Plantain benefits are many to enjoy and one must have it in one’s diet.
Table of Contents
What are Plantains?
Plantains, are at times referred to as cooking bananas, are a common variety of banana found in tropical countries. They are indeed very starchy, and not sweet like the small bananas that many people come across in grocery store. Before a plantain is ripe, when it is still green, the flesh is very hardened, so one cannot eat it raw. Ripe, yellow plantain is no doubt slightly sweeter, with much softer flesh, but it is still usually cooked or fried.
Plantains happen to be the essential staple food in several countries, especially in Africa as well as South America.
Plantain Nutrition
1 green raw plantain does contain roughly 400 calories, with 98 grams of carbs, and 6 grams of sugar. If one were to consider 1 ounce of salted plantain chips, it has of course about 150 calories and 8 grams of fat.
Plantain Benefits
Digestion
With 4 grams of fiber per plantain, these starchy fruits are indeed great for bowel regularity. Regular fiber slows down digestion, keeping one fuller for a longer period of time. It also helps manage one’s cholesterol levels.
Vitamins and Minerals
Plantains are similar to potatoes as far as protein is concerned. It also has fat value and thus has a lot of valuable nutrients. Plantains happen to be good sources of vitamin A and C, as well as vitamin B6, potassium, as well as magnesium.
Nutrient Density
One medium plantain does contain more than 200 calories, which in fact makes it a very important staple food in regions where nutrient-dense foods are rather critical to survival.
Antioxidants
Plantains are full of vitamin C, one of the most effective antioxidants available. One cup of plantains does contain over 30% of one’s daily recommended vitamin C, which not only supports a healthy immune system but also protects one’s body from free radical damage by preventing oxidative stress as well as chronic inflammation.
Uses for Plantains
In the Caribbean as well as Central America, plantains are rather boiled or deep fried. In Puerto Rico, mofongo is no doubt a popular dish in which plantains are fried and then mashed with garlic, salt, and oil. In West Africa, plantains are rather often made use of to fill out stews or are boiled to eat with avocado or fried beans. Plantains are also dried and ground up into flour, which in India may be mixed with milk or water to make baby formula.
Conclusion
It is the leaves of this herb that do give a lot of benefits. As it is traced back to the 1500s, one would be able to find that this leaf extract is made use of to cure various health conditions that one suffer from such as including flu and fever. Packed with tannins, aucubin [an iridoid glycoside], and mucilage, the plantain leaf extract is referred to have expectorant and anti-irritant properties as well.