Scientists Advise not to Throw Away Banana Peel: Something Useful can be Made from Them

According to the results of scientific research, some foods are not fully used by people. Banana peel is an example – most people only eat the inside and just throw the peel in the trash can. Scientists assure us that this is not worth doing. They say that with the help of the peel you can significantly increase the nutritional value of dishes. Let’s see how to do it.

According to the UN, more than 900 million tons of food were thrown into the trash in 2019. Such a huge figure has developed from all the soups, confectionery and so on that people have not eaten. But if men and women could learn to shop more consciously and order meals without surpluses, resources could be used to feed less self-sufficient people.

What can be done with a banana peel?

In a study published in the ACS Food Science & Technology journal, scientists have found compelling reasons not to throw away the banana peel. Instead, they recommend dipping it in boiling water, drying it, and grinding it into flour. Subsequently, it can be added to various kinds of pastries: cookies, bread, pies, as well as pizza, and homemade noodles. It sounds unusual and bold: what will the food become after adding a new ingredient?

Banana peel is perceived as garbage, but they are not:

The authors of the scientific work tried to add banana peel flour to cookie dough. The exotic additive made up no more than 15% of the total flour mass – with a higher concentration, the cookies could become too hard. The baked goods were offered to a group of volunteers. They noted that in terms of taste, banana cookies are no worse than ordinary ones. The only difference was that it turned out to be more solid – this feature was explained by the presence of more dietary fiber.

Banana peel can be used to make flour:

The volunteers didn’t notice, but banana peel cookies are actually more nutritious. According to the authors of the scientific work, it contained more fiber, magnesium, potassium, and antioxidant compounds. The benefits are obvious: fiber normalizes digestion and metabolism, magnesium has a beneficial effect on muscles and other parts of the body, and potassium plays an important role in the functioning of the nervous system. Antioxidant compounds, in turn, reduce the risk of cancer.

Banana peel contains antioxidants:

In addition to the health benefits, banana peel flour extends the shelf life of cookies—at room temperature, they can last up to three months. This is not the first time scientists have experimented with banana flour and have previously conducted similar studies. For example, researchers once tried using banana peel flour to make a cake. It was noted that the ingredient gives baked goods a more pleasant color and significantly increases the nutritional value. In 2016, scientists found that adding about 10% of a banana peel product to regular flour increases the content of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats.

Can you eat banana peel:

The existence of such a scientific work may be surprising – while other scientists are busy unraveling the mysteries of the universe, the authors of this study are baking cookies. However, science is very diverse, and there is room for such strange studies. To a greater extent, the authors of this paper wanted to demonstrate at least one way to reduce the amount of wasted food. According to them, about 40% of the mass of each banana is its peel, and most people just throw it away. But it turns out that you can benefit from it.

It is important to note that in order to use the banana peel with benefit, it must be treated with hot water. It should be dried and crushed – the raw peel is useless. Of course, it also contains many vitamins and minerals, but the human intestine can absorb them only after heat treatment. The bright yellow banana peel is said to be particularly rich in antioxidants. However, the green one contains tryptophan, which promotes sound sleep. On top of all this, the banana peel contains resistant starch, which is very beneficial for the intestines.

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