Bananas are one of the world’s most appealing fruits. Bananas are extremely healthy and delicious. They contain several essential nutrients and provide benefits for digestion, heart health and weight loss.
Aside from being very nutritious, they are also a highly convenient snack food. Bananas are known to reduce swelling, protect against developing Type 2 diabetes, aid in weight loss, strengthen the nervous system and help with production of white blood cells, all due to the high level of vitamin B6 that bananas contain. Bananas are high in antioxidants, which can provide protection from free radicals, which we come into contact with every day, from the sunlight to the lotion you put on your skin.
Health Benefits:
- Heart health: Bananas are good for your heart. They are packed with potassium, a mineral electrolyte that keeps electricity flowing throughout your body, which is required to keep your heart beating. Bananas’ high potassium and low sodium content may also help protect your cardiovascular system against high blood pressure. A 2017 study found that people who follow a high fiber diet have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease than those on a low fiber diet. Those who consumed more fiber also had lower levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or “bad” cholesterol.
- Depression and mood: Bananas can be helpful in overcoming depression due to high levels of tryptophan, which the body converts to serotonin, the mood-elevating brain neurotransmitter. Plus, vitamin B6 can help you sleep well, and magnesium helps to relax muscles. Additionally, the tryptophan in bananas is well known for its sleep-inducing properties. They contain several types of potent antioxidants, including dopamine and catechins. Dopamine from bananas does not cross the blood-brain barrier. It simply acts as a strong antioxidant.
- Exercise: Bananas are often referred to as the perfect food for largely due to their mineral content and easily digested carbohydrates. Eating bananas may help reduce exercise-related muscle cramps and soreness, which affect up to 95% of the general population. The banana’s serotonin and dopamine can improve one’s antioxidant capacity and helps with oxidative stress, improving performance overall.
- Cancer: Lectin, a protein that occurs in bananas, may help prevent leukemia cells from growing. Lectin acts as an antioxidant. Antioxidants help the body remove molecules known as free radicals. If too many free radicals build up, cell damage can occur, potentially leading to cancer. Bananas may be helpful in preventing kidney cancer because of their high levels of antioxidant phenolic compounds.
- Digestion and weight loss: Bananas are high in fiber, one banana can provide nearly 10 percent of your daily fiber requirement. Vitamin B6 can also help protect against Type 2 diabetes and aid in weight loss. In general, bananas are a great weight loss food because they taste sweet and are filling, which helps curb cravings. Eating more fiber from vegetables and fruits like bananas has repeatedly been linked to lower body weight and weight loss. Unripe bananas are packed with resistant starch, so they tend to be very filling and may reduce your appetite
Bananas are a popular fruit that happens to provide numerous health benefits, they contain essential nutrients and help keep a person healthy. It is worth noting that while the nutrients in bananas can boost health and prevent diseases, eating bananas may not have the same impact on everyone.
Among other things, they may boost digestive and heart health due to their fiber and antioxidant content. They may even aid weight loss, as they are relatively low-calorie and nutrient-dense.
