9 Health Benefits of Unripe Plantain
These are 9 health benefits you’ll be getting from eating unripe plantain but before we go into discussing the 9 amazing benefits of unripe plantain, let us describe what unripe plantains are.
Unripe plantains are basically the green part of plantains that are yet to ripe as seen on the image below. Some unripe plantain can either be fully matured or pre-matured depending on the age of the plantain bunch.
Unripe plantain is a natural source of resistant starch that helps to reduce blood glucose levels, so it is considered an excellent ingredient for food fortification. It has been observed that unripe plantain contains antioxidant compounds that help prevent diseases and provides vitamins.
Green, or unripe plantain (Musa spp.) is rich in micronutrients and contains resistant starch which makes the flour a good source of dietary fiber.
Now going back to the 9 amazing health benefits of Unripe plantains, they include the following:
1) it enriches the heart
Unripe plantain contains some amount of serotonin which dilates the arteries, improves blood flow and reduces homocysteine (a condition that causes coronary artery disease and stroke).
Its richness in potassium makes it heart friendly by preventing heart attack and hypertension through controlling heart rate and blood pressure in our body and cell.
Also, its fibre content is great for reducing cholesterols level which reduces the risk of developing any heart diseases.
2) it can treat anaemia and neuritis
Its presence of vitamin B6 can help in curing neuritis (inflammation of the nerve), and anaemia: a medical condition where someone is having low red blood cells in the blood, which causes weakness.
With inclusive into meal plan and consumption, it can cure anaemia and neuritis and serves as a preventive measure.
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3) it’s a great meal for weight loss and healthy eating
It’s relatively low in carbohydrates, with high fibre content, essential vitamins and minerals. When consuming with lots of vegetable soup and chicken, it makes a great weight loss and a healthy meal.
4) Good Source for Minerals
Its source of vitamin A, B6 and C helps with better vision, better skin complexion, builds immunity against diseases and free radicals.
5) it helps with bowel movement
Its richness in fibre makes bowel movement easier which also reduce constipation.
6) it makes a great meal for diabetics
Unripe plantain is very low in sugar compared to ripe or overripe plantain and this makes it a good choice for diabetes especially when added with other fibre and protein-rich food such as green vegetables. Thus, it makes a great choice for preventing diabetes.
7) it helps builds and strengthens stronger bones
Unripe Plantain is rich in calcium which is the essential mineral needed for stronger bones, muscles, nails and teeth.
A healthy meal with unripe plantain inclusive will prevents diseases such as osteoporosis which involves the weakening of the bones and causes fractures.
8) it can prevent ulcer
Various studies conducted have shown that unripe plantain contains phytochemical properties such as leucocyanidin which can prevent ulcer.
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9) it boosts sexual performance
Making unripe plantain part of your healthy meal plan will help you in improving sexual performance through increased libido, improve male fertility, thicker sperm and volume.
Food recipes such as unripe plantain with ginger and garlic, roasted or parboil can work wonders.
In conclusion, you can imagine all the health benefits eating unripe plantain does in our body system, can do, all the prevention and diseases it will be curing.
Include unripe plantain into your meal plan today and start having the many medicinal and therapeutic properties it possesses.
Conclusion
Eating it especially when unripe is beneficial but notwithstanding, plantain generally is power packed with essential minerals, vitamins and phytochemical components which makes it good for consumption and medicinal as well.
Facts About Plantains
Plantain is quite different from dessert banana, being taller and larger and more drought tolerant.
It is a perennial herbaceous plant that develops from the underground rhizome.
Like bananas, it too flourishes well under tropical moisture-rich, humid, low-lying farmlands.
At maturity, the rhizome gives rise to a flower (inflorescence) that is carried up along its smooth, elongated, unbranched stem, piercing through the center of the pseudo-stem, finally emerging out at the top in between its leafy clusters, being a close member of bananas, plantains also often can be a cause for local and systemic allergic reactions in some sensitive individuals.
The fruit may elicit urticaria and may cause potentially severe gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Plantains, also known as plátanos, are closely related cultivars of fruit or dessert banana.
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