Will eating bananas on an empty stomach cause diarrhea?

Bananas have always been recognized as a good laxative, but generally speaking, dietary fiber is a substance that can promote defecation. It includes pectin and cellulose, etc. They are the remnants of plant cells, but are not digested by people's intestines, so they can soften stools and promote defecation. Eating an appropriate amount of cellulose is good for health, but relatively speaking, the dietary fiber content of bananas is not very high, so bananas do not have a strong laxative ability. Then some friends would like to ask, will eating bananas on an empty stomach cause diarrhea?

Likewise, the fructose content of bananas is no different from other foods. Even though bananas have a higher-than-average fructose content, they still do not have the ability to cause laxative effects and may even cause diarrhea.

Clinically, there is a laxative called "lactulose", which is a disaccharide composed of a galactose residue and a fructose residue. This drug cannot be digested and absorbed by the small intestine. After entering the large intestine, it will be broken down into small molecular organic acids under the action of intestinal bacteria. These metabolites and lactulose together can increase the osmotic pressure in the intestinal cavity, making the stool softer and thinner. Similarly, if fructose can enter the large intestine smoothly, it can also have the same effect. However, the small intestine of a healthy person has a powerful digestion and absorption function. The small intestine can fully utilize fructose, whether it is in the form of fructose monosaccharide or sucrose. Unless a large amount of fructose is ingested in a short period of time, very little fructose will be left for the large intestine.

Only exceptions such as lactulose can escape absorption in the small intestine, while the fructose contained in bananas is mostly fructose monosaccharide or sucrose. Regardless of whether you take it on an empty stomach, it is difficult for it to reach the large intestine smoothly and play a laxative role. Most cases of diarrhea after eating bananas are often caused by eating unclean food or just coincidence. Ironically, bananas may not necessarily have the laxative effect as they are said to have. On the contrary, they are a good nutritional supplement for patients recovering from diarrhea. Bananas are soft and easy to digest. They are rich in carbohydrates and low in fat, making them very suitable for supplementing nutrition for diarrhea patients and promoting recovery from the disease. In addition, a large amount of potassium ions in the bodies of patients with severe diarrhea are lost through feces. Potassium-rich bananas can help patients quickly replenish the lost potassium.

Regarding the rumor that eating bananas on an empty stomach will cause diarrhea, I believe that after reading the above content, you will know that eating bananas will not cause diarrhea regardless of whether you are on an empty stomach or not. On the contrary, it is a very good nutritional supplement for patients with diarrhea. Not only that, it is also a healthy food that can help some friends with heart problems. However, people with poor kidney function should try not to eat too many bananas as they are prone to other diseases.