Food, Health and Wellness

Health Benefits of Bananas And How To Add Into Your Diet

Bananas are one of the most popular fruits in the world because they are convenient, economical, and delicious. Today I am here with Health Benefits of Bananas And How To Add Into Your Diet

Health Benefits of Bananas And How To Add Into Your Diet
Health Benefits of Bananas And How To Add Into Your Diet

Bananas, which originated in Southeast Asia, are now produced all over the world and vary in colour, shape, and size. The most popular type is the yellow banana, which is green when unripe.

However, different phases of fruit development provide distinct health benefits. So, the next time you think you’ve bought a banana that’s too ripe or too green, reconsider before exchanging it for another! There are plenty of reasons why you should include all forms of this fruit in your daily diet, from heart health and weight loss to aesthetic care and digestive assistance.

Health Benefits of Bananas And How To Add Into Your Diet

High Blood Pressure Management

Potassium and magnesium are important minerals that the body requires to function properly. Both serve crucial roles in keeping a healthy heart and stable blood pressure.

One medium-sized banana has 12 percent of the RDA for potassium and 16 percent of the RDA for magnesium, making it an excellent source of both nutrients! A diet high in potassium and magnesium has been linked to a lower risk of heart disease. Foods high in potassium, such as bananas, can help reduce blood pressure in persons with high blood pressure.

Encourage Weight Loss

Yellow bananas, dubbed the “original 100-calorie snack,” are a great, healthful grab-and-go dish. Despite having just over 100 calories, bananas are high in fibre, which means they will keep you fuller for longer than foods with lower fibre content. This can help you lose weight by lowering your overall caloric intake for the day.

Green bananas can also help you lose weight. They are an excellent source of resistant starch. Resistant starch is an indigestible carbohydrate that differs from ordinary starch. Instead of being digested, it acts as a soluble fibre, feeding the beneficial bacteria in your intestines and encouraging improved digestion. Resistant starch has less calories than ordinary starch while still satisfying hunger. Green bananas, like yellow bananas, increase the feeling of fullness and result in a decreased appetite.

Beneficial for Pregnant Women

There are numerous reasons why bananas are an excellent pregnancy food. First and foremost, bananas are high in folic acid. Folic acid is utilised to produce the additional blood that your body requires during pregnancy. Furthermore, bananas have a high iron content that aids in the prevention of anaemia, which is ideal because the body has to preserve adequate blood for the growing foetus and the mother.

Bananas can also assist to prevent or alleviate some of the less-than-pleasant side effects of pregnancy. The fruit’s high fibre content is an excellent remedy for constipation. This natural remedy is a better option than chemical laxatives. Bananas, as previously discussed with the BRAT diet, can help alleviate nausea, making them an ideal snack for pregnant women suffering from morning sickness. When consumed in between meals, they also aid to manage blood sugar levels.

Pregnant women must be especially cautious about their salt intake because it can easily cause the body to retain water and raise blood pressure levels. Bananas include potassium, which helps the body digest salt quickly, reducing the likelihood of harmful salt-induced side effects.

Boost Your Energy and Stamina

Bananas are made up of three forms of sugars: glucose, fructose, and sucrose. Glucose and fructose enter the bloodstream fast and deliver an immediate energy boost. Sucrose, on the other hand, is slowly absorbed and thus keeps blood sugar levels steady, preventing them from peaking and dropping rapidly. This prevents the sugar crash caused by other sweet foods, such as soda. Bananas’ longer-lasting energy supply is ideal for enhancing stamina and endurance.

Bananas are also an excellent source of mental energy. Potassium functions as brain fuel, making us more awake and open to learning, whereas magnesium helps us focus. Bananas, which are high in potassium and magnesium, have been found in tests to be an excellent snack before exams due to their potential to improve focus.

Maintain Bone Strength

Bananas also have a high fructooligosaccharide content (FOS). Fructooligosaccharide is a prebiotic that aids probiotic bacteria in the production of digesting enzymes and vitamins. These vitamins and digestive enzymes help the body absorb nutrients, including calcium, which is one of the most critical minerals for bone health.

Endurance Athletes’ Superfood

Endurance athletes benefit from bananas’ carbohydrates (energy) and nutrients for a variety of reasons. The majority of muscular cramps, particularly leg cramps, are caused by dehydration. Potassium aids the body’s ability to retain fluid and metabolise salt, reducing the chance of cramps and spasms. Muscle cramps can also be exacerbated by low calcium and magnesium levels. Athletes who consume bananas on a daily basis give their bodies with a steady supply of these critical elements.

