“An apple a day keeps the doctor away”, is something we have been hearing since our childhood. However, we have never been told the importance of a banana. Once you discover the health benefits of adding banana to your diet, banana is not going to be the same for you.
Bananas are available all around the world. Not only it is a healthy part of your diet, but it also helps to combat depression, cures diabetes and osteoporosis, relieves hangovers, helps you recover from morning sickness and much more.
Here I bring you 12 overwhelming health benefits of eating banana:
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- 1. Banana acts effectively to slow down digestion
- 2. Banana carries loads of nutrients
- 3. Banana regulates blood sugar levels
- 4. Eating banana helps you be more regular
- 5. Huge energy source
- 6. Banana has a high potassium content
- 7. Helps to enhance eyesight
- 8. Banana helps you fight several diseases, including cancer
- 9. Banana helps lower blood pressure levels
- 10. Acts as active weight loss ingredient
- 11. Promotes the process of detoxification
- 12. Banana also helps you to get stronger
1. Banana acts effectively to slow down digestion
Banana is full of soluble and insoluble fibers. The soluble fibers act effectively in slowing down the digestion process and keep you full for a long time.
This is why so many people have a banana with their breakfast, so that they do not have to worry about being hungry before their next meal.
With your stomach already full, you are less likely to eat more; therefore, this also becomes an integral part of the weight loss plan.
2. Banana carries loads of nutrients
Banana can simply be referred to as a powerhouse of nutrients.
It is one complete fruit when it comes to nutrition.
It has all the essential vitamins and minerals that are needed to keep the body healthy, such as Potassium, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Folate, Niacin, Riboflavin and even B6.
1 Banana is considered to be about 126 gram, Each Banana have:-
- Vitamin B6 – 0.5 mg
- Manganese – 0.3 mg
- Vitamin C – 9 mg
- Potassium – 450 mg
- Dietary Fiber – 3g
- Protein – 1 g
- Magnesium – 34 mg
- Folate – 25.0 mcg
- Riboflavin – 0.1 mg
- Niacin – 0.8 mg
- Vitamin A – 81 IU
- Iron – 0.3 mg
The vitamins and minerals you get from eating bananas on a regular basis help you to fulfill the lack of nutrients in your body. This ensures the functioning of your body and keeps you healthy.
3. Banana regulates blood sugar levels
For individuals who consume protein and healthy fat a lot, having banana is always recommended. The nutrient content of banana reduces the sugar absorption from food into your blood stream.
Yes, banana does help you to lower your blood sugar levels. (source)
Bananas consist of two important ingredients that moderate blood sugar levels; pectin, which forms the fiber part, and resistant starch, which is found mostly in unripe bananas.
Both of these work effectively towards lowering blood sugar levels. They also work to reduce appetite, as they slow down stomach emptying.
4. Eating banana helps you be more regular
Bananas are a must for people who are suffering from diarrhea.
As mentioned in Point 1, banana contains both soluble and insoluble fibers. So, as the insoluble fibers travel through the digestive tract, it also takes up the waste and helps push it out.
One 6 inch banana plays a very important role in regular and smooth bowel movements that are easy to pass. If you consume a lot of calories, then you must add banana to your diet to help support bowel movements.
5. Huge energy source
For individuals that workout or are an athlete, banana becomes the right energy food.
You must know that even athletes from various sports eat a banana when they feel like having a snack.
You might get worried about the rising sugar levels, but according to studies, bananas have a glycemic index of 52, which includes 24g of carbs. Fruits with a glycemic index lower than 55 are absorbed slowly, therefore acting as insulin and preventing sugar absorption.
Banana is an integral part of a weight loss diet. It contains 100 calories on average, which is enough to satisfy your hunger. It not only gives your body necessary vitamins and minerals, but it also provides consistent energy.
6. Banana has a high potassium content
Banana is a huge source of potassium; this is a very important mineral, as it helps to maintain fluid levels in the body. It also helps to regulate the movement of nutrients and waste products in and out of the cells.
Potassium helps the muscles to contract and empowers the nerve cells to respond. It also reduces the effects of sodium on blood pressure and ensures a regular heartbeat.
Studies show that the average banana consists of 422 mg of potassium, which is around 9% of RDI, or the recommended daily value.
Potassium plays an important role in heart regularity. And banana (as a food in diet) becomes the primary source, where potassium is concerned.
7. Helps to enhance eyesight
As we have already discussed, banana is a powerhouse of nutrients, consisting of lots of vitamins and minerals.
Banana is also known to have a small amount of Vitamin A, too; This is an important vitamin that protects our eyes and ensures normal vision. Vitamin A consists of two compounds; beta-carotene and alpha-carotene. These components work to preserve the membranes that surround our eyes.
A 6-inch banana consists of a minimum of 10mg of Vitamin A. A banana also contains both alpha-carotene and beta-carotene, which also convert to Vitamin A, keeping our eyes healthy and enhancing our vision.
8. Banana helps you fight several diseases, including cancer
Banana contains lot of carotenoids (provitamin A, beta-carotene and alpha-carotene), studies show that foods containing carotenoids are known to protect from several chronic diseases, which include cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and even cancer.
Banana contains Delphinidin, an antioxidant which has anti-tumor properties.
Studies show that concentrations of Delphinidin to stomach cancer cells, reduces its growth and proliferation.
Hence, it prevents the growth of cancer.
9. Banana helps lower blood pressure levels
Regulating sodium intake is very important to lowering blood pressure; however, potassium intake is also important to counter the sodium present in our body.
It is important to reduce the salt content in the body when it comes to high blood pressure. Now, banana helps you to get low salt content and increased potassium content.
This helps you to lower blood pressure and also protects you against heart attack and stroke.
10. Acts as active weight loss ingredient
Bananas do not actually reduce weight, but they effectively take part in the weight loss process.
Banana is a fibrous fruit, consisting of insoluble fibers too; also, it contains very few calories (an average of 100 calories per banana), which makes it nutritious as well as filling at the same time.
It is the weight loss diet fruit, that not only provides you with the right nutrients, but prevents you from eating more. Banana keeps your stomach full for a longer time.
11. Promotes the process of detoxification
Pectin is an anti-toxic; bananas are also rich in pectin, which acts as a natural detox (plays an important part in the detoxification process).
The soluble and sticky gelatin-like structure sticks to the toxic compounds in the blood and pushes them out through the urine.
We are aware of the negative effects of mercury in our body. The citrus pectin fights the increased mercury excretion through urine. It has also been found that pectin reduces the amount of fat that our cells absorb, which acts as an active weight loss bonus.
12. Banana also helps you to get stronger
Calcium is the most important mineral needed to have stronger bones.
Although bananas are not high in calcium, daily intake of one banana can help you to promote calcium uptake with the help of fructooligosaccharides.
As they ferment in the stomach itself, it increases the calcium-absorbing power of our body.
This allows your body to absorb more calcium from food.
Conclusion:-
Bananas are very easily available; people often prefer to eat bananas while traveling. It is easy to eat, travel with and one can digest it easily.
This makes banana one of the healthiest fruits that you can eat.
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