NutriDex

The Supplement Research Compendium
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Plantain

Musa × paradisiaca

Starchy cooking banana rich in potassium

Moderate evidence 🍎Fruits

✚ Updated · How we grade evidence

Evidence tier
Moderate
Research weight
Citations
8 verified / 8
Classification
Fruits
❝
What the evidence says. Several controlled trials; effects real but modest or context-dependent.

Nutrition per serving 1 medium, raw (179 g)

179gSERVING
  • Water 116.9 g66%
  • Sugars 26.9 g15%
  • Fibre 4.1 g2%
  • Other carbs 26.1 g15%
  • Protein 2.3 g1%
  • Fat 0.7 g0%
What's in one serving, by weight — average composition (USDA).
Potassium19%Vitamin C37%Vitamin B632%Magnesium16%Vitamin A11%Fiber15%
One serving as % of the adult daily requirement (FDA Daily Values). The bold outer ring = 100% of a day's needs.
218 kcal2.3 g protein4.1 g fiber0.7 g fat
NutrientPer serving% daily value
Potassium893 mg19%
Vitamin C33 mg37%
Vitamin B60.54 mg32%
Magnesium66 mg16%
Vitamin A100 mcg RAE11%
Fiber4.1 g15%
Folate39 mcg DFE10%
Total sugars27 g0%

Composition data: USDA FoodData Central ↗

What is Plantain?

Plantain (Musa × paradisiaca) is a fruit used for potassium-driven blood-pressure and stroke-risk reduction (nutrient-level evidence). NutriDex grades the human evidence as Moderate. Plantain is a starchy cooking banana whose health relevance rests mainly on its nutrient and starch composition rather than on disease trials of the fruit itself. It is a strong potassium source, and high-quality meta-analyses link higher potassium intake (around 90 mmol/3,500 mg per day) to lower stroke risk and modest blood-pressure reduction in hypertensive adults. Unripe green plantain is rich in resistant starch (type 2); a meta-analysis of 19 RCTs found resistant starch modestly lowers fasting glucose and HOMA-insulin resistance, especially above ~28 g/day, though most trials used isolated/maize/wheat starch, not plantain. Its dietary fiber aligns with prospective and umbrella-review evidence connecting higher fiber intake to lower cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. The most direct fruit-specific trial showed a cooked green-plantain diet shortened persistent diarrhea in hospitalized children versus a yogurt diet. Key limits: few randomized trials test plantain directly, ripeness dramatically changes starch versus sugar content, and most benefits are extrapolated from its constituent nutrients rather than whole-fruit endpoints.

Purported Benefits

✓Potassium-driven blood-pressure and stroke-risk reduction (nutrient-level evidence)
✓Resistant starch in unripe/green fruit blunts postprandial glucose and improves insulin resistance
✓Dietary fiber contributes to cardiovascular and all-cause mortality risk reduction
✓Adjunct dietary management of persistent diarrhea (green-plantain diets in children)
✓Fermentable starch supports gut microbiota and short-chain fatty acid (butyrate) production
✓Provides vitamin B6, vitamin C and magnesium toward daily micronutrient needs

Dosing & Compounds

Typical Dose
1 medium plantain (~179 g); culinary staple eaten cooked — boiled, fried, or roasted — typically green (starchy) or ripe (sweet). Nutrition figures below are for raw fruit; cooking (especially frying) concentrates calories and alters starch/sugar balance.
Active Compounds
Resistant starch (RS2) — high in unripe/green fruit, declines with ripeningPotassium (electrolyte mineral)Dietary fiber including pectin and celluloseVitamin B6 (pyridoxine)Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)Provitamin-A carotenoids (beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, lutein)Phenolic compounds (ferulic acid, gallic/catechin-type polyphenols)MagnesiumFree and resistant maltose/sugars formed on ripening

Safety & Cautions

Generally safe as a food. Plantain is high in potassium, so people with advanced chronic kidney disease or on potassium-sparing/RAAS-blocking medications should moderate intake to avoid hyperkalemia. Ripe and especially fried plantain is calorie- and sugar-dense and raises postprandial glucose, relevant for diabetes and weight management; green/boiled forms have a lower glycemic impact. Fried preparations add substantial fat and calories. Banana/plantain (Musa) allergy and latex-fruit cross-reactivity are uncommon but possible. Educational only — always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining Plantain with any medicine.

