblers Instagram account. If you’ve consumed this fruit on the parameters on the CCA campus, there is a good chance a sneaky phone has snapped a photo of it and bam…it’s gone viral. But don’t let that deter you from reaching for a banana when you need a quick spike of energy.
Botanically a berry, bananas have been baked into bread, blended into smoothies, frozen then dipped in chocolate, and added to fruit parfaits. Commonly known as the nation’s most popular fruit, it has definitely gained attention and popularity on the boundaries of this high school campus for all to see when they log into their social media app.
Unripe bananas are heavier on the starch side where they are lower on the glycemic index. Due to the high resistant starch content, greener bananas are a friendly food for those who are looking to avoid high sugar fruits–such as Type 2 Diabetics. Additionally, they contain probiotic bacteria, a good bacteria that helps with colon health. Lastly, consuming less mature bananas helps the body absorb more nutrients, especially calcium. However, the greener the banana, the less antioxidant-rich the fruit is and could result in more bloating due to the higher starch content.
The other spectrum of the scale deals with a traditional banana–the kind depicted by the famous banana emoji, a peeled, yellow banana. Riper bananas are comprised of more sugar meaning quicker digestion and a higher glycemic index. As a banana’s skin transitions from green to yellow, the starches slowly break down to sugars, where it is comprised of roughly 90% sugar and only 10% starch. TNF (Tumor Necrosis Factor) is a property produced by ripened bananas, having anticancer properties, which helps combat abnormal cells. The more freckles you find on the skin denotes a higher immunity enhancement quality. The only drawback yellow bananas possess is a slight micronutrient (vitamins and mineral) loss.
Whether you eat bananas plain and on their own or in the form of banana flavored Laffy taffy or baked into banana nut muffins, bananas will still be that word that everyone questions how many “n”s and “a”s to add and the ticket to getting featured on the beloved Instagram if they ever decide to post again.