A nutritionist said eating banana peels can help you lose weight and sleep better, but the truth is more complicated

An Australian nutritionist claims that eating banana peels can boost your intake of fiber and important nutrients like vitamin C, potassium, and magnesium. 

However, bananas themselves are already good sources of those nutrients, so it's not necessary to eat the peel as well, although it's safe to do so. 

Eating banana peels can expose you to contaminants or pesticides, so it's important to scrub them carefully if you happen to like the taste and texture. 

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Bananas are among most popular fruits in the U.S., with Americans eating just over 14 pounds per person in 2017.  

But experts are split on whether most of us are eating them all wrong by throwing away the peel, allegedly a rich source of nutrients like potassium, magnesium, vitamin C, and fiber

Most recently, the topic got attention when Australian nutritionist Susie Burrell wrote a blog post lauding the benefits of eating banana skins. While the post notes Burrell is a "brand ambassador" for the banana company that sponsored the post, other news outlets expanded on her statements, claiming banana peels can help with weight loss, better sleep, and clearer skin. 

While in reality, you can eat banana peels, some experts say you may not want to. Here's why. 

Bananas themselves are full of nutrients, though experts know little about peels 

Burrell wrote peels are full of nutrients, but it's just as easy to get those by snacking on bananas themselves, according to Megan Meyer, a nutritional immunologist with the International Food Information Council. "I wouldn't say you are missing out too much from just eating the fruit," Meyer told Insider. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's nutritional database, which has information on more than 275,000 types of food, doesn't include banana peels, so the actual nutritional content of the peels in unclear, Meyer added. It's also hard to know how many (if any) calories the skins contain. 

Journalist Dan Koeppel, who wrote the book, "Banana: the Fate of the Fruit that Changed the World," is also skeptical. "I've studied bananas for close to 15 years and traveled to every continent where bananas are grown and I have never seen anyone eat a peel," he told Today.

As for whether banana peels can help you lose weight, Meyer says that's far from proven. Dietary fiber is linked to feeling fuller with fewer calories, which may help with weight loss. But again, the fruit of the banana is a good source of fiber. So are beans, avocados, oranges, berries, and whole-wheat foods. 

bigacis/Shutterstock If you are going to eat banana peels, wash thoroughly 

If you happen to enjoy the taste or texture of the peel, it's fine to eat them, Meyer said. People have tried all kinds of innovative culinary techniques to include peels in various recipes, from smoothies to banana bread, and even a vegan "pulled pork" made from banana peels. 

Banana peels also play a role in certain cuisines, particularly Indian food, according to some reports.

Just be sure to take the proper precautions. One of the most convenient attributes of bananas is that they come with their own wrapper: The peel normally protects the fruits from pesticides and other contaminants, so eating it means you could be eating those too. 

Meyer recommended rinsing and scrubbing bananas (and any produce) if you're going to eat the skin, to remove dirt, bacteria, and other unwanted ingredients, even though conventional bananas grown with pesticides and other additives are well within the safe limits set by the USDA and other organizations.

Finally, if you're considering eating banana peels to cut down on food waste, there are other uses for fruit peels, some of which are even more creative than compost, like using banana peels to shine your shoes.

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Rosie Huntington-Whiteley Says Trying to Lose Weight Post-Pregnancy Was "Humbling"

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An NBA Player Wanted to Lose Weight. He Drank Beer.

He did yoga. He experimented with intermittent fasting. He tweaked his diet and began sleeping much better. By the time Andre Drummond came back to work for this NBA season, the 6-foot-10, 279-pound center for the Detroit Pistons was proud of the work he'd put into his summer body.

There was also one more part of his vacation that he couldn't wait to share with his teammates. And it was something they were not expecting to hear from somebody in such fantastic shape.

...

Study: Weight loss surgery can increase risk of colorectal cancer

Dec 4 2019

Although colorectal cancer is associated with obesity, it is unclear if weight loss surgery impacts the incidence of these tumors.

Results from a new study published in the International Journal of Cancer suggest that the risk of colon cancer may be increased in individuals who have undergone such surgery.

In the population-based study of 502,772 individuals with obesity from five Nordic countries, patients who underwent weight loss surgery had a higher risk of colon cancer than the general population.

This risk seemed to increase over time, and it exceeded the elevated risk of obese individuals without such surgery. The association between weight loss surgery and rectal cancer was weaker, but it tended to increase with longer follow-up.

Can Eating Banana Peels Help You Lose Weight?

© Peter Dazeley/Getty Images

Bananas are insanely good for you. Not only are they packed with 12% of your recommended daily dose of potassium and 20% of vitamins C and B6, but a single piece of the fruit also boasts 3 grams fiber. They are also a great source of resistant starch, a type that naturally suppresses your appetite, ultimately aiding in weight loss. Did we mention they are also super delicious, whether you are eating them straight from the peel or blended into a smoothie, added to baked goods, or sliced up in your oatmeal? But according to one nutritionist, if you want to really amplify the health benefits of bananas, you should be eating the peel as well.

RELATED: The Number One Thing You Need to Do to Lose Weight Forever, According to Experts

"Specifically, you will increase your overall fiber content by at least 10 percent as a lot of dietary fiber can be found in the skin of the banana," Australian nutritionist Susie Burrell wrote in a blog sponsored by Australian Bananas. "You will get almost 20 percent more vitamin B6 and almost 20 percent more vitamin C and you will boost both your potassium and magnesium intake.

