Believe it or not, overripe bananas are perfectly safe to eat. They actually boast higher vitamin C and antioxidant levels, according to a 2014 study published in the International Food Research Journal (Volume 21). Their peel may change its color or develop brown spots, but the flesh is still edible.
Can you get sick from eating old bananas?
"Bananas that have a musty smell, fruit flies, mold on the stems, or signs of rot and decay are no longer safe to eat," certified nutritionist Andrea Picincu wrote in an article for Livestrong. "An overripe banana that looks and smells fine, on the other hand, doesn't pose any health risks."
When should you not eat a banana?
A yellow banana with a few brown spots is perfectly normal, but extensive browning or mold on the skin (especially near the stem) may mean that it's best not to eat. If you aren't lucky, the banana may have already started to rot inside.
How do you know if a banana is bad?
To tell if a banana has gone bad, look for mold growing on the skin. Also, if there is liquid underneath the bananas, it's a sure sign that they have gone bad. The best way to see if a banana has gone bad is to unpeel it. If the flesh is a brown color and is very mushy, it has gone bad and should not be used.
Why you shouldn't eat overripe bananas?
Overripe bananas are also lower in digestion-slowing fiber, having only 1.9 grams of fiber (7% of your daily value of fiber) whereas yellow bananas contain 3.1 grams, or 11% DV of fiber (making yellow bananas a "good" source of fiber).
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