Understanding Nutrition: Why Do Bananas Stop Me Feeling Sick?

October 10, 2025 •

4 min read

Historically, the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast) has been a go-to remedy for digestive upset. There are several key nutritional reasons rooted in this approach that explain why do bananas stop me feeling sick, making them a gentle and effective food choice when you're under the weather.

Quick Summary

Bananas offer a nutritional and easily digestible solution for settling an upset stomach. They help restore lost electrolytes like potassium, stimulate protective stomach mucus, provide bland energy, and contain vitamin B6, which is linked to reducing nausea. Their pectin fiber also aids digestive recovery.

Key Points

Electrolyte Restoration: Bananas are rich in potassium, a crucial electrolyte that is often depleted during bouts of vomiting and diarrhea.
Stomach Protection: They stimulate the production of protective mucus in the stomach, which helps create a barrier against irritating stomach acid.
Gentle Digestion: As part of the BRAT diet, bananas are easy to digest due to their bland, soft texture and simple carbohydrate content.
Vitamin B6 Benefits: A good source of vitamin B6, bananas may help reduce nausea, a benefit particularly noted in studies on morning sickness.
Gut Health Support: The pectin fiber in bananas helps bind stools and feeds beneficial gut bacteria, promoting a healthy digestive system during recovery.
Ripeness Matters: Ripe bananas are easier to digest and less likely to cause gas than their unripe, resistant starch-rich counterparts.

The Core Nutritional Benefits

When you're feeling sick, your body's digestive system can be sensitive, making many foods unpalatable or hard to tolerate. Bananas are a traditional favorite for a reason, offering several physiological benefits that combat nausea and digestive discomfort. The combination of their nutrient profile and physical properties makes them uniquely suited for a delicate stomach.

Replenishing Lost Electrolytes

One of the most significant reasons bananas help is their high potassium content. Vomiting and diarrhea lead to a loss of essential electrolytes, including potassium, which can cause symptoms like nausea, weakness, and fatigue. A single medium-sized banana provides a quick and easily absorbable dose of potassium to help restore your body's balance. This rapid repletion of electrolytes is crucial for maintaining proper nerve and muscle function, which can be disrupted by imbalances.

Stimulating Protective Mucus

Bananas have a natural antacid effect that can be soothing for an irritated stomach. They work by stimulating the production of mucus within the stomach lining. This mucus acts as a protective barrier, shielding the stomach lining from the corrosive effects of stomach acid that can cause heartburn and general stomach upset. This mechanism provides gentle, natural relief without the need for strong medications.

The Role of Vitamin B6

Bananas are a good source of vitamin B6, a nutrient long studied for its effectiveness against nausea and vomiting, particularly during pregnancy (morning sickness). Vitamin B6 is involved in the synthesis of neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, which play roles in mood and the gut-brain axis. For those with milder nausea, the B6 in bananas may contribute to a calming effect on the digestive system.

A Foundation of the BRAT Diet

Bananas are the 'B' in the classic BRAT diet, a regimen once widely recommended for recovering from gastrointestinal illnesses.

Blandness: The mild flavor and soft texture make bananas easy to tolerate when most other foods are unappealing.
Easy Digestibility: Bananas, especially ripe ones, are very easy on the digestive system, requiring minimal effort to process.
Binding Properties: The fiber in bananas, particularly a type called pectin, can help to normalize bowel movements and bind stools, which is beneficial when dealing with diarrhea.

Consideration of Fiber Content

The fiber in bananas, especially pectin, is important for gut health. Pectin forms a gel in the stomach that can slow down the digestive process, which can help regulate appetite and stabilize blood sugar. For those with diarrhea, this binding effect can be particularly helpful. The prebiotic fiber in bananas can also feed beneficial gut bacteria, promoting a healthy digestive ecosystem. However, as the table below shows, the ripeness of the banana significantly impacts its fiber content and digestibility.

The Importance of Ripeness

The ripeness of a banana determines its sugar and starch composition, which affects how your body digests it. Knowing which ripeness is best for your current symptoms is key to getting relief.


Feature	Ripe (Yellow) Banana	Unripe (Green) Banana
Carbohydrates	Higher in simple sugars and lower in starch.	High in resistant starch, which is fermented in the large intestine.
Glycemic Index	Medium, with a GI of around 57.	Low, with a GI of around 47.
Digestibility	Very easy to digest due to easily broken-down carbohydrates.	More difficult to digest, can cause gas or bloating in sensitive individuals.
Digestive Effect	Gentle on the stomach; often used to alleviate diarrhea.	Can help feed beneficial gut bacteria but may be too harsh for an upset stomach.
Best for Nausea	Recommended for its blandness, soft texture, and digestibility.	Best to avoid if experiencing nausea due to higher resistant starch content.

Potential Considerations for Some Individuals

While generally beneficial, bananas can cause issues for some people. Those with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) may find that the high FODMAP (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols) content of ripe bananas can trigger symptoms like bloating and gas. Unripe bananas are lower in FODMAPs, but their resistant starch may still cause discomfort for some. Individuals with fructose malabsorption or rare banana allergies should also exercise caution. For most, however, bananas are a safe and soothing choice. For more details on the nutritional breakdown of bananas, you can consult sources like The Nutrition Source from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Conclusion

Ultimately, bananas are a reliable food for when you’re feeling sick due to their unique combination of beneficial properties. They aid in rebalancing electrolytes lost from vomiting and diarrhea, offer protective benefits to the stomach lining, and provide a gentle source of energy through easily digestible carbohydrates. The presence of vitamin B6 further enhances their anti-nausea effects, making them a holistic and comforting food choice. By understanding these mechanisms and considering your own sensitivities, you can effectively leverage bananas to find relief when your stomach is upset.

Frequently Asked Questions

For most people, bananas are soothing, but for those with IBS or fructose intolerance, the high content of soluble fiber, fructose, and sorbitol can cause gas, bloating, and cramps, especially if the bananas are very ripe.

No, ripe (yellow) bananas are generally better. Green bananas contain more resistant starch, which is harder to digest and can sometimes cause gas or bloating, whereas ripe bananas have more easily digestible sugars and a softer texture.

The soothing effect can be fairly quick. The carbohydrates provide a rapid energy boost, while the potassium begins to restore electrolyte balance almost immediately. Stomach mucus production also starts shortly after consumption.

Yes, bananas are a recommended food for morning sickness due to their blandness and vitamin B6 content, which has been shown to help reduce nausea and vomiting during pregnancy.

The BRAT diet is an acronym for Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast. It was traditionally recommended for people with digestive issues like diarrhea due to the blandness and binding nature of these foods, which are easy to digest.

Yes, bananas are often recommended for chemotherapy patients experiencing nausea. Their blandness and easy-to-digest nature make them one of the few foods that are tolerable during treatment. They also help replenish potassium lost from vomiting.

For most people, eating a banana on an empty stomach is fine and can help settle things. However, some traditional advice suggests not eating a banana on an entirely empty stomach if you are sensitive, so it's best to eat based on what feels right for your body.