She doesn't suggest munching on the skins but cooking the skin to soften it first, which will "break down some of the cell walls within the skin helping to make the nutrients easily to absorb," then blending it into recipes or smoothies.

She also maintains that the color of your banana skin makes a difference nutritionally. Green banana skins are both rich in the amino acid tryptophan (associated with good sleep quality) and also in resistant starch, which will benefit gut health. A ripened banana with yellow skin boasts a higher proportion of antioxidants associated with anti-cancer effects, she says.

RELATED: The Healthiest Foods to Eat for Breakfast

But before you start boiling your banana skins, keep in mind that while banana peels are edible and do have some proven nutritional value, scientific evidence to back up Burrell's weight loss claims is lacking.

"There is no published research on this, so we don't know for certain how eating them may impact weight loss," Health's contributing nutrition editor, Cynthia Sass, RD, explains. While theoretically nutrients like fiber, prebiotics, and antioxidants may help with weight loss, because the studies are lacking, there is no established form (green versus ripe), specific amount/dose, prep method, or frequency (daily, weekly, etc.) tied to a specific amount of weight lost over a given time frame. "I don't think it's absolutely necessary to try to incorporate them into your diet," she says.

Adds New York City-based nutritionist Jackie Newgent, RDN, CDN: "There are so many more enjoyable ways to get fiber in general—and resistant starch in particular. I would much rather recommend someone enjoy a bowl of oatmeal or snack on some hummus, or add oats or beans to delicious recipes.

If you do decide to give them a try, Sass encourages you to choose USDA certified organic, and wash them well to avoid pesticide residues. "You can also start with a small amount and incorporate into dishes with ingredients that help counter the flavor, like a smoothie with sweet fruit and a touch of ginger root or vanilla," she suggests.

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Green Coffee, Your New Weight Loss Buddy

Are you one of those who cannot do without a hot cup of coffee as the first thing in the morning? Does the steamy and aromatic coffee makes you feel energetic? Yes? What if we say that this habit can help you lose weight as well? Interesting right?

But for that, you need to be mindful while picking the coffee. It is not the brown coffee but the green one that can be your new weight loss buddy. According to researchers, having green coffee regularly along with healthy food and indulging in exercise can help you shed those extra kilos rapidly.

How green coffee helps in weight loss?

Green coffee beans are not roasted and therefore contain a compound called chlorogenic acid. This compound is known to have antioxidant effects that help in coping up with stress, a major contributor to weight gain. Also, chlorogenic acid can help you get rid of the excess fat by increasing your body's basal metabolic rate. This can potentially reduce the glucose release in the bloodstream through the liver. As a result of this, your body starts burning excess fat and you lose weight.

Not only this, consumption of green coffee can increase satiety and prevents overeating which is a major reason behind weight gain. This is important for people with zero control over the food portion.

How to prepare and consume green coffee?

Green coffee can be prepared the same way you make black coffee. You can add honey or cinnamon to the coffee to add flavour in it.

Though you can have green coffee at any time of the day, consuming it just after having a meal is considered extremely helpful. Doing this can keep your blood sugar under control and help you in effective weight loss.

Can you lose weight by sleeping for longer?

If we make poor food choices when we’re tired, does it follow that repeatedly not getting enough sleep could lead to issues with weight gain and obesity?

“There are enough big signals about what pre-empts weight gain and Type 2 diabetes that we can say if you’re not getting enough sleep on a regular basis, it strongly looks likely it will cause a problem,” says Professor Scott.

Research that backs this up has been produced by Dr Erin Hanlon, Research Assistant Professor at the University of Chicago, and her colleagues. In 2016, they wanted to see if sleep deprivation impacts chemical signals which, in turn, make people crave high-carbohydrate and high-fat foods.

With existing research often focussing on how poor sleep impacts levels of the hormones ghrelin (which stimulates appetite) and leptin (which tells you you’re full), the scientists wanted to measure another chemical signal: endocannabinoid (eCB) â€" which is associated with making us crave ‘highly-palatable’ foods.

Their study found that when sleep deprived, the participants’ eCB levels were increased and amplified. The result? The participants started reaching for unhealthy snacks because they didn’t feel full.

Looking back at the study and other research carried out, Dr Hanlon says “I personally feel confident there is a link between sleep deficiency and increased feeding, and moreover that sleep deficiency is one of the contributing factors in the rise in obesity”.

This view is backed up by other experts. “In large population studies, insufficient sleep (be it poor sleep quality or short sleep duration) is related to significantly worse lo ng-term health outcomes, including higher incidence and prevalence of diabetes, increased prevalence of obesity and cardiovascular disease, and poorer mental health outcomes”, explains Dr Iuliana Hartescu, a member of Loughborough University’s Clinical Sleep Research Unit.

Dr Hartescu has studied the relationship between exercise, diet and sleep, which she describes as a ‘health trinity’. Her advice for those wanting to improve their diet and fitness levels? Before you start that health kick, make sure you’ve got your sleep routine under control. “When you’re more rested, you’re more likely to be physically active, more likely to eat at the right times of the day, and more likely not to let fatigue interfere with your motivation to stick to your diet.”