My mom thinks she's a doctor and is driving me bananas

March 5, 2008 5:11 PM

I hate the fact that I'm using a question on this... I have a hiatal hernia, which makes me really prone to acid reflux. My mom swears up and down that I should never ever ever eat bananas on an empty stomach as it's really bad for people with acid reflux. Everything I've ever read suggests that bananas are either neutral or good when it comes to acid reflux. My mom argues that the key is eating them on an empty stomach versus eating something first *then* eating bananas. Her "source" is that she used to have an ulcer, and that not eating bananas helped. So who's bananas? Can anyone point to relatively reliable sources as to who might be (more) right?
posted by edjusted to health (21 comments total)

Who is right? Who know? Try it yourself. If it negatively affects you, don't do it again.

People's digestive problems tend to be pretty idiosyncratic.
posted by Astro Zombie at 5:14 PM on March 5

I'm not saying she's right or you're right, but she could be mildly allergic to bananas (not uncommon) and it only affected her on an empty stomach.
posted by SpecialK at 5:14 PM on March 5

Your mom is bananas. And so are you. You're right that they're widely reputed to be good for heartburn (as well as a host of other maladies)... I'm almost positive that eating a banana on an empty stomach won't kill you, so why not just do it and see what happens? Really. Keep the Zantac handy and play guinea pig with yourself like a good mad scientist.
posted by mumkin at 5:18 PM on March 5 [1 favorite]

Though come to think of it, you might want to MeMail MeFi's own soulbarn, who's the closest thing to a banana expert that we've got around these parts, AFAIK.
posted by mumkin at 5:22 PM on March 5

I have terrible acid indigestion, so bad i cough up acid at times. I eat bananas on an empty stomach and it does nothing. But we all are inividuals and it may have caused your mom some problems. Just try and see!
I can say you don't need any name brand acid reducers, store brand is the SAME thing! Get acid reducer from CVS or your local store, they really do work just as well.
posted by CreativeJuices at 5:28 PM on March 5

I have the same thing. I can't eat very many things, but that's not stopping me at the moment. Soon, I will have to completely stop (I think it will come this summer.) I can't eat citrus, chocolate, caffeine, milk, fried food, refined sugar, tomatoes, apples, and, bananas! I know, it's hard, but ulcers need to be taken seriously. I, thankfully, haven't gotten one yet, but I am probably pretty close and have an appointment with a gastroenterologist, who will probably tell me more things I cannot eat. The last time I saw a doctor, I went on a big kick I lost 50 pounds and my heartburn disappeared for two years. I need to do that again.

The best way to figure out whether you are getting heartburn is to eat a banana on an empty stomach and wait. Don't drink anything because that will ruin the experiment. Then, once you've eaten it, lie completely prone on your back and wait for something. If nothing, well you're probably fine.
posted by parmanparman at 5:38 PM on March 5 [1 favorite]

Ok, maybe I worded the question a bit too frivolously. I eat bananas on an empty stomach pretty often and haven't noticed any side effects, and I've been doing it for a long time. And yeah, I know food affects individuals...err...individually. And fwiw, my mom has a habit of spouting health "facts" that seemingly come out of nowhere. For some reason though, I thought I'd humor her enough to actually do a bit of research.

So I really *am* looking for "scientific" info if it's out there, e.g. "studies have shown that bananas *tend* to increase/decrease acid production" etc.
posted by edjusted at 5:48 PM on March 5

I might also add, certain foods are on just about every medical and doctors' "try to avoid if you have acid reflux" list...foods like tomatoes, coffee, citrus fruits and juices, etc. Can anyone point to such lists that show bananas as well?
posted by edjusted at 6:09 PM on March 5

Ed, my mother is exactly the same. I think this is something in common with all parents who have an adult child with acid reflux. My doctor says that, in relation to bananas, an enzyme in them makes the muscle that controls the sphincter that separates my esophagus from my stomach stop working. That's pretty much it. There are like 1,000 triggers. Not being able to eat chocolate is a pretty rare trigger. But, not being able to eat bananas, I don't know the rate of reply.
posted by parmanparman at 6:12 PM on March 5

Just to be anecdotally opposite, I have duodenitis (similar to an ulcer) and I find that whenever I eat bananas, I get heartburn.
posted by web-goddess at 6:27 PM on March 5

When I had gallbladder problems (when I had a gallbladder) I thought that bananas would be a good neutral food but my online research turned up that they are said to be hard to digest. That was 5+ years ago now so I don't have any cites but your mom's not crazy or superstitious. That viewpoint is out there.
posted by loiseau at 6:28 PM on March 5

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=7

That article seems fairly reliable. There is a section on "Soothing Protection from Ulcers".

It's the first google result for "banana ulcer". Most of the other ones seem to agree that bananas generally are good for ulcers. Emphasis on generally, because as most everyone else has pointed out, all our bodies are different. Maybe she was mildly allergic to bananas. Maybe her body just didn't like bananas. Maybe she read somewhere that they were good, but her brain flipped it around, and when she ate bananas, there was a reverse placebo affect because that's what she was expecting.

