We all know that fruits are good for our health. From apples to oranges to mangoes and peaches, we have plenty of selections to enjoy their delicious tastes while savoring their health benefits.
But what if you have a choice between ripe and unripe fruits? Some people don’t like green bananas, while others like a touch of green hues in their fruits.
Unripe vs. Ripe Fruits
The important thing you should know about is that there are changes that happen as the fruits ripen, including their fiber and sugar content:
1. Carbohydrates
Unripe fruits usually have more complex varieties of carbohydrates and often, these complex carbs cannot be digested by the body.
2. Resistant Starches
Ripened fruits and unripe fruits both contain fiber. However, the unripe fruits have resistant starches that act like fiber in the ripe fruits. If you want to take advantage of better fiber, go for ripe fruits since they have a more tender texture. This makes it easy for the body to digest. Most people’s digestive tracts don’t respond well to unripe fruits because of the resistant starch – although it does help you manage your weight.
3. Sugar
When it comes to sugar content, you can already tell that the ripe fruits have more sugar than the unripe ones. Sugar content is much higher in ripe fruits because the carbohydrates keep converting into sugars as they stay on the trees.
This carbohydrate to sugar break-down also takes place when you keep the fruits at home for a few days, waiting for them to ripen. You can even taste the prominent chemical difference. For example, if you eat green bananas and bananas that are about to turn black, the latter would be so tender and is almost as if you’re consuming sugar itself.
4. Antioxidants
Probably the best advantage of ripe fruits over unripe fruits is the high antioxidant content. As the fruits ripen, their antioxidant levels increase so remarkably. Antioxidants are compounds that can flush out toxins in the body and can even fight diseases, including cancer. Plus, they help the body repair itself, such as by diminishing signs of aging including wrinkles.
Timing is everything – even when it comes to fruits. If you have overripe fruits though, don’t throw them away just yet. You can wash them off and use them for your smoothies. You will never notice that they are overripe and you even save money from wasting food and buying more frozen fruits.
Source: Steth News
Share It To Your Friends!
Loading...
