12 Health Benefits of Eating Banana – Add This to Your Diet

By Barun K.

“An apple a day keeps the doctor away”, we have been hearing this 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 diet but it also helps to combat depression, cures diabetes, osteoporosis, relieves hangovers, helps to recover from morning sickness and many more.

Here I bring you 12 overwhelming health benefits of eating banana:

1. Banana acts effectively to slow down digestion

Banana is full with soluble and insoluble fibres. The soluble fibres acts effectively in slowing down digestion procedure and keeps you full for a long time.

This is why people are known to have banana in their breakfast, so that they do not have to worry for the 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 diet.

2. Banana carries loads of nutrients

Banana can simply be referred to as the 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 to your blood stream.

Yes, banana does help you to lower your blood sugar levels. (source)

Bananas consist of two important ingredients that moderate the blood sugar level pectin, which forms the fiber part and resistant starch, which is found mostly in unripe bananas.

Both of these work effectively towards lowering the blood sugar level. 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 diarrhoea.

As mentioned in Point 1 banana contains both soluble and insoluble fibres. So, as because the insoluble fibres 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, which is easy to pass. If you consume lot of calories, then you must add banana to your diet to help support the bowel movements.

5. Huge energy source

For individuals that workout or are athlete, banana becomes the right energy food.

You must know the fact 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 24gm of carbs. Fruits with lower glycemic index than 55 are absorbed slowly hence act as insulin, preventing sugar absorption.

Banana is an integral part of the weight loss diet. It contains 100 calories on average that is enough to satisfy your craving. It not only gives your body the needed vitamins and minerals but also gives consistent energy.

6. Banana has high Potassium content

Banana is a huge source of potassium; it is a very important mineral as it helps to maintain fluid levels in our 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 empower the nerve cells to respond. It also reduces the effects of sodium on blood pressure and ensures regular heartbeat.

Studies show that average banana consists of 422 mg of potassium, which is around 9% of RDI or of the required quantity.

Being precise potassium plays an important role in the heart regularity. And banana (as a food in diet) becomes the primary source, as potassium is concerned.

7. Helps you to enhance eye sight

We have already discussed, banana is a powerhouse of nutrient, it consist lot of vitamins and minerals.

Banana is also known to have a small amount of Vitamin A too; it is an important vitamin which 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 which surround our eyes.

A 6 inch banana consists of minimum 10mg of Vitamin A. A banana also contains both the alpha-carotene and beta-carotene, which also convert to Vitamin A which keeps our eyes healthy and enhance our vision.

8. Banana helps you fight several diseases, which includes cancer

Banana contains lot of carotenoids (provitamin A, Beta Carotene and alpha carotene), studies show that foods containing carotenoids are known to protect several chronic diseases, which includes 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 overcome blood pressure levels

Regulating low sodium intake is very important to induce lower 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 gain properties 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, it consist insoluble fibres too; also it contains very little 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, which 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 important part in the detoxification process).

The soluble and sticky gelatine 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 with the increased mercury excretion through urine. It is also 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 on calcium content, but 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 the food, making it easier.

Conclusion:-

Bananas are very easily available; people very often prefer to eat bananas while traveling. It is easy to eat, travel with and one can digest it easily.

This makes banana preferably one of the healthiest fruit that you can eat.

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