Top 11 Surprising Health Benefits of Banana
Most of us think that bananas are the only good source of potassium, but are you aware that bananas are loaded with several health benefits? Banana contains several important nutrients and good for heart health, weight loss, and digestion. Apart from being nutritious, bananas are also extremely convenient snack fruit or food.
However, stop thinking that bananas are for monkeys only, why not start discovering the different health benefits of banana.
Surprising Health Benefits of Banana
#1. Regulate Blood Levels
Bananas are a good source of fiber known as pectin, which provides the flesh structural form. However, unripe banana contains resistant starch that escapes digestion and acts as soluble fiber. Both resistant starch and pectin may regulate blood sugar levels every after meal time and reduce hunger by emptying your stomach slowly.
#2. Improved Digestion
Some of your diets do not provide sufficient amount of fiber. However, fiber is very important since it aids food to travel smoothly through your digestive tract and improves bowel movements.
Furthermore, banana is a good source of fiber (dietary). When you are suffering from constipation, you must eat a banana instead of consuming a laxative. Aside from being a good source of fiber, bananas are also rich in FOs (fructooligosaccharides) – a prebiotic that feeds good bacteria that living in your digestive tract. And these good bacteria absorb nutrients efficiently.
#3. Maintain Healthy Heart Condition
The essential nutrients found in bananas such as B6, vitamin C, potassium and dietary fibers are all important in maintaining healthy heart condition.
According to Mark Houston a clinical professor consuming more amount of potassium can lessen the possibility of cardiovascular disease.
Moreover, if you consumed 4069 milligrams of potassium every day the chance of heart disease is lowered down. Also, consuming more potassium can protect your muscles, preserve bone mineral density, prevent stroke, and reduce kidney stone formation.
#4. Weight Loss
Bananas contain small amount calories, but there is no study proves that eating a banana is an effective way to lose weight. A normal banana contains over one hundred calories, however, it is still very filling and nutritious. Moreover, consuming a large amount of fiber from vegetables and fruits are also associated with weight loss and lesser body weight. As what mentioned above, bananas are loaded with resistant starch, that is why it reduces your appetite.
#5. Contain Potent Antioxidants
Vegetables and fruits especially bananas are great sources of antioxidants (particularly dietary). They contain many types of powerful antioxidants, including catechins and dopamine. These two antioxidants are associated with several health benefits, like reducing the risk of degenerative disease and heart disease. However, the dopamine found in bananas doesn’t cross your brain and blood barrier since it is only a powerful antioxidants.
#6. Treat Skin Problems
Did you know that banana skin can cure different skin problems? Yes, it is true, banana skin can cure acne, psoriasis and other skin conditions. But how? All you have to do is to gently rub the fresh banana peel on the affected or wounded area and leave it for how many minutes in order to absorb the nutrients.
The fatty acids found in bananas can relieve a wide range of skin problem and have a powerful moisturizing effect. Moreover, banana skin treatments can also heal warts, just place a little banana skin all over your warts and leave it for how many hours.
Most importantly, several online testimonials have reported that these treatments are all effective.
#7. Reduces Stress and Improves Mood
Bananas are rich in tryptophan amino acids and these amino acids are converted into serotonin. The proper amount of serotonin can enhance your mood and general outlook, reduce stress and improve your happiness levels. As well as in regulating sleep patterns.
However banana does not provide you too much tryptophan, but eating a banana is a simplest and easiest way to acquire little tryptophan.
#8. Cure Hangover
When you drink too much alcohol, eating a banana and drinking a banana shake with cow milk or coconut milk and berries early in the morning is an effective way to eliminate hangover. Aside from eating a banana, the best thing you can do in order to lessen your hangover is by not drinking too much.
#9. Cure for Heartburn and Ulcers
It is true that bananas can cure ulcers and heartburn. Because, bananas protects your mucus layer, balance your abdominal pH and relieves stomach pain. In addition, the dietary fiber found in bananas can prevent reflux and they are responsible for your digestive tract which allows the food to move quickly.
Stomach ulcers can also be avoided if you consume bananas regularly since bananas solidify the protective mucus hurdle in your stomach and to avoid hydrochloric acid damage. It has also protease inhibitors, which aid in eliminating stomach bacteria. Most importantly, if you did the bacteria are not removed in your stomach, the possibility of a stomach ulcer is higher.
#10. Bananas May Enhance Kidney Health
Consuming proper amount of potassium is very important especially in controlling blood pressure and maintaining healthy kidney condition. Since bananas are loaded with calcium, they are beneficial in keeping healthy kidneys.
According to some research, people who are consuming an insufficient amount of potassium are suffering from kidney disease. In contrast to this study, there is a possibility that people who are consuming an adequate amount of potassium or bananas will be free from kidney disease.
#11. Helps Combat Anemia
Aside from being rich in potassium, bananas are also a great source of iron. The iron found in bananas help people especially to those who are suffering from anemia. When you are suffering from anemia the level of your hemoglobin and red blood cells decreases. If you did not treat this type condition immediately, you will experience difficulty in breathing, paleness, and fatigue.
That is why eating a banana and other fruits and vegetables that are rich in iron is important in order to combat anemia.
How to incorporate Banana in your everyday diet
Now that we have already know what are the different health benefits of banana. Let us know proceed on how are we going to add this nutritious food in our everyday diet.
How to incorporate Banana in your everyday diet
There are several exciting ways in which you can incorporate bananas into your everyday diet. But first, you must consider and remember some criteria before buying them. Here are the following
After considering these criteria. Let us see the different banana recipes and add them to your diet.
Now that you finally know all the important and necessary information and surprising health benefits of banana, probably that all the questions running through your mind were already answered. Also, knowing that eating bananas can give several essential nutrients and cure some health diseases, why don’t give a try. As you can see, aside from maintaining your good health condition, the possibility of having a longer life is higher.
Banana is all over the place, you can harvest on your backyard and you can purchase them in the market, but you must first consider the different criteria mentioned above when buying. In addition, you can make several nutritious and healthy foods in this fruit.
But if you want to experience the health benefits of banana, I recommend that you must choose and eat fresh bananas and avoid the processed one and since fresh fruits are healthier.
Did you have fun reading this or should I say did you acquire more information from this content? But if you want to say something, you can leave your suggestions and comments below.
Here's an interesting infographic from positivehealthwellness.com
Thanks for your infor.
Thanks for your comment, Sarah 🙂