Did you know that as those bananas ripen in your kitchen, their nutritional qualities alter as well? They get sweeter as they ripen. Why? Because starches, which aren't usually sweet, start to break down into sugar due to enzymes found in bananas, This also facilitates easier gut digestion for the banana.
Additionally, Japanese researchers recently discovered something fascinating about bananas; as a banana ripens, it produces more antioxidants than its fresher brethren contain. When the banana has dark spots on the peel, it produces what’s called TNF, or Tumor Necrosis Factor, a substance that combats cancer and abnormal cells. The darker the spots, the more powerful the banana at killing cancer cells. A ripe banana is eight times more effective in boosting the body’s immune system than a fresh banana is.
So the best time to eat a banana? When it’s fully ripe. But it’s worth noting, if you suffer type 2 diabetes, you may want to eat a ripe banana with nut butter. The fats in the nut butter will slow down sugar absorption in your blood stream so it doesn’t hit you all at once, making it easier for your body to break down.