MANILA — A banana or two a day can keep the doctor away, a nutritionist said, as Philippines commemorates banana day on April 15.

Bananas offer vast health benefits, being a good source of potassium and dietary fiber, said John Eric Sulit, a nutritionist-dietitian from the University of the Philippines Philippine General Hospital.

“Banana contains negligible amounts of protein and fat. Banana is a good choice for a healthy snack as it is filling and release energy at a slower rate due to its significant fiber content meaning it does not increase our blood sugar quickly thus it has a low glycemic index (GI) and a good choice for people with diabetes,” Sulit said.

Sulit said a typical medium serving of banana, except for saba, provides 80 calories per portion with approximately 20 grams of carbohydrates.

Saba, on the other hand, provides 92 calories per serving with approximately 23 grams of carbohydrates, he added.

The nutritionist-dietitian said that the fruit is also good for the heart and digestive system.


“As most Filipinos know, banana is a good source of potassium which is an important mineral in heart health and a diet rich in potassium helps in lowering blood pressure for people with hypertension. It also contains dietary fiber which serves as probiotics that support the growth of good bacteria in our gut,” the expert said.

“Also, dietary fiber helps in maintaining good bowel movement. Ripe banana mostly contains soluble fiber which helps in lowering bad cholesterol. It also contains B vitamins for energy metabolism and vitamin C which support immunity,” he added.

Bananas are widely available and is commonly consumed by Filipinos as these are grown in almost all parts of the country except Metro Manila, he added.

Citing data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, Sulit said that majority of the banana produced in the Philippines are from 4 regions in Mindanao which are Davao Region, Northern Mindanao, SOCCSKSARGEN, and ARMM.

KNOW YOUR VARIETIES

The nutritionist-dietitian said that the Philippines has several varieties of bananas such as latundan, lacatan, saba, cavendish, and señorita.

They typically differ in size, thickness of the peel, and of course, in terms of taste, and in a certain way, in the way they are served, he added.

“Latundan has a thin peel with small brown to black spots and soft texture while lacatan has a thicker peel and firmer texture. Both of these are sweet and aromatic,” Sulit told ABS-CBN News in a written response.

“Cavendish is the one you usually see in convenience stores and groceries. It has a smooth yellow peel and less sweet taste compare to latundan and lacatan,” he added.

While others are consumed when ripe, Sulit said saba is usually used in preparing cooked snacks like banana cue, turon, maruya and added to some of our favorite dish such as in nilaga and pochero.

“Saba is a starchy type of banana, thus in the updated Food Exchange List for Filipinos, saba is grouped as under the rice and alternative group,” he said.

Lastly, señorita is known for its “bite-size” shape and sweet taste.

CONSUMPTION AND SERVING

Sulit said that banana is consumed as is and commonly served as a dessert after meals but some Filipinos actually eat a banana as a viand or as a rice alternative, in the case of saba.

He noted that saba is the most versatile among the different banana varieties. It can be fried in oil for tasty snacks like banana cue, turon or maruya, or boiled in water. It can also be processed into banana chips or added to some Filipino dishes like nilaga and pochero.

Meanwhile, the banana heart o puso ng saging can also be utilized as a vegetable and used in preparing dishes such as guinataang or adobong puso ng saging or added in kare-kare, the nutritionist said.

He added that banana peels can also be transformed into a “vegan” version of burger patties.

Sulit said that the Nutritional Guidelines for Filipinos suggests that people should consume 3 servings of fruit daily with 1 of the 3 servings rich in vitamin C.

Given this, people can safely consume at least 2 servings of banana daily.

However, the nutritionist-dietitian reminded the public of the importance of diversity in our food selection as no single food contains all the essential nutrients needed by our body.

“Aside from bananas, we should also eat other kinds of fruits to achieve nutrient adequacy. However, for people living with diabetes, the amount of banana or fruit, in general, may vary as their diet must be carefully planned and tailored fit to their individual needs,” he said.

“To guide them in the right kind and amount of fruit or food in general that they can eat per day, it is important to consult their physician and nutritionist-dietitian to give them an individualized meal plan.”

BANANA, ECONOMY, AND INTERNATIONAL TIES

Philippines is the world's second largest exporter of the fruit. Banana shipments in 2019 were valued at $1.93 billion, up roughly 40 percent from the previous year, and accounting for 3 percent of overall exports.

Mainland China is one of the Southeast Asian nation's biggest buyers of bananas, which is the Philippines' top agricultural export. Together with Japan, it bought more than half the Philippines' exports of the fruit in 2019.

Back in 2012, China imposed tighter quarantines on Philippine bananas following a tense naval standoff at the Scarborough Shoal. Thousands of tons of the fruit were impounded and eventually destroyed in Chinese ports.

But in 2016, with President Rodrigo Duterte forging warmer ties with China, the country lifted its restrictions on banana and pineapple exports.

- With reports from Reuters

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