Green Banana Powder (Unripe) – Organic

Green Banana Powder is made from unripe bananas that are gently dried and finely ground, preserving their mild flavor and smooth texture. Unlike sweet ripe bananas, green banana powder has a more neutral taste, making it a versatile addition to both sweet and savory recipes.

Convenient and shelf-stable, it blends easily into smoothies, baked goods, soups, and sauces. Its subtle flavor and fine texture make it an excellent pantry staple for adding body and variety to everyday cooking.

Green vs. Yellow Bananas: What is the difference

All fruits go through different stages of development. Each phase brings unique changes to flavor, texture, nutritional quality, and culinary uses. What seems strange to one culture regarding when and how a specific food is eaten or prepared may be a long-standing tradition to another. You may be surprised to learn that many unripened fruits provide a unique profile of compounds you may not find in the ripened version. Bananas are an excellent example of all their fantastic qualities, specifically in the unripened stage.

It has always been believed that a perfectly ripe banana is the stage of peek nourishment, but what we have recently learned very well may debunk this theory. As a banana goes through the ripening process, each stage gains and loses specific nutritional components. This teaches us that to obtain the best qualities from bananas for culinary and nutritional purposes, they should be utilized in the most appropriate stage for your goal. The unripe green banana contains 80% starch. As a banana ripens, the starch is converted into sugar (sucrose, fructose, glucose), leaving the ripened banana with a starch content of less than 1%.

The general ripening stages are as follows:

1. Underripe: In this stage, the banana skin is still green; the texture of the fruit is fresh and crispy with a slightly bitter flavor and is a quality source of prebiotics and resistant starches.
2. Barely Ripe: In this stage, the banana skin has just turned yellow; the fruit is still very firm and is a good source of fiber & low in sugar.
3. Ripe: In this stage, the banana skin is a vibrant yellow and slightly soft to the touch. The fruit has a slightly firm bite with a soft texture and is a quality source of antioxidants and fiber.
4. Very Ripe: In this stage, the skin develops brown spots, and the texture becomes slightly mushy. This stage has the lowest vitamin and mineral content.
5. Over Ripe: In this stage, the skin is entirely brown with a very mushy consistency, has the highest sugar and lowest fiber content, and is most traditionally used to make the best banana bread(due to the consistency and high sugar content).

Did you know that there are eight other types of bananas from various regions of the world?

1. Apple bananas: These are small fruits grown in Central and South America and Hawaii, also called Manzon bananas. The flesh of these bananas is pink in color, has a firm texture, and has an amazingly sweet flavor profile.
2. Red bananas: Similar shape and flavor to the yellow banana, except they turn red at peek ripeness and have a creamy texture and sweet taste.
3. Ladyfinger bananas are small bananas originating in India and are sweeter, softer, with a thinner rind than standard bananas.
4. Pisang Raja bananas, also known as Musa Belles, grow readily in Indonesia, where they commonly appear in fritters. You will rarely see them outside of Indonesia because they don’t ship well.
5. Blue Java bananas are also known as ice cream bananas because of their unusual blue color and vanilla flavor profile. These bananas have a unique trait; they are more cold and wind resistant than all other varieties. However, they take a long time to bloom.
6. Goldfinger bananas are one of the rare disease-resistant varieties grown in Honduras. They turn deep yellow, have an extra sweet flavor when ripe, and taste like an apple.
7. Burro bananas primarily grow in Mexico and Ecuador year around. When young, the flesh is tart and tangy with an apple and lime undertone flavor profile. As the fruit matures, it has a soft outer flesh, a crispy center, with a creamy sweet lemon flavor.
8. Plantains are more starchy and less sweet than the other bananas on this list. Their flavor profile can range from savory to sweet, depending on their ripeness. Green plantains are often savory, and yellow/black can be pretty sweet. Before they are ripe or cooked, their texture is dense and starchy. Once mature, they have a texture similar to any banana.