Key Studies

Systematic review/meta-analysis Xiong 2020 ✓ Full text
Meta-analysis of 19 RCTs: resistant starch lowered fasting glucose (-0.09 mmol/L) and HOMA-IR (-0.33), with larger effects above 28 g/day or >8 weeks.
Systematic review/meta-analysis Vinceti 2016 ✓ PubMed
Dose-response meta-analysis of 16 cohorts: higher potassium intake associated with lower stroke risk, with the lowest risk at ~90 mmol (~3,500 mg)/day.
Systematic review/meta-analysis Reynolds 2019 ✓ Full text
Lancet systematic reviews/meta-analyses: highest vs lowest fiber intake gave 15-30% lower CVD and all-cause mortality; benefit greatest at 25-29 g/day fiber.
Umbrella review Veronese 2018 ✓ Full text
Umbrella review of 298 prospective studies: dietary fiber intake showed highly significant evidence for lower CVD and CVD mortality.
Systematic review/meta-analysis Aburto 2013 ✓ Full text
Meta-analysis (BMJ): higher potassium cut systolic BP 3.49 mmHg in hypertensives and was linked to 24% lower stroke risk, without adverse renal/lipid effects.
Systematic review/meta-analysis D'Elia 2011 ✓ Full text
Meta-analysis of 11 prospective studies (247,510 adults): 1.64 g/day higher potassium intake associated with 21% lower stroke risk.
Randomized controlled trial Hughes 2021 ✓ Full text
Double-blind crossover RCT: resistant starch type 2 (from wheat) reduced postprandial glucose and insulin and shifted gut microbiota/fermentation vs conventional starch.
Randomized controlled trial Alvarez-Acosta 2009 ✓ PubMed
RCT in 80 children (1-28 mo): cooked green-plantain diet (50 g/L) shortened persistent diarrhea ~18 h vs a yogurt diet, reducing stool output/weight and improving daily weight gain.
8 sources cited · 8 verified Search all studies on PubMed ↗

Common questions about Plantain

What is Plantain used for?

Plantain is most often taken for Potassium-driven blood-pressure and stroke-risk reduction (nutrient-level evidence), Resistant starch in unripe/green fruit blunts postprandial glucose and improves insulin resistance, Dietary fiber contributes to cardiovascular and all-cause mortality risk reduction, Adjunct dietary management of persistent diarrhea (green-plantain diets in children). Starchy cooking banana rich in potassium

Does Plantain work — what does the evidence say?

Moderate evidence. Several controlled trials; effects real but modest or context-dependent. Plantain is a starchy cooking banana whose health relevance rests mainly on its nutrient and starch composition rather than on disease trials of the fruit itself. It is a strong potassium source, and high-quality meta-analyses link higher potassium intake (around 90 mmol/3,500 mg per day) to lower stroke risk and modest blood-pressure reduction in hypertensive adults. Unripe green plantain is rich in resistant starch (type 2); a meta-analysis of 19 RCTs found resistant starch modestly lowers fasting glucose and HOMA-insulin resistance, especially above ~28 g/day, though most trials used isolated/maize/wheat starch, not plantain. Its dietary fiber aligns with prospective and umbrella-review evidence connecting higher fiber intake to lower cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. The most direct fruit-specific trial showed a cooked green-plantain diet shortened persistent diarrhea in hospitalized children versus a yogurt diet. Key limits: few randomized trials test plantain directly, ripeness dramatically changes starch versus sugar content, and most benefits are extrapolated from its constituent nutrients rather than whole-fruit endpoints.

What is the typical dose of Plantain?

1 medium plantain (~179 g); culinary staple eaten cooked — boiled, fried, or roasted — typically green (starchy) or ripe (sweet). Nutrition figures below are for raw fruit; cooking (especially frying) concentrates calories and alters starch/sugar balance.

Is Plantain safe? Any cautions or side effects?

Generally safe as a food. Plantain is high in potassium, so people with advanced chronic kidney disease or on potassium-sparing/RAAS-blocking medications should moderate intake to avoid hyperkalemia. Ripe and especially fried plantain is calorie- and sugar-dense and raises postprandial glucose, relevant for diabetes and weight management; green/boiled forms have a lower glycemic impact. Fried preparations add substantial fat and calories. Banana/plantain (Musa) allergy and latex-fruit cross-reactivity are uncommon but possible.

How many studies support Plantain?

NutriDex cites 8 sources for Plantain, graded "Moderate".

Cite this page
APA

Peh, D. (2026). Plantain (Musa × paradisiaca): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects & Evidence. NutriDex — The Supplement Research Compendium. Retrieved 26 Jun 2026, from https://nutridex.info/s/plantain

BibTeX
@misc{nutridex_plantain,
  author       = {Peh, Daryl},
  title        = {Plantain (Musa × paradisiaca): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects \& Evidence},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {NutriDex --- The Supplement Research Compendium},
  url          = {https://nutridex.info/s/plantain},
  note         = {Reviewed by Dr Daryl Peh, MBBS Singapore, MMed FM. Accessed 2026-06-26}
}

For medical claims, citing the underlying primary studies linked above is preferred. NutriDex is an educational reference, not medical advice.

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