Banana stem powder is safe to take and may feed gut bacteria
Medicinal Plants
Banana pseudostems are typically hauled off as waste after harvest, so if that fibrous inner core can be dried and powdered into a supplement that feeds beneficial gut bacteria, it gives backyard banana growers and small tropical farmers a reason to use the whole plant.
When a banana plant finishes fruiting, its thick trunk-like stalk gets cut down and thrown away. That stalk, called a pseudostem, has a soft fibrous core that researchers ground into powder and asked volunteers to take daily. The small trial found people could handle it without problems, and early signs suggest it may encourage helpful bacteria to thrive in the gut.
Key Findings
Musa sp. pseudo-stem core powder was feasible and tolerable as a daily dietary supplement in a pilot randomised controlled trial
The powder showed potential to modulate gut microbiota composition, suggesting prebiotic-like activity from banana stem fiber
The study design was a randomised controlled trial, providing a higher level of evidence than observational work on banana plant byproducts
chevron_right Technical Summary
A pilot clinical trial tested whether powder made from the inner core of banana plant pseudostems is safe and practical to take as a daily supplement, finding it was well-tolerated and may help shift gut bacteria toward a healthier balance.
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