Are bananas good for people with diabetes?

Bananas have so many perks it can feel, well, bananas.

“Bananas are a readily available, affordable fruit option to add to meals and snacks,” says Natalie Romito, a registered dietitian with the Cleveland Clinic Center for Human Nutrition. “Many gas stations even carry them. They are a good source of a variety of vitamins and minerals and can be used in baking as a natural sweetener, which allows you to use less refined sugar.”

However, “sweet” is often deprioritized for people with diabetes. Can diabetics eat bananas? Registered dietitians often field this question, especially in a diet culture that demonizes sweet stuff as a whole.

“Bananas often receive a negative reputation because some people associate them with high sugar content, leading to concerns about blood sugar spikes or potential weight gain,” says Michelle Routhenstein, a preventive cardiology dietitian at EntirelyNourished.com.

Is the reputation fair? Are bananas good for diabetics? Dietitians peeled back the layers on bananas and diabetes, including how they affect blood sugar and tips for incorporating this fruit into your diet if you deal with insulin resistance.

Nutrition facts

Bananas are packed with vitamins and minerals.

“Bananas are great because they are a great source of many nutrients, but they are particularly high in potassium and fiber,” says Alexis Law, a registered dietitian with Top Nutrition Coaching.

A 100-gram serving of banana (about one medium-sized banana) contains about 98 calories, 23 carbohydrates, 4.62 grams of dietary fiber, 15.8 grams of total sugar, 5 mg calcium, 326 mg of potassium, 28 mg of magnesium and 12.3 mg of vitamin C.

How bananas affect blood sugar

People with diabetes can eat bananas, but they’ll want to be cautious about how many bananas they eat and what else is on their plates. When discussing bananas and diabetes, it may help to understand the fruit’s effect on blood sugar. People with diabetes need to be conscious of carb counts and blood sugar because of how their bodies process insulin.

“Bananas contain carbohydrates, so they will pretty much always raise blood sugar,” Romito says. ”A banana on its own can cause blood sugar to spike quickly, within 30 minutes or so. This may be great if you (have) low blood sugar or need some quick energy during or before exercise, but it’s not so great if you are trying to keep blood sugar levels lower.”

So, are bananas bad for diabetics as a whole? Not really. High-carb foods are usually higher on the glycemic index, which uses a 100-point scale to estimate how quickly a food can raise blood sugar. While bananas contain carbs, they aren’t off the glycemic index’s chart by any means.

“Bananas have a medium glycemic index, which means they cause a moderate increase in blood sugar,” says René Ficek, a registered dietitian and nutritionist and owner of Seattle Sutton’s Healthy Eating. “However, the fiber content in bananas, particularly if they are not too ripe, can slow down digestion and help control the release of sugars into the bloodstream. This makes them a better choice than other higher-glycemic foods.”

Additionally, people with diabetes (and anyone, really) can lower the effect bananas have on their blood sugar by incorporating them into well-balanced meals and snacks.

“When a banana is paired with other food, it can affect blood sugar levels differently,” Romito says.

It’s also best not to make sweeping statements about bananas and diabetics in general, because everybody (and every body) is different.

“It should be noted that different people have different blood sugar responses to foods,” Romito says. “Even the same person may have a different blood sugar response on one day compared to another day.”

Benefits of eating bananas

Potassium: “Nutritionally, bananas are a powerhouse,” Ficek declares. “Potassium, for example, is crucial for maintaining healthy blood pressure levels and supporting heart function.” Heart health is vital for all of us, but people with diabetes are more at risk of cardiovascular disease or events, including hypertension, heart attacks and strokes.

A 2020 Journal of American Heart Association meta-analysis found that proper (but not excessive) potassium intake was beneficial for lowering blood pressure.

“Potassium can help keep blood pressure controlled, but it is also essential for muscle contraction,” Romito says. “Remember, your heart is a muscle, so you need it to keep your heart beating.”

Magnesium and manganese: These essential minerals can also provide heart health and other benefits.

“Manganese is involved in the breakdown of protein, cholesterol and carbohydrates, bone formation, reproduction and immune response,” Romito says. “Magnesium helps to regulate nerve function, blood sugar levels and blood pressure.”

Complex carbs: Bananas are a complex carbohydrate known as a resistant starch. They contain around 2 grams of fiber per serving. “The fiber in bananas can help to increase overall fiber intake, which is good for gut health,” Law says.

Research published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences in 2022 indicated that resistant starch might assist with gut bacteria and lower blood sugar.

Bananas and diabetes

The buddy system: Romito recommends eating bananas with a tablespoon or two of peanut butter or as a dessert following a high-protein meal to slow digestion and blood sugar spikes. “If your blood sugar rises slowly, your body is better able to keep up, so your blood sugar does not spike as high,” Romito says.

Shop small: A little less can be more. “Choose the smallest bananas of the bunch for less of an impact on blood sugar control,” Romito says. “Smaller banana means less sugar and carbs, which means less of a blood sugar response.”

Go green: Romito says bananas of the same size all have the same amount of carbs. However, the color can affect how quickly a specific banana increases blood sugar. “Slightly green, less ripe bananas have more resistant carbohydrates, so these bananas take longer to digest, and often the blood sugar won’t spike as high,” Romito says. “Ripe or overripe bananas with more brown spots have converted some of those resistant carbs to sugars, meaning they will likely raise blood sugar more quickly.”

Pick your moments: The time of day might affect how insulin-sensitive you are. “Most people have higher insulin sensitivity in the morning,” Romito says. “What this means is, in the morning your body uses insulin more efficiently, and that means your blood sugar doesn’t go as high.” A banana with breakfast might affect blood sugar less than noshing on one with dinner. “This is something to try to see what will work best for your body,” Romito says.

Fuel your workout: Time of day isn’t the only timing hack Romito has for people with diabetes who love bananas. Try using this favorite fruit as a pre-workout snack. “When you exercise, your blood sugar naturally lowers because your muscles want to use that sugar for energy,” Romito says. “Use this to your advantage.”