The best time to eat a banana for constipation is ideally after the last meal of your day. A yellow banana is suitable as it has the exact amount of soluble fiber needed to induce constipation.
Bananas are good options to reach out to when you want to eat something for constipation. They can relieve you from constipation and also help you induce constipation.
It varies from age to age, health to health. If you are feeding a toddler a banana to induce constipation, you have to feed them during the day. If you are eating a banana to harden your stool to stop constipation, you have to keep in mind how well your gut health is and how much bananas your gut can handle.
Overall, bananas are great fruits to both induce and stop constipation. But it depends on when you are eating the banana. Read more about eating bananas for constipation.
Why Do Bananas Make You Constipated?
Bananas make you constipated because they have an abundance of soluble and insoluble fibers. When we start intaking fiber daily, it helps us relieve constipation. The soluble fiber in bananas helps the stool stay large and soft as it absorbs water, whereas the insoluble fiber provides bulk and stimulates bowel activity.
The fact that bananas are rich in fiber is known to us all. But did you know that banana also contains sorbitol, a naturally occurring sugar alcohol that has laxative-like effects, and resistant starch, a carbohydrate that “resists” digestion in the small intestine, and that these two nutrients play a vital role in bananas?
To explain the role of sorbitol in gut health, it takes time to be absorbed and pulls water into the gut, which speeds up the gastrointestinal tract and increases stool movement.
As for resistant starch, it is found in bananas when they are unripe or green. Unripe, green bananas contribute more towards constipation. As they are high in resistant starches, they are harder to digest and lead to constipation.
A 2014 animal study conducted on mice by feeding them resistant starch extracted from bananas discussed whether bananas increase bowel movements.
The study discovered that the resistant starch helps in faster bowel movements in the smaller intestine and the group of mice that were given the extracted resistant starch pooped sooner than the group of mice that were not given the extracted resistant starch.
We cannot consider animal experiments to determine why bananas cause constipation in humans. But according to a study conducted by John Hopkins University discovered that bananas have actually helped treat and prevent constipation instead of causing it.
Overall, some nutrients in bananas, such as fiber and sorbitol, can cause constipation if only your body is sensitive to them. It also varies on the type of bananas as green, and unripe bananas cause constipation whereas yellow or brown bananas ease constipation and digestion.
Why Do Bananas Make You Poop Right Away?
Ripe bananas make you poop right away as they have a dietary fiber called pectin that makes it easier for you to poop and relieve constipation as pectin draws water from the intestines to the stool. You can choose yellow or brown bananas to help with easier bowel movements as they have soluble sugars and fiber which help stimulate bowel movements.
Before eating a banana to poop right away, firstly, you have to understand which type of banana is good to stimulate bowel movement. Ripe yellow or brown bananas are better than unripe and green bananas.
Unripe, green bananas have tannins and resistant starch that bind the stool together and make it harder for you to poop. But once they ripen, the tannins and resistant starch convert into soluble sugars and fiber, which regulates bowel movement.
Therefore, it is suitable to eat a yellow or brown banana if you want to poop right away.
It should be noted that yellow bananas aid in digestion, while brown bananas ease constipation. They both help to poop easily.
On the other hand, unripe, green bananas lead to constipation because of the high amount of resistant starch that they contain.
Do Bananas Harden Your Stool?
Unripe, green bananas harden your stool. They not only taste bitter but are also hard in texture. Green bananas have a higher starch content, specifically resistant starch and pectins, and also tannins. These nutrients hold the stool together and make it harder to pass.
The resistant starch in green bananas plays a more significant role in the hardening of stool than any other nutrient. It helps absorb the water and salt in the colon and makes the stool hard.
Bananas hardening your stool is not always a bad thing. It does have a bright side that you did not expect at all.
Bananas are one of the finest home remedies that you can try when you are having loose motions. Loose motions happen due to irregular digestion or are one of the symptoms of viral fever.
To get rid of loose motions, you can try eating an unripe, green banana because of its high starch content. While the resistant starch can harden your stool and bring your bowel movement to a regular pace, it will also help your digestion come back on track as it is a good source of potassium as well.
You will also find yourself getting your energy back after eating bananas when you are having loose motions. It will also restore your gut health and digestive system as bananas are prebiotic food.
All in all, bananas do harden your stool but only if it is unripe, green bananas are loaded with resistant starch, pectins, and tannins, which bind the stool and make it harder to pass.
