What to Do with a Banana Peels
What does banana peel do to the body?
Banana peels are packed with polyphenols, carotenoids, and other antioxidants that fight cancer-causing free radicals in your body. Eating more banana peels, especially green, unripe peels, can increase your antioxidant levels and help reduce your risk of cancer. What does boiling a banana peel do for you? Sleep aid: Boiled banana peel is sometimes consumed as a tea and is believed to help improve sleep quality due to its high levels of magnesium and tryptophan, which are both known to promote relaxation and restful sleep. Is it good to rub banana peels on your face? At best, rubbing a ripe banana peel on your face provides minimal topical nourishment from nutrients like vitamin C and lutein. But it does not truly mimic professional wrinkle relaxers in any way. While banana peels are not likely to cause much harm, also don't expect them to “Botox” your wrinkles away. Banana peels contain essential nutrients for plant growth, like magnesium, phosphorus, and calcium. The amount of nutrients infused into water is very unlikely to cause fertilizer overdose. However, be aware that it won't be a total replacement for fertilizer across the board.Bananas are sweet, soft fruits popular all over the world. Their thick, fibrous peels, however, are a less popular source of nutrition, at least in Western countries. But contrary to what many people believe, banana peels are not only safe to eat, they also offer a number of health benefits.
In addition to the nutritional benefits of eating banana peels, there are environmental benefits as well. Bananas are the most widely eaten fresh fruit in America. By eating the peels, you can help minimize the amount of food that goes to landfills.
Health Benefits
Both bananas and banana peels may offer different health benefits depending on their level of ripeness. Underripe, green bananas may be more effective in treating digestive issues, while riper, blackened bananas have been shown to help white blood cells fight off disease and infection.
Keep in mind that many of these studies were done on rats, not humans, and further research is needed to determine if bananas have the same effects on humans.
May Lower Cancer Risk
Banana peels are packed with polyphenols, carotenoids, and other antioxidants that fight cancer-causing free radicals in your body. Eating more banana peels, especially green, unripe peels, can increase your antioxidant levels and help reduce your risk of cancer.
Studies on the anti-cancer properties of banana peels were done in test tubes, not on humans. Further research is needed to understand whether banana peels can lower cancer risk in people.
How to Prepare Banana Peel
Banana peel can make for a healthy afternoon snack or a delectably healthy dessert. Get creative and you'll soon see why chefs around the world commonly leave the banana peels on.
Unlike the inside of a banana, which is soft and sweet, a banana peel is harder and more bitter. The more ripe your banana, the sweeter and softer the peel will be. It's also important to wash the peel thoroughly to remove any fertilizer or chemicals the fruit may have been sprayed with.
There are a number of ways banana peel can be prepared to make it even more delicious:
- Blended into smoothies.
- Caramelized with water and sugar to use as an ice cream topping.
- Baked with cinnamon and sugar.
- Boiled until softened and eaten with a spoon.
- Made into banana vinegar and added to salads.
- Cooked with meat on top of it.