Top 11 Surprising Health Benefits of Banana

Most of us think that bananas are the only good source of potassium, but are you aware that bananas are loaded with several health benefits?

Banana contains several important nutrients and is good for heart health, weight loss, and digestion. Apart from being nutritious, bananas are also an extremely convenient snack fruit or food.

However, stop thinking that bananas are for monkeys only. Why not start discovering the different health benefits of bananas.

#1. Regulate Blood Levels

Bananas are a good source of fiber known as pectin, which provides the flesh’s structural form. However, unripe Banana contains resistant starch that escapes digestion and acts like soluble fiber.

Both resistant starch and pectin may regulate blood sugar levels every mealtime and reduce hunger by emptying your stomach slowly.

#2. Improved Digestion

Some of your diets do not provide a sufficient amount of fiber. However, fiber is very important since it aids food to travel smoothly through your digestive tract and improves bowel movements.

Furthermore, Banana is a good source of fiber (dietary). When you are suffering from constipation, you must eat a banana instead of consuming a laxative. Aside from being a good source of fiber, bananas are also rich in FOs (fructooligosaccharides) – a prebiotic that feeds good bacteria living in your digestive tract. And these good bacteria absorb nutrients efficiently.

#3. Maintain Healthy Heart Condition

The essential nutrients found in bananas, such as B6, vitamin C, potassium, and dietary fibers, are important in maintaining a healthy heart condition.

According to Mark Houston, a clinical professor consuming more potassium can lessen the possibility of cardiovascular disease.

Moreover, if you consume 4069 milligrams of potassium every day, the chance of heart disease is lowered down. Also, consuming more potassium can protect your muscles, preserve bone mineral density, prevent stroke, and reduce kidney stone formation.

#4. Weight Loss

Bananas contain a small number of calories, but no study proves that eating a banana is an effective way to lose weight. A normal banana contains over one hundred calories. However, it is still very filling and nutritious.

Moreover, consuming a large amount of fiber from vegetables and fruits is also associated with weight loss and lesser body weight. As mentioned above, bananas are loaded with resistant starch, which is why it reduces your appetite.

#5. Contain Potent Antioxidants

Vegetables and fruits, especially bananas, are great sources of antioxidants (particularly dietary). They contain many types of powerful antioxidants, including catechins and dopamine. These two antioxidants are associated with several health benefits, like reducing the risk of degenerative disease and heart disease.

However, the dopamine found in bananas doesn’t cross your brain and blood barrier since it is only a powerful antioxidant.

#6. Treat Skin Problems

Did you know that banana skin can cure different skin problems? Yes, it is true. Banana skin can cure acne, psoriasis, and other skin conditions.

But how? All you have to do is gently rub the fresh banana peel on the affected or wounded area and leave it for how many minutes to absorb the nutrients.

The fatty acids found in bananas can relieve a wide range of skin problems and have a powerful moisturizing effect. Moreover, banana skin treatments can also heal warts, place a little banana skin all over your warts and leave it for many hours.

Most importantly, several online testimonials have reported that these treatments are all effective.

#7. Reduces Stress and Improves Mood

Bananas are rich in tryptophan amino acids, and these amino acids are converted into serotonin. The proper amount of serotonin can enhance your mood and general outlook, reduce stress, and improve your happiness levels. As well as in regulating sleep patterns.

However, Banana does not provide you too much tryptophan, but eating a banana is the simplest and easiest way to acquire little tryptophan.

#8. Cure Hangover

When you drink too much alcohol, eating a banana and drinking a banana shake with cow milk or coconut milk and berries early in the morning is an effective way to eliminate hangovers. Aside from eating a banana, the best thing you can do to lessen your hangover is not drinking too much.

#9. Cure for Heartburn and Ulcers

Bananas can indeed cure ulcers and heartburn. Because bananas protect your mucus layer, balance your abdominal pH, and relieve stomach pain. In addition, the dietary fiber found in bananas can prevent reflux, and they are responsible for your digestive tract, which allows the food to move quickly.