A review using six electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Science Direct, Web of Science, and Google Scholar) looking to compare the nourishing qualities of green banana products from inception to March 2019, the following information was collected:

1. Ten studies were conducted with green banana flour and eight with green banana pulp/biomass.
2. Most of the green banana health benefits studied were related to gastrointestinal symptoms/diseases, followed by glycemic/insulin metabolism, weight control, and renal and liver complications associated with diabetes.
3. Only one study did not confirm the health benefit proposed.
4. Considering the green banana variety and ripeness level, standardizing the green banana dose/effect to different age groups and health effects is necessary.
5. Further studies are necessary to better detail green banana products and their health effects, considering all the raw-material characteristics.

Therefore, the following was concluded.

1. Overall, the studies showed the health benefits of using green banana products, most of them related to gastrointestinal symptoms/diseases, followed by glycemic/insulin metabolism, weight control, and renal and liver complications associated with diabetes; most of the studies used green banana flour.
2. The children group studies showed that green banana pulp influenced diarrhea and constipation improvement.
3. In the healthy adult group, green banana flour increased satiety and affected glucose homeostasis, like the green banana pulp and starch.
4. Considering type 2 diabetes adults, studies showed reduced body weight and increased insulin sensitivity with green banana flour consumption.
5. Green banana flour consumption improved anthropometric (weight and body composition), lipid profile, and inflammatory parameters among overweight women.
6. Further studies are relevant to evaluate if the health effects of green banana products remain when used as an ingredient of a potential “functional food” after the production of the food product.

You will often see two terms connected to green bananas; prebiotics and resistant starch. In order to understand their relationship, it is vital to discuss the meaning of these two terms.

Resistant Starch

Most of the starch we eat is quickly digested in the small intestines, and only a fraction survives moving along to the large intestines. A resistant starch is a dietary starch that does not break down into sugar and resists digestion in the small intestines. They pass through most of the digestive system unchanged, ending up in the colon, fermenting, and feeding the microbiota. Resistant starches are formed when starch-containing foods are cooked and cooled. This occurs due to a process known as retrogradation, which happens when amylose and amylopectin chains in cooked gelatinized starch realign themselves as they cool down. Cooling these foods in the refrigerator overnight or for several days has been said to increase starch-resistant content. While not explicitly confirmed, it is generally accepted that reheating resistant starches under 140 degrees F is believed not to destroy their prebiotic qualities.

It is also generally agreed upon that three types of resistant starches exist.

• Resistant Starch Type 1: Seeds, legumes, and grains fall into this category. Your small intestines have trouble digesting the starches within them.
• Resistant Starch Type 2: These are non-gelatinized particles that the small intestines can slowly digest, but not before much of it escapes into the large intestines. This category includes green bananas, raw potatoes, and high-amylose corn.

1. Resistant Starch Type 3: This type is cooked in water until fully hydrated, and the starch moves to the water and reform into structures that are difficult to digest after they have been cooled down. This category includes bread, cooked potatoes, and processed foods.

A review titled Resistant Starches for the Management of metabolic diseases looked at preliminary animal studies and human clinical trials discussing the effects of resistant starches on metabolic conditions, and the following was summarized. Data from both models support the role of resistant starches in improving various metabolic issues, although more research is needed regarding specific effects. Therefore, it was concluded that “the studies presented in this review offer new insights into the potential pathways by which resistant starches enhance metabolic health, including modulation of the gut microbiota, gut peptides, circulating inflammatory mediators, innate immune cells, and the bile acid cycle.”

How to Use Green Bananas as a Starch Replacement

Please be aware that while this product is a green banana powder, whole green bananas or plantains can be a versatile starch replacement, allowing you to get the benefits of resistant starch. Green bananas/plantains have a similar consistency to potatoes; much like potatoes, when cooked, they have a very bland taste profile. Therefore, you can create your own flavor profile based on how you season them. Simply peel, slice, and pan-fry on each side for 3-5 minutes in some high-quality olive, coconut, or avocado oil; add some sea salt, and you have a delicious potato replacement. For a mashed potato replacement, boil them, add your fat of choice, and blend until smooth. To take this mashed potato up a notch, let them sit in your slow cooker for 6 hours with a small amount of broth and cinnamon, and blend until smooth.

