Origin
The banana is an edible fruit that is elongated, curved and is protected by a thick skin that should be peeled before eating. Bananas will grow in clusters. In some cultures, the leaves of banana are used for eat food on or as decoration. Banana can be eaten raw or cooked.
Health Benefits
You’ll never look at a banana the same way again after discovering the many health benefits and reasons to add them to your diet. Bananas combat depression, make you smarter, cure hangovers, relieve morning sickness, protect against kidney cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, and blindness. They can cure the itch of a mosquito bite and put a great shine on your shoes. Here are 25 reasons to eat bananas you might have never considered before.
- Weight Loss and Obesity: Bananas are useful for weight loss as one banana only has approximately 90 calories. It contains a lot of fibre as well and is easy to digest. Furthermore, it does not contain any fats. Therefore, an overweight person does not have to eat too many calories if their diet contains some bananas because they also serve to feel very filling. The roughage will also not make the person feel hungry by inhibiting the release of the hunger hormone, ghrelin. This will reduce overeating, keeping a person healthy, and also helping them lose weight naturally.
- Kidney Disorders: Bananas have been linked to reducing the danger towards the kidneys from a number of different conditions. Potassium helps to regulate the fluid balance in the body, and that can help ease the strain on the kidneys, and also encouraging urination. This can help to keep toxins from accumulating in the body, and speeding up their release from the body through increased frequency and volume of urination. Furthermore, there are polyphenolic, antioxidant compounds in bananas that positively impact kidney function and the accumulation of toxins, while also stimulating proper functioning of the kidneys.
- Arthritis and Gout: Various compounds inside of bananas are anti-inflammatory in nature, meaning that they can reduce swelling, inflammation, and irritation from various conditions like arthritis and gout. These conditions are very common as people age, or if they have poor diets or unhealthy diets. Therefore, adding a banana a day to your dietary regimen can keep you ache and pain-free for many years.
- Good for Pregnant Women: There are many reasons bananas are a great food choice for pregnant women. First off, bananas are rich in folic acid. Folic acid is used to make extra blood your body needs during pregnancy. In addition, bananas have a high iron content that helps prevent anaemia, which is perfect since the body needs to keep enough blood for the growing fetus and the mother.
Bananas are also great for preventing, or at least helping to ease, some of the not-so-fun side effects of pregnancy. The fruits high fibre content is a great aid to combat constipation. This natural solution is a healthier alternative for chemical laxatives. As mentioned already with the BRAT diet, bananas can help take the edge off of nausea, making them a perfect snack for pregnant women dealing with morning sickness. They also help regulate blood sugar levels when eaten in between meals. - Control High Blood Pressure: Potassium and magnesium are key minerals the body needs to function correctly. Both play vital roles in maintaining a healthy heart and stable blood pressure.
One medium sized banana provides 12% of the recommended daily intake (RDI) for potassium, and 16% RDI for magnesium, making it an outstanding source of both nutrients! Getting enough potassium and magnesium has been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease. For patients with high blood pressure, foods high in potassium, such as bananas, can be used as a remedy to help lower blood pressure.
Nutritional value
Water – g 74.91
Energy – kcal 89
Protein – g 1.09
Total lipid (fat) – g 0.33
Carbohydrate, by difference – g 22.84
Fiber, total dietary – g 2.6
Sugars, total – g 12.23
Minerals
Calcium, Ca – mg 5
Iron, Fe – mg 0.26
Magnesium, Mg – mg 27
Phosphorus, P – mg 22
Potassium, K – mg 358
Sodium, Na – mg 1
Zinc, Zn – mg 0.15
Vitamins
Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid – mg 8.7
Thiamin – mg 0.031
Riboflavin – mg 0.073
Niacin – mg 0.665
Vitamin B-6 – mg 0.367
Folate, DFE – µg 20
Vitamin B-12 – µg 0
Vitamin A, RAE – µg 3
Vitamin A, IU – IU 64
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) – mg 0.1
Vitamin D (D2 + D3) – µg 0
Vitamin D IU 0Vitamin K (phylloquinone) – µg 0.5
Lipids
Fatty acids, total saturated – g 0.112
Fatty acids, total monounsaturated – g 0.032
Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated – g 0.073
Fatty acids, total trans – g 0
Cholesterol – mg 0
Amino Acids
Other
Caffeine – mg 0
Source: MedIndia, Food Matters, USDA