Anecdotally, bananas are my favorite food to eat a bit later in the morning if I was too rushed when I was getting ready to eat breakfast. I like them even better than yogurt, which I've also heard is among the best foods for your stomach coating.
posted by gauchodaspampas at 6:37 PM on March 5

Oh, also, if your mom had allergies to latex, avocados, or chestnuts, then she probably did have a banana allergy as well, which would explain why she thinks they're bad for an empty stomach. This would be an allergy to certain proteins in bananas, not to the pollen. The pollen allergy manifests usually as swelling, itching and the like in the mouth, while the latex related one shows up as hives, or gastrointestinal irritation.
posted by gauchodaspampas at 6:41 PM on March 5

http://www.vitacost.com/Healthnotes/Concern/Peptic-Ulcer.aspx

Ayurvedic doctors in India have traditionally used dried banana powder (Musa paradisiaca) to treat ulcers. In animal studies, banana powder protects the lining of the stomach from acid.45 A human trial has also found dried banana helpful in those with peptic ulcer. In that report, two capsules of dried raw banana powder taken four times per day for eight weeks led to significant improvement.46 Bananas and unsweetened banana chips may be good substitutes, although ideal intake remains unknown.

...

45. Hills BA, Kirwood CA. Surfactant approach to the gastric mucosal barrier: Protection of rats by banana even when acidified. Gastroenterology 1989;97:294–303.

46. Sikka KK, Singhai CM, Vajpcyi GN. Efficacy of dried raw banana powder in the healing of peptic ulcer. J Assoc Phys India 1988;36(1):65 [abstract].
posted by gauchodaspampas at 6:48 PM on March 5

"Ask the dietician"

Regarding the digestibility of bananas, it is true that some people find the less ripe bananas - the one's with greenish skin - hard to digest. If you find bananas difficult to digest it is better to wait until the fruit is fully ripe and some light brown spots appear on the skin.

-Nuala Collins

Nuala graduated from Trinity College Dublin and the Dublin Institute of Technology, Kevin Street with a science degree in Human Nutrition and a Diploma in Dietetics and Nutrition. In addition Nuala has a diploma in Public Relations and is an Accredited Sports Nutritionist. She also has a postgraduate certificate in Allergy from the University of Southampton. She has worked in hospitals as a Clinical Nutritionist, in Industry as Chief Nutritionist with the National Dairy Council and more recently set up a Food and Nutrition Consultancy company.

Nuala is a member of the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute (MINDI) which is the professional organisation for Dietitians and Nutritionists in Ireland.
posted by gauchodaspampas at 6:58 PM on March 5

You cannot win an argument with your mother. Eat your bananas on the sly.
posted by 26.2 at 7:13 PM on March 5 [2 favorites]

Hi - you messaged me because I am the author of a book on bananas....

I wish I had a good answer for you. I've got no data on whether bananas exacerbate acid reflux. But it is true that the more a banana heads from yellow to brown, the more simple sugar it contains; the greener it is, the more starch, and so the less digestible it is when eaten raw.

I don't know where you live, but there are parts of the world - not the U.S. or Europe, but places like Brazil, Cuba, Australia, and much of Asia - where a different variety of banana is consumed; these bananas are less sweet and have a distinctively acid characteristic (which is why they're call "acid bananas," though another common name for them - "apple bananas" - gives a better hint at their taste and texture.) Those bananas might be less digestible, but the chances of you finding them in a U.S. or European supermarket - even a gourmet store - are close to nil.

I hope that helps. I am going to plug my book, "BANANA: THe Fate of the Fruit that Changed the World" here, and I urge every single user of MeFi to buy it immediately!!!!

:)

I'm also going to reference this thread on my blog, www.bananabook.org. I know your condition isn't funny, but this is what I love so much about Ask MeFi....
posted by soulbarn at 7:36 PM on March 5 [2 favorites]

26.2: Hahaha, yes, I'm not asking to win the argument. I'm asking for personal knowledge.

soulbarn: That's interesting that you mentioned Asian bananas as being different. I'm Chinese, and after talking to some Chinese people, the whole "don't eat bananas on an empty stomach" idea seems to be fairly common to Chinese people, especially older Chinese people. I wonder if maybe there's some folklore behind this now.

I also did some Google searchs prior to asking this question and found bananas to be recommended often *for* people who have acid reflux, which was partly what piqued my curiosity enough to ask this question. Thanks for all the great links, anecdotes, and answers so far!
posted by edjusted at 10:16 PM on March 5

Well, this is probably taking it beyond reason, but the banana that most people in North America and Europe - known as the "Cavendish" - consume is actually native to China; it was brought to our hemisphere by a 19th century plant collector via the island of Mauritius, then on to London, Trinidad, and finally Central America.

You might find it interesting to know that the Cavendish banana, massively popular as it is - is not the banana your grandparents ate; that variety, called the "Gros Michel," was wiped out by a fungus in the first half of the 20th century.

The Cavendish was adopted as a replacement for the Gros Michel banana, mostly because it was resistant to the fungus. However, today, a new strain of the fungus - incurable - seriously threatens the world's favorite fruit with extinction. (Yes, this is what my book is about.)

Anyhow, though I know there are certain foods that are well-tolerated by some ethnic groups and not by others, I'm not aware that the banana is one. My recommendation: hide them in pancakes and underneath your Cheerios.

- dan
posted by soulbarn at 10:41 PM on March 5

Bananas are pretty high in carbs. A study I read showed improvement in GERD patients who reduced carbs, so that's what I did.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16871438?dopt=AbstractPlus
posted by melissam at 7:56 AM on March 6

Here is my two penny's worth as a physician and an acid reflux sufferer. Banana's are good to neutral for acid reflux. Each person responds differently to individual food constituents as they may act as secretagogues (substances which promote the secretion of acid). Your mom may have been mistaken or have a banana related secretagogue reflex. When I was growing up I had the same issue with my father who swore that bread is good for acid reflux and I still cannot eat bread without stimulating massive acid secretion.

Things should get better as time goes anyway. For severe periods you should ask your doctor about Omez (not an advert, just experience).
posted by london302 at 1:05 PM on March 6