Stomach ulcers can also be avoided if you consume bananas regularly since bananas solidify the protective mucus hurdle in your stomach and avoid hydrochloric acid damage. It also has protease inhibitors, which aid in eliminating stomach bacteria. Most importantly, if you did the bacteria are not removed from your stomach, the possibility of a stomach ulcer is higher.

#10. Bananas May Enhance Kidney Health

Consuming the proper amount of potassium is very important, especially in controlling blood pressure and maintaining healthy kidney conditions. Since bananas are loaded with calcium, they are beneficial in keeping healthy kidneys.

According to some research, people consuming an insufficient amount of potassium are suffering from kidney disease. In contrast to this study, there is a possibility that people who are consuming an adequate amount of potassium or bananas will be free from kidney disease.

#11. Helps Combat Anemia

Aside from being rich in potassium, bananas are also a great source of iron. The iron found in bananas helps people, especially those who are suffering from anemia. When you are suffering from anemia, the level of your hemoglobin and red blood cells decreases.

If you do not treat this type of condition immediately, you will experience difficulty breathing, paleness, and fatigue.

That is why eating a banana and other fruits and vegetables rich in iron is important to combat anemia.

How to incorporate Banana in your everyday diet

Now that we have already know what are the different health benefits of bananas. Let us now proceed on how we are going to add this nutritious food to our everyday diet.

There are several exciting ways in which you can incorporate bananas into your everyday diet. But first, you must consider and remember some criteria before buying them. Here are the following

• ​When buying, do not choose overripe bananas because they are easy to spoil.
• Look for bananas without any squishy spots and blemishes.
• Do not put bananas in the fridge.
• Only buy small quantities and appreciate them fresh.

After considering these criteria, let us see the different banana recipes and add them to your diet.

• Add a bit of blueberry and chopped banana in your porridge.
• Make your banana chips, by putting the chopped bananas in an oven and add a small amount of cinnamon and lemon juice.
• Berry and banana pancakes make a mouthwatering and fast quick breakfast treat.
• ​Combine banana sandwiches and peanut butter.
• Milkshakes and fresh smoothies are delicious and easy to make. You can also add bananas in your natural yogurt, raspberries or strawberries. But if you want to consume more dietary food adding a few oatmeal is allowed.
• Frozen banana is a healthier substitute to sherbet or ice cream and best for babies and children.
• Barbequed banana is very easy to make and still delicious even without chocolate syrup.
• If you want to dry delicious and healthy creampie just combine creased cashew nuts, coconut milk, and banana and presto your wish will be granted.
• When you are baking banana bread, you don’t have to use butter or sugar since this nutritious food contains natural sweetness.
• Making your personalized Chapo is very easy and quick. Just boil sweet plantain or banana and blend with cinnamon, sugar, and water.
• Feeding your six months baby with banana is advisable. As you can see there are different baby foods that can be found on the market that contains banana as there flavor. But feeding them with fresh bananas is healthier compared to those baby foods that contain preservatives and additives. And all you need to do is to mash fresh bananas on their milk or give them without mixing to other foods.

Now that you finally know all the important and necessary information and surprising health benefits of bananas, probably that all the questions running through your mind were already answered.

Also, knowing that eating bananas can give several essential nutrients and cure some health diseases, why don’t you try it.

As you can see, aside from maintaining your good health condition, the possibility of having a longer life is higher.

Banana is all over the place. You can harvest in your backyard and purchase them in the market. Still, it would help if you first considered the different criteria mentioned above when buying. In addition, you can make several nutritious and healthy foods in this fruit.

But if you want to experience the health benefits of bananas, I recommend that you choose and eat fresh bananas and avoid the processed ones since fresh fruits are healthier.

Did you have fun reading this, or did you acquire more information from this content? But if you want to say something, you can leave your suggestions and comments below.

Here’s an interesting infographic from ​positivehealthwellness.com