Prebiotics

The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics defines a prebiotic as “A substrate that is selectively utilized by host microorganisms conferring a health benefit.” In simple terms, they are foods for your gut microorganisms. The human gut microbiome contains more than ten trillion microorganisms with more than 1000 species of known bacteria. Prebiotics are identified based on the composition of their fiber content. Unfortunately, no human studies currently discuss the prebiotic effects and benefits of green bananas or green banana flour. Although, preliminary mice studies do show the potential for future human studies specific to this area.

An abstract titled Green Banana Flour Contributes to Gut Microbiota Recovery and Improves Colonic Barrier Integrity in Mice Following Antibiotic Perturbation compares the effects of green banana powder and the natural recovery of gut microbiota post-antibiotic treatment. It was concluded, “The results showed that mice treated with Abx displayed increased gut permeability and intestinal barrier disruption, which were restored more quickly with GBF than NR treatment by increasing the secretion of mucin. Moreover, GBF treatment enriched beneficial Bacteroidales S24-7, Lachnospiraceae, Bacteroidaceae, and Porphyromonadaceae that accelerated the imbalanced gut microbiota restoration to its original state.” Therefore, it was stated that the study provides novel insight into applying green banana flour to repair gut microbiota.

The Dynamic Duo: Green Papaya & Green Banana

On occasion, two foods complement each other’s nourishing qualities and, when combined, can take the level of nourishment up a notch and provide the body with something quite unique. Based on what we currently know about the nourishing prebiotic qualities of green bananas, a perfect match for augmenting gut health would be green papaya.

Let’s do a little review of the extraordinary qualities of Green Papaya.

Green papaya is well known to contain nourishing amounts of powerful enzymes that are typically extracted from a milky substance called papaya latex. It has been discovered that there are five enzymes in papaya latex;

1. Papain: A protein-digesting enzyme (Protease)
2. Chymopapain: A proteolytic enzyme clinically used in the treatment of bulging discs
3. Caricain: An enzyme specific to breaking down gluten.
4. Glycyl Endopeptidase: A cysteine endopeptidase in the papain family. The purpose of cysteine is to change the catalytic(increase the speed of a reaction) property of an enzyme.
5. Glutamine Cyclotransferase: A conversion enzyme

While present in ripened papaya, these enzymes are much more concentrated in unripened green papaya. Each enzyme varies in structure and potency, which may lead to potential benefits (like tissue protection and breaking down protein); four of the five enzymes are called proteolytic enzymes or proteases. Perhaps the most well-known protease enzyme in papaya is papain. A protease’s primary job is to break down proteins that are either dead or damaged and remove these damaged protein bonds. When consumed with food, they break down protein from your food into amino acids allowing for proper integration into the bloodstream for a wide range of uses. Proteases can be absorbed into the bloodstream when consumed without food, clearing out damaged or dead protein.

The value of these crucial enzymes (especially Papain) on various aspects of digestion combined with the starch-resistant, probiotic richness of green bananas makes them a powerful team for supporting overall well-being.

Z Natural Foods hand-picks specific ingredients for our customers based on three concepts to provide the best quality product possible to support optimal well-being.

1. Versatility
2. History of safe and effective usage
3. Strong evidence of positive research outcomes in humans

Summary of Important Information

1. The unripe green banana contains 80% starch. As a banana ripens, the starch is converted into sugar (sucrose, fructose, glucose), leaving the ripened banana with a starch content of less than 1%. The general ripening stages are as follows.

The general ripening stages are as follows.

1. Underripe: In this stage, the banana skin is still green; the texture of the fruit is fresh and crispy with a slightly bitter flavor and is a quality source of prebiotics and resistant starches.
2. Barely Ripe: In this stage, the banana skin has just turned yellow; the fruit is still very firm and is a good source of fiber & low in sugar.
3. Ripe: In this stage, the banana skin is a vibrant yellow and slightly soft to the touch. The fruit has a slightly firm bite with a soft texture and is a quality source of antioxidants and fiber.
4. Very Ripe: In this stage, the skin develops brown spots, and the texture becomes slightly mushy. This stage has the lowest vitamin and mineral content.
5. Over Ripe: In this stage, the skin is entirely brown with a very mushy consistency, has the highest sugar and lowest fiber content, and is most traditionally used to make the best banana bread(due to the consistency and high sugar content).

