12 Incredible Health Benefits Of Bananas

Introduction

Bananas are one of the most popular and handy fruits in the market. This elongated, golden-yellow fruit is botanically a berry. It belongs to a Musaceae family, usually found in all parts of India.

In India, the banana is an important fruit. It can be used in various sweet dishes such as desserts and salads. It can be consumed raw as well as ripe fruit. 

Doctors always advise you to include an apple in your diet to keep your health balanced. However, a banana is as nourishing as an apple so you can add them to your diet. They contain essential nutrients that can have a protective impact on health.

Nutritional Facts about Banana

Bananas are rich in vitamins, minerals, fibre and simple sugar. They contain no fat. Bananas are a rich source of vitamin B6, vitamin A, folate, vitamin C, fibres, magnesium, potassium and carbohydrates. 

Health Benefits of Banana

1. May improve digestion:

Banana is rich in soluble and insoluble fibres that play an essential role in digestive health. Soluble fibres help to control blood sugar levels and may reduce cholesterol levels. Insoluble fibres may soften your stool and regulate intestinal movements. 

Banana deals with your hyperacidity symptoms by protecting the stomach lining from ulcers. It also helps to guard the stomach against unfriendly bacteria that are responsible for causing gastrointestinal disturbances.

I would recommend eating green or unripe bananas! They contain resistant starch that may act as a prebiotic, promoting the growth of good bacteria in your colon. This might improve your digestive health and may be helpful if you have diarrhoea.

Dr. Rajeev Singh, BAMS

2. Helps to improve heart health:

Banana is essential for your heart health. It is rich in potassium, minerals, and electrolytes that help to maintain your heart health. Banana has high potassium and low sodium content. Hence, it may also help to protect your cardiovascular system against high blood pressure.  

A medium-sized banana will provide around 320-400 mg of potassium, which meets about 10% of your daily potassium needs.

In my opinion, try including bananas in your diet to support your heart health! They contain a good amount of vitamin B6, which might help to regulate a harmful amino acid called homocysteine in your blood. By keeping homocysteine levels in check, bananas may lower the risk of heart problems like heart attacks, strokes, and blood clots.

Dr. Smita Barode, B.A.M.S, M.S. 

3. Helps to build lean muscles:

If you feel recurrent soreness of muscles after a workout, you may lack magnesium in your body. A magnesium-rich banana may help with muscle contraction and relaxation that increase lean muscle mass.  

4. Supports bone health:

Though bananas are not high in calcium, they can help to maintain your bone health. How? Banana contains a prebiotic named- Fructooligosaccharides. Fructooligosaccharides help to enhance the ability of the body to absorb calcium. Hence, this prebiotic may help to improve the bone health of your body.  

5. Helps muscles to recover after exercise:

Banana is rich in potassium which helps to recover your muscles after a workout. Consuming bananas after exercise may help to strengthen your muscles and it allows you to work out more.

6. Helps to reduce bloating:

Bloating makes you feel uneasy. Banana may help you in this situation, fight back against gas and water retention. It might increase the bloat-fighting bacteria in the stomach. Also, it might help to diminish the retained fluid in the body as it is rich in potassium. 

7. Helps to make you feel fuller:

Unripe bananas make you feel fuller for a longer time. It is rich in a specific starch called resistant starch. This starch helps to resist the digestion process. It helps to suppress your hunger and make you feel fuller. Since the raw bananas are bitter, you can make a smoothie with other fruits and vegetables. 

8. May improve kidney health:

Banana is rich in potassium which helps to keep your kidneys healthy and clean. Some studies suggest that those who eat bananas 4–6 times a week are almost 50% less likely to develop kidney disease than those who don’t eat this fruit.

9. Helps to fight against anaemia:

Due to the high folate content in the bananas, they are healthy for those suffering from anaemia. Anaemia-induced fatigue and paleness may reduce by the daily consumption of bananas. 

10. May help with a hangover:

A hangover is the worst thing after a rocking party. Banana may help you in this condition. Consuming a banana smoothie made of milk/curd or banana with some milk and a few strawberries may help to provide relief from the hangover.

I would suggest eating bananas if you want to give your immune system some extra power. To keep your body happy and healthy, adults need around 75 to 90 milligrams of vitamin C every day. Now, a banana can give you about 10 milligrams of vitamin C. That’s right, this yellow fruit packs a punch of this special vitamin that may help you absorb iron and make your immune system stronger.

Dr. Siddharth Gupta, B.A.M.S, M.D (Ayu)

11. Supports eye health:

Banana is rich in vitamin A, vitamin E, lutein and antioxidants that help keep your vision healthy. Lutein is a nutrient that may help to reduce the risk for macular degeneration.

12. May help to whiten the teeth:

Banana peel is very beneficial to whiten teeth. Gently rubbing the inside part of the banana peel for about 2 minutes will give the desired effect of white and bright teeth.

13. Pectin in Bananas may help detoxify the body:

Bananas are rich in pectin. Research has shown that pectin can limit the amount of fat your cells can absorb. Pectin can also help regulate blood sugar levels. 

14. Bananas may help the body burn fat:

Bananas contain 12 mg of choline. Choline is a fat-blasting B vitamin that acts directly on the genes that cause fat storage in the abdomen. This compound in bananas helps the body to burn fat easily with exercise.

15. Bananas may help keep diseases at bay:

Bananas are rich in three different types of carotenoids, namely beta-carotene, provitamin A carotenoids and alpha-carotene. Our body has the ability to convert these to Vitamin A. According to studies, foods containing high levels of carotenoids have been shown to protect against chronic diseases like diabetes, certain cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

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