Health Benefits of Banana: Check the 11 Health Benefits of Banana and who should avoid Banana

Health Benefits of Banana: Check the 11 Health Benefits of Banana and who should avoid Banana

Health Benefits of Banana: The healthiest, most practical, tastiest, and least costly fresh fruit you can

purchase is the banana. They are therefore a fantastic option for anyone who wants to eat healthily.

Despite being native to Southeast Asia, they are widely available since they grow anywhere in warm temperatures. The Cavendish cultivar, the most typical kind discovered in food shops, begins hard and green but ripens to golden, soft, and delicious.

Health Benefits of Banana: Check the 11 Health Benefits of Banana and who should avoid Banana

Banana scientific name:

Banana scientific name: Musa sp. Family : Musaceae Banana is one of the oldest fruit known to mankind

Bananas contain many essential nutrients and may benefit weight loss, digestion, and heart health.

Who should avoid Banana

Individuals with advanced renal disease must carefully control their potassium intake. Potassium-rich foods can also conflict with several heart failure and high blood pressure drugs. For the average person, it would undoubtedly take more than one banana to greatly increase potassium levels.

Health Benefits of Banana: Check the 11 Health Benefits of Banana and who should avoid Banana

Here are 11 science-based health benefits of bananas.

1. Rich in nutrients

Vitamins in Banana: Bananas contain a fair amount of fiber and several antioxidants and Vitamins. One regular-sized banana (126 grams) also boasts:

• Calories: 112
• Fat: 0 grams
• Protein: 1 gram
• Carbs: 29 grams
• Fiber: 3 grams
• Vitamin C: 12% of the Daily Value (DV)
• Riboflavin: 7% of the DV
• Folate: 6% of the DV
• Niacin: 5% of the DV
• Copper: 11% of the DV
• Potassium: 10% of the DV
• Magnesium: 8% of the DV

A banana contains mostly water and carbohydrates and has roughly 112 calories. They have no fat and very little protein.

Most of the carbohydrates in green, unripe bananas take the form of starch and resistant starch, a sort of indigestible fibre that we’ll discuss later. The fruit’s flavour gets sweeter and its fibre content decreases as it ripens.

2. May improve blood sugar levels

Bananas are rich in soluble fiber. During digestion, soluble fiber dissolves in liquid to form a gel. It’s also what gives bananas their sponge-like texture.

Unripe bananas also contain resistant starch, which isn’t digested by your body.

Together, these two types of fiber may moderate your blood sugar levels after meals. Plus, they may help regulate your appetite by slowing the emptying of your stomach.

This means that despite their higher carb content, bananas won’t cause major spikes in blood sugar levels in healthy individuals. However, while people with diabetes can enjoy bananas, it’s not recommended to enjoy a large portion in one sitting.

3. May support digestive health

Numerous health advantages of dietary fibre, including better digestion, have been attributed to it. About 3 grammes of fibre are included in one medium banana.

Unripe bananas contain resistant starch, a prebiotic kind of fibre. Prebiotics bypass the digestive process and wind up in the large intestine, where they feed the good bacteria in your gut.

Pectin, a fibre included in both ripe and unripe bananas, may further aid in preventing constipation and softening faeces.

Some test-tube studies even propose that pectin may help protect against colon cancer, although research in humans is still needed to confirm this benefit.

4. May aid weight loss

The benefits of bananas on weight loss have not been formally studied. This well-known fruit does, however, offer a number of qualities that could make it a healthy food for weight reduction.

Bananas are quite low in calories, to start. Although the typical banana has just over 100 calories, it is healthy and satisfying.

Numerous studies have connected increased fibre intake from fruits and vegetables to reduced body weight and weight reduction.

Unripe bananas are also a good source of resistant starch, which makes them full and lessens hunger.

5. May support heart health

A key element for maintaining heart function and controlling blood pressure is potassium. Even though potassium is crucial, few individuals consume enough of it daily.

With a medium-sized banana (126 grammes) containing 10% of the DV, bananas are a convenient and excellent source of potassium.

You may reduce your blood pressure by eating a diet high in potassium. Additionally, persons who consume a lot of potassium had a 27% decreased chance of developing heart disease, according to earlier studies and experiments on animals.

Additionally, bananas include 8% of the Daily Value (DV) of magnesium, another mineral that is vital for heart health.

Magnesium deficiency may be linked to an increased risk of heart disease, elevated blood pressure, and high levels of fats in the blood. As such, it’s essential that you get enough of the mineral from your diet or supplements.

6. Full of antioxidants

Bananas are a great source of dietary antioxidants, much like other fruits and vegetables.

They include amines and flavonoids, two different classes of strong antioxidants.

Numerous health advantages, including a decreased risk of heart disease and degenerative diseases, are associated with these antioxidants.

They aid in preventing the oxidative harm that free radicals do to your cells. Without antioxidants, free radicals can accumulate over time and damage your body if their levels become too high.

7. May help you feel fuller

Bananas include soluble fibre, which may help you feel full by giving your digestive system more bulk and delaying digestion.

In addition, considering their size, bananas have very little calories.

Bananas are a more satiating snack than other foods like processed or sugar-filled packaged snacks because of their low calorie and high fibre content when combined.

Bananas are low in protein, a macronutrient that is very satisfying. So, to stave off hunger, combine sliced bananas with protein-packed meals like Greek yoghurt or add them to a protein smoothie.

8. May improve insulin sensitivity when unripe

Type 2 diabetes and other chronic illnesses are significantly increased by insulin resistance.

Numerous studies show that consuming resistant starch on a regular basis, such as by eating unripe bananas, may enhance insulin sensitivity. Your body may respond to this blood sugar-regulating hormone more readily as a result.

But additional analysis of how the resistant starch in bananas could impact insulin sensitivity is required.

9. May improve kidney health

Potassium is essential for normal blood pressure and proper kidney function.

Bananas, which are excellent dietary sources of potassium, may be particularly helpful for maintaining the health of your kidneys.

In a research involving nearly 5,000 individuals with early-stage chronic renal disease, potassium was associated with lower blood pressure and a slower advancement of the condition.

On the other hand, certain individuals with advanced renal disease or dialysis patients need to limit their potassium consumption. Before boosting your potassium consumption, see your medical team if you fit into one of these groups.

10. May support exercise recovery

It’s been said that bananas are the ideal nourishment for athletes. This is partly because they include carbohydrates that are simple to digest and the minerals potassium and magnesium, which both function as electrolytes.

During intense activity, your perspiration contains electrolytes that you lose. Exercise-related muscular cramps and discomfort may be lessened by replenishing your body with potassium and magnesium after perspiring, such as by eating a banana.

However, specific research on the effects of bananas on exercise performance, cramping, and exercise recovery is lacking.

Nevertheless, bananas provide excellent nutrition before, during, and after exercise.

11. Easy to add to your diet

Not only are bananas wonderfully nutritious, but they are also one of the most practical snack foods available.

They are a wonderful topping for whole grain toast with peanut butter as well as yoghurt, cereal, and smoothies. Even better, you may substitute them for sugar while baking and cooking.

Bananas are also quite simple to travel and eat. They typically digest smoothly and are well tolerated. All you have to do to prepare them is peel them.

Conclusion

A common fruit with several possible health advantages is the banana.

Because of their fibre and antioxidant content, they may improve your digestion and heart health. Furthermore, because they are full, nutrient-rich, and low in calories, they may aid in weight loss.

Both ripe, yellow bananas and unripe, green bananas can satisfy your sweet tooth and help keep you healthy.