Study Review

A review using six electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Science Direct, Web of Science, and Google Scholar) looking to compare the nourishing qualities of green banana products from inception to March 2019, the following information was collected.

1. Ten studies were conducted with green banana flour and eight with green banana pulp/biomass.
2. Most of the green banana health benefits studied were related to gastrointestinal symptoms/diseases, followed by glycemic/insulin metabolism, weight control, and renal and liver complications associated with diabetes.
3. Only one study did not confirm the health benefit proposed.
4. Considering the green banana variety and ripeness level, standardizing the green banana dose/effect to different age groups and health effects is necessary.
5. Further studies are necessary to better detail green banana products and their health effects, considering all the raw-material characteristics.

Therefore, the following was concluded.

1. Overall, the studies showed the health benefits of using green banana products, most of them related to gastrointestinal symptoms/diseases, followed by glycemic/insulin metabolism, weight control, and renal and liver complications associated with diabetes; most of the studies used green banana flour.
2. The children group studies showed that green banana pulp influenced diarrhea and constipation improvement.
3. In the healthy adult group, green banana flour increased satiety and affected glucose homeostasis, like the green banana pulp and starch.
4. Considering type 2 diabetes adults, studies showed reduced body weight and increased insulin sensitivity with green banana flour consumption.
5. Green banana flour consumption improved anthropometric (weight and body composition), lipid profile, and inflammatory parameters among overweight women.
6. Further studies are relevant to evaluate if the health effects of green banana products remain when used as an ingredient of a potential “functional food” after the production of the food product.

Resistant Starch

1. Most of the starch we eat is quickly digested in the small intestines, and only a fraction survives moving along to the large intestines. A resistant starch is a dietary starch that does not break down into sugar and resists digestion in the small intestines. They pass through most of the digestive system unchanged, ending up in the colon, fermenting, and feeding the microbiota.
2. Resistant starches are formed when starch-containing foods are cooked and cooled. This occurs due to a process known as retrogradation, which happens when amylose and amylopectin chains in cooked gelatinized starch realign themselves as they cool down. Cooling these foods in the refrigerator overnight or for several days has been said to increase starch-resistant content. While not explicitly confirmed, it is generally accepted that reheating resistant starches under 140 degrees F is believed not to destroy their prebiotic qualities.

Three types of resistant starches exist.

1. Resistant Starch Type 1: Seeds, legumes, and grains fall into this category. Your small intestines have trouble digesting the starches within them.
2. Resistant Starch Type 2: These are non-gelatinized particles that the small intestines can slowly digest, but not before much of it escapes into the large intestines. This category includes green bananas, raw potatoes, and high-amylose corn.
3. Resistant Starch Type 3: This type is cooked in water until fully hydrated, and the starch moves to the water and reform into structures that are difficult to digest after they have been cooled down. This category includes bread, cooked potatoes, and processed foods.

Prebiotics

The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics defines a prebiotic as “A substrate that is selectively utilized by host microorganisms conferring a health benefit.” In simple terms, they are foods for your gut microorganisms. The human gut microbiome contains more than ten trillion microorganisms with more than 1000 species of known bacteria. Prebiotics are identified based on the composition of their fiber content. Unfortunately, no human studies currently discuss the prebiotic effects and benefits of green bananas or green banana flour. Although, preliminary mice studies do show the potential for future human studies specific to this area.

Some research suggests that Green banana may contain the following constituents:

1. Vitamins: Vitamin C, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B-6, Folate, Choline, Vitamin A (IU), Lutein & Zeaxanthin, Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol), Vitamin K (phylloquinone)
2. Minerals: Magnesium, Phosphorus, Zinc, Copper, Manganese, Selenium
3. Amino Acids: threonine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, cystine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, valine, arginine, histidine, alanine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, glycine, proline, serine

Suggested Use: Replace cooking flour with equal parts organic green banana powder or add 1-2 tablespoons to yogurt or your favorite smoothie for a superfood boost.

Botanical Name: Musa Acuminata

Other Names: Banana, Bananier Nain, Canbur, Curro, Platano, Guineo

Ingredients: Organic Green Banana

Certifications: Certified USDA Organic.

Origin: Grown and dried in Peru and packaged with care in Florida, USA.