Can Too Many Bananas Constipate You?
Yes, eating too many bananas can constipate you. Bananas are rich in fiber, and if you start consuming too many bananas suddenly, your intestines work overtime to break down the fiber. This, in turn, causes bloating and soon leads to constipation.
It is a known fact that bananas are rich in fiber, soluble and insoluble fiber. They both play a vital role in causing constipation.
Soluble fiber dissolves in water and creates an easier stool to pass. On the contrary, insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water and increases stool bulk.
When these fibers combine with sorbitol, a natural sugar alcohol that causes laxative-like effects on the body when consumed too much, it messes up your digestive system. So, when you start eating too many bananas, your body tries really hard to break down the soluble fiber (it is a type of carbohydrate that causes too much gas) and sorbitol, which produces carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and methane. All of it results in you farting a lot and feeling bloated.
Moreover, if you happen to have digestive issues already, you will find yourself bloated and constipated when you consume too many bananas.
Altogether, eating too many bananas can cause constipation, especially if you are including bananas in your diet suddenly. It can also cause constipation if you are already dealing with gut issues.
Is It Good To Eat Banana At Night For Constipation?
No, it does not cause constipation if you eat bananas at night. In fact, bananas are known to help you sleep better if you eat them an hour or two before hitting the sack.
Your bodies produce serotonin to get a good night’s sleep. Serotonin is a brain chemical that helps in regulating sleep and ensures your beauty sleep for a happy mood.
Now, how does a banana help you get a good night’s sleep? Tryptophan is an amino acid found in bananas that helps your body produce serotonin once your body consumes it.
But if you want to poop before hitting the sack, eat a yellow banana after dinner or after the last meal of your day. The soluble fiber will help your meal to digest and will help you relieve yourself at the night or in the morning, depending on when you eat it.
If you eat a banana right before going to bed, you will poop in the morning as the banana will take time to break down. But if you eat a banana one or two hours before going to bed, then you will be able to poop at night.
Overall, it is good to eat bananas at night to induce pooping. But, no, they do not cause you to constipate if you eat them at night.
When Should I Eat A Banana: Morning Or Night?
It is best to eat a banana in the morning. Our body takes time to break down the banana, and mornings are the perfect time for that.
Bananas are great foods to eat in the morning. They are great energy suppliers and will provide immense energy for your day if you consume them in the morning.
Eating a banana in the morning is suitable as your body gets time to break down its nutrients and later, also digest it.
But eating a banana at night is the worst thing that you can do, especially if you eat it right before going to bed. According to Ayurvedic scriptures, eating a banana right before bed leads to mucus formation, which can be really harmful to the throat.
If you want to eat a banana at night, then make sure to eat it one or two hours before going to bed. That way, it will get enough time to break down and digest.
Can I Eat Banana On An Empty Stomach?
No, eating a banana on an empty stomach is the worst thing that you can do for your body. It can lead to digestion issues, and heart problems, and make you feel lethargic.
Bananas are high in fiber and other nutrients but did you know that like every fruit out there, bananas are also acidic? The acidity in bananas can lead to digestion problems. You may experience bloating, vomiting, or even diarrhea.
We are aware of the fact that bananas are a good source of potassium and magnesium. So, when we eat a banana on an empty stomach, our blood level gets an excess of these two nutrients. And an excess of potassium and magnesium can prove to be fatal for the heart.
Eating a banana in the morning for energy is a good idea but not on an empty stomach. Surely, eating a banana does give you instant energy but that’s where it ends. It boosts your energy for a short period of time and then soon you will end up feeling lethargic and hungry.
You will find yourself feeling lazy and tired and hungry. This, in turn, results in you binge eating and then gaining those extra pounds of fat that nobody wants.
In conclusion, eating bananas on an empty stomach is a big no-no as it can lead to many health issues.
FAQs
Do bananas cause constipation in toddlers?
No, bananas do not cause constipation in toddlers. But they slow down their digestion and harden their stool.
When should you eat a banana at night to poop easily?
It is ideal to eat a banana sometime after your meal but make sure it is one or two hours earlier than your bedtime. A yellow banana is the best fit if you want to induce pooping before going to bed. So, eat a yellow banana around ten minutes after dinner but make sure your bedtime is one or two hours after dinner.
