Growing up, the love I had for plantain was nothing to compare to the meal itself. Any meal with plantain included was always known to be a hit for me. Well, as we have it, one man’s treasure could surely be another man’s trash. I met people who told me they hated plantain and it was a major turn-off on meals for them. I guess they never bothered knowing the nutritional values of plantain.
Plantains belong to the same family as bananas but are almost always cooked before they are eaten. Raw plantains do have a bitter taste, so therefore cooking them brings out their flavor thus making it more appetizing. Plantains could also be fried or roasted.
This banana-like fruits are rich in certain vitamins and minerals that contribute to good health. The following are the health benefits of plantain.
Nutritional Value
Vitamin A
Plantains are a very good source of Vitamin A which is involved in numerous bodily functions including immunity and reproduction. Another job of vitamin A is to promote good eyesight and help prevent certain eye disorders.
Fiber
As always stated here, fiber can lower your cholesterol level thus help reduce your risk of heart disease and also regulate blood sugar levels and plantains are known to be rich sources of fiber.
Potassium
Potassium plays a role in our digestive health and helps support a strong skeleton. A serving of cooked plantain supplies about 716 milligrams of the required 4,700 milligrams of potassium.
Also, plantains are good sources of Vitamin c and also contain small amounts of calcium, iron, folate, magnesium, and vitamin K.
Health Benefits
- Unripe plantain enriches the heart. Possessing some amount of serotonin, plantain helps dilate the arteries, improve blood flow and reduce homocystine. Its richness in potassium helps control the heart rate and blood pressure thus reducing risks of hypertension.
- Due to be presence of dietary fibres, plantain helps to ensure healthy bowel movements which therefore reduces constipation.
- Plantains are powerful antioxidants. Possessing more vitamin A than their doppelganger, they play a vital role in the visual cycle and also enhance good skin complexion.
- Plantain is a great meal for weight loss and healthy eating due to its low carbohydrate and presence of other essential vitamins and minerals.
- Plantain contains folates, ribloflavin, niacin and thiamin. Some of these minerals are essential for a healthy pregnancy.
- Unripe plantain makes a great meal for diabetics. Its low sugar content compared to the ripe plantain makes it a preferred choice for diabetes.
These banana-like foods are famed to be diuretic and can help prevent kidney and bladder problems.
Due to the presence of phytochemicals such as leucocyanidin in unripe plantain, it is known to help prevent ulcer.
Roasted plantain serves as a quick snack to grab on when lost in work.
Imagine all the health benefits and nutritional values of plantain, its consumption should therefore not be an allergy. Include plantain into your meal today and start benefiting the many medicinal and therapeutic properties it possess.
