8 Scientific Benefits of Banana Nutrition
Bananas Contain Many Important Nutrients
Bananas are among the world’s most popular fruits.
Bananas contain a fair amount of fiber, as well as several antioxidants. One medium-sized banana (118 grams) also boasts
Potassium: 9% of the RDI
Vitamin B6: 33% of the RDI
Vitamin C: 11% of the RDI
Magnesium: 8% of the RDI
Copper: 10% of the RDI
Manganese: 14% of the RDI
Net carbs: 24 grams
Fiber: 3.1 grams
Protein: 1.3 grams
Fat: 0.4 grams
Each banana has only about 105 calories and consists almost exclusively of water and carbs. Bananas hold very little protein and almost no fat.
1- Bananas May Support 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, according to the FDA.
A 2017 animal study conducted by researchers at the University of Alabama found that the potassium in bananas is also linked to arterial effectiveness; the more potassium you have, the less likely your arteries are to harden.
According to the studies in PubMed Central; A diet rich in potassium can help lower blood pressure, and people who eat plenty of potassium have up to 27% lower risk of heart disease.
2- Banana Can Help You Feel Better
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.
Dopamine from bananas does not cross the blood-brain barrier. It simply acts as a strong antioxidant instead of altering hormones or mood.
3- Bananas Can Help Digestion and Weight Loss
Bananas are high in fiber, which can help keep you regular. One banana can provide nearly 10 percent of your daily fiber requirement. In general, bananas are a great weight loss food because they taste sweet and are filling, which helps curb cravings.
Bananas contain two main types of fiber:
– Pectin: Decreases as the banana ripens.
– Resistant starch: Found in unripe bananas.
According to studies at PubMed Central, both pectin and resistant starch offer appetite reducing effects and increase the feeling of fullness after meals.
Bananas are particularly high in resistant starch, a form of dietary fiber in which researchers have recently become interested. A 2017 review published in Nutrition Bulletin found that the resistant starch in bananas may support gut health and control blood sugar. Resistant starch increases the production of short chain fatty acids in the gut, which are necessary to gut health.
4- Bananas May Have Benefits for Exercise
Banana’s serotonin and dopamine improved the athletes’ antioxidant capacity and helped with oxidative stress, improving performance overall.
5- Bananas Can Be Beneficial To Eye Health
Vitamin A contains compounds that preserve the membranes around your eyes and are an element in the proteins that bring light to your corneas. Like other fruits, bananas can help prevent macular degeneration, an incurable condition, which blurs central vision.
6- Bananas Can Support Bone Health
Bananas may not be overflowing with calcium, but they are still helpful in keeping bones strong. According to a 2009 article in the Journal of Physiology and Biochemistry, bananas contain an abundance of fructooligosaccharides. These are nondigestive carbohydrates that encourage digestive-friendly probiotics and enhance the body’s ability to absorb calcium.
7- Bananas May Improve Kidney Health
Some evidence suggests that moderate consumption of bananas may be protective against kidney cancer. A 2005 Swedish study found that women who ate more than 75 servings of fruits and vegetables cut their risk of kidney cancer by 40 percent, and that bananas were especially effective. Women eating four to six bananas a week halved their risk of developing kidney cancer.
Bananas may be helpful in preventing kidney cancer because of their high levels of antioxidant phenolic compounds.
One 13-year study in women determined that those who ate bananas 2–3 times per week were 33% less likely to develop kidney disease.
Other studies note that those who eat bananas 4–6 times a week are almost 50% less likely to develop kidney disease than those who don’t eat this fruit.
8- Bananas Can Help You Conceive
While not exactly a health benefit, a study published by The Royal Society found that the potassium in bananas is correlated with women giving birth to baby boys. The study looked at 740 women and saw that those who consumed high levels of potassium prior to conception were more likely to have a boy that those who did not.
Bananas may also help prevent gestational diabetes. Lack of sleep during pregnancy can contribute to gestational diabetes, according to a meta-analysis published in Sleep Medicine Reviews.
