Green Banana
Green Banana
Musa species, source of resistant starch
Evidence: Moderate
Green banana is our source of resistant starch, a type of starch that resists digestion in the small intestine and travels to the colon intact. There it becomes a prized fuel for your microbiome. Bacteria ferment it into short-chain fatty acids, especially butyrate, the preferred energy source for the cells lining the colon, and this fermentation helps a diverse, balanced microbial community flourish.
Resistant starch is one of the most studied prebiotic substrates in nutrition science, with research linking it to short-chain fatty acid production, microbial diversity and steady, comfortable digestion. We use it to broaden the range of fibres in the formula, because a resilient microbiome thrives on variety rather than on any single fibre type.
PubMed indexes over 880 peer-reviewed papers on green banana.
Selected study
Chen Z, Liang N, Zhang H, Li H, Guo J, Zhang Y, Chen Y, Wang Y, Shi N. Resistant starch and the gut microbiome: Exploring beneficial interactions and dietary impacts. Food Chemistry: X. 2024;21:101118. doi:10.1016/j.fochx.2024.101118
Study summary
Study type: 2024 narrative review surveying cell, animal and human studies on resistant starch.
Observed benefits:
- Colonic fermentation of resistant starch raises butyrate and other short-chain fatty acids.
- Several human trials report greater satiety and a gentler post-meal blood-sugar response.
- Resistant starch selectively enriches Bifidobacteria and other beneficial microbes.
Mechanisms: Resistant starch escapes small-intestinal digestion and reaches the colon intact, feeding fermentative microbes that produce butyrate, acetate and propionate.
Safety: Well tolerated. Increasing intake gradually with adequate fluid helps the microbiome adapt and limits transient gas.
Evidence strength: A broad and consistent body of mechanistic and human work, with larger standardised trials still adding detail.