Bananas are also high in vitamin C, with one banana providing around 15% of the RDI! Vitamin C is necessary for the repair of muscles, tendons, and ligaments. It also helps to maintain your immune system robust during periods of severe exercise. Vitamin C can even assist to speed up and enhance the healing of wounds and soft tissue damage caused by strenuous exercise. It is also necessary for the synthesis of adrenaline during training sessions or performances such as marathons.

Endurance athletes require more vitamin B6 as a result of their more rigorous and lengthy workouts. Bananas include vitamin B6, which aids in cell protection and may reduce the risk of heart disease.

The carbohydrates in bananas are simply converted to energy. Bananas are a quick and easy snack to have before, during, or after exercise.

Improve Your Gut Health and Digestion

Dietary fibre is well-known for its ability to aid good digestion. Bananas include two types of fibre: pectin and resistant starch. As previously explained, resistant starch bypasses digestion and serves as nourishment for your gut, renewing your body by feeding the healthy bacteria in your stomach.

According to research, pectin can help protect the body against colon cancer. The pectin concentration in bananas, on the other hand, drops as they ripen. As a result, green bananas will provide more colon protection.

Bananas, particularly yellow bananas, are an easy-to-digest fruit, and hence an ideal choice for when you’re sick with an upset stomach. For both adults and children suffering from stomachaches, diarrhoea, or nausea, the BRAT (bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast) diet is strongly suggested. According to recent research, other fruits should be included to the BRAT diet to increase fibre, making bananas an especially significant component of this therapy.

Improves Mental and Emotional Health

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that is frequently linked to mood modulation. When serotonin is released, our mood improves and we feel better. While serotonin is not found in food, tryptophan (the precursor of serotonin) is. And bananas are high in it! Eating this fruit causes the body to create this feel-good hormone, which makes you feel happier.

Tryptophan has also been shown to aid in the promotion of a healthy sleep routine. Eating a banana before bed can help normalise your sleep pattern, which is beneficial for those who suffer from insomnia. Bananas’ high concentration of B vitamins has a relaxing impact on the mind, leaving you feeling more relaxed and at ease.

Hair and Skin Care

Bananas aren’t just terrific for eating; they’re also great for your skin and hair.

Bananas and their peels, which are high in antioxidants, have a rejuvenating impact on the skin and aid in the healing of damaged cells. The peels are highly effective for acne treatment. Bananas contain vitamin A, which aids in the removal of dark spots and scars on the skin. The banana peel can be applied directly to blemished areas of the face. Mashed banana can also be blended with other ingredients such as yoghurt and turmeric to create a facemask that helps prevent acne and brightens the complexion. For a facemask, combine lemon juice and honey with mashed bananas to fight an oily complexion. Bananas’ B vitamins will also help protect your skin from free radicals, which can promote premature ageing.

Because of its high moisture content, this fruit is also great for nourishing hair. You can prepare a basic hair moisturising mask with nothing but mashed bananas.

To minimise puffiness, lay the inside side of a banana peel on the eyelids. Banana potassium counteracts fluid retention, which is usually caused by excessive salt consumption, ridding you of unattractive bags and dark circles around the eyes.

Furthermore, the peel can be used to alleviate itching caused by irritations such as insect bites or skin rashes. Mashed bananas have also been used topically to treat irritated or excessively dry skin.

Enhances Male Health

Bananas are high in potassium, bromelain, and B vitamins, all of which play important roles in the generation and regulation of sexual hormones. Bananas have natural aphrodisiac properties that can boost libido, sexual function, and stamina. It is best to consume this superfood a few hours before engaging in such activities to reap the most benefits.

Bananas include magnesium and manganese, both of which are incredibly useful to male health since they assist the body maintain a healthy prostate. A deficiency in either has been linked to an increased risk of developing prostate cancer.

How Can You Incorporate Banana Into Your Diet?

Bananas can be eaten in a variety of ways. The simplest option, of course, is to consume the fruit uncooked. However, you can boost your vitamin intake by incorporating bananas into fresh fruit juices or smoothies.
Bananas can also be added to a peanut butter sandwich to encourage children to consume more of the fruit.

Green bananas make a delicious prepared snack. They can be boiled whole for around 20 minutes with the peel remaining on. They’re a low-fat, nutritious carbohydrate that can be seasoned to taste.

Green banana fries are also tasty. Peel the unripe banana with a knife, cut into strips, and deep-fry for a tasty alternative to potato fries.

Banana flour, one of the most recent health crazes, is a terrific gluten-free alternative to less-healthy white flours. Because banana flour has more starch, you can use less flour overall. The rule of thumb is to use 25 percent less banana flour than the required flour in any recipe. For a significantly healthier version of brownies, try using banana flour in a recipe.

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