Ripe plantain is a staple food eaten by many, especially in Africa, it is tasty, sweet, and a good choice of food to be eaten with foods like Beans, rice, stew and sauces, eggs, garden egg sauce, salads, etc.
Ripe plantain is a healthy dietary option but how it is cooked can affect its healthiness, and also because it has more sugar content than unripe plantain, it can pose health issues for people who have issues with blood sugar regulation
Health benefits
Ripe plantains contain Vitamins A, B6, and C, Potassium, and Magnesium. They contain dietary fibers too which help for easy bowel movements
They are very high in carbs and should be eaten moderately
They contain antioxidants that help to fight diseases
They help to boost the immune system due to the presence of vitamins A and C. They also help prevent inflammation
Plantains generally are very high in Potassium and Vitamin B6 which is good for the heart
Health concerns
Too much heat which includes frying can destroy Vitamin C. Fried plantains contains little or no Vitamin C depending on how long it spends under heat, hence it is recommended that little boiling of ripe plantain is okay, especially boiling for a short time and if you want to fry, don’t fry for too long, the more time they spend inside the oil, the more unhealthy they become and the more nutrients are lost, so it’s as good as just eating carbs and sugar. As a rule, don’t expose fruits and vegetables to too much heat, you will destroy the Vitamin C and other nutrients that cannot withstand heat
2.. Ripe plantains are higher in carbs, natural sugars, and calories than unripe ones. Those with diabetes, high blood pressure, and high blood cholesterol should eat ripe plantain cautiously because of the high sugar content which can easily spike blood sugar. Unripe plantain will always be our best bet
The kind of oil used to fry fried ripe plantain(dodo) can make it very unhealthy. Oils have saturated fat and using bad oils can pose health dangers like obesity, heart conditions, high blood cholesterol, high blood sugar, etc, hence use good oils only to fry
It is high in calories, those who want to lose weight or maintain weight should tread cautiously with fried plantains because they can cause weight gain if eaten excessively. Eat fried plantain in moderation
Whether or not you are on a weight loss program, eat fried plantain in moderation and it cannot and should never be an everyday meal. Is there anything wrong with ripe plantain? No. It is how it is cooked, the quantity is eaten that will be determined if it will cause any health issues.