Bananas are one of the healthiest, most handy, and tastiest fresh fruits you can buy. They are also one of the least expensive fruits you can buy. Because of this, they are a great choice for anyone who wants to eat healthy. Even though they are from Southeast Asia, they grow everywhere in warm conditions, so they are available all over the world.
Bananas have a lot of important nutrients and may help you lose weight, feel better, and keep your heart healthy. Bananas are a popular go-to snack. They’re tasty, easy to get, and handy, but they’ve also caused some trouble now and then. Are they good because they are a good source of potassium or bad because they have too much sugar? Is it good for you to eat them every day? How many, if any?
In this piece, we’ll look at the evidence for bananas’ health benefits and decide if they can be part of a healthy diet or not.
1. You might get more energy.
Bananas are a good source of carbs, which are the main energy source for your body. A 2019 piece in the Journal of Food Science and Technology says that bananas have B vitamins like vitamins B3, B6, and B12. These vitamins help your body make energy.
Bananas can be part of a healthy meal or snack, and they work best when eaten with healthy fats and/or protein. This is because carbohydrates process faster than protein or fat. Eating a banana with a healthy fat or protein, like a handful of almonds or a cup of Greek yoghurt, will help the banana’s energy last longer.
2. You may keep your weight at a healthy level.
Bananas can help you feel full longer when they are part of a well-balanced meal. If you’re full between meals, you’re less likely to give in to cravings and eat more calories than you need, which can lead to weight gain over time.
Even though there is no proof that bananas make you lose weight directly, they are a convenient and easy-to-find food that can be quickly added to a healthy eating plan to help you lose weight.
3. You might take in more fiber.
Each banana about the size of a medium has about 3 grams of fiber. Fiber is important for a lot of reasons, including making sure you have regular bowel movements. Bananas have a type of fiber called pectin that helps your body get rid of trash better.
Bananas also have something called “resistant starch,” which is a type of fiber that helps feed the good bugs in your gut. Bananas have a type of starch called resistant starch that helps feed the probiotic bacteria Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus.
These are important parts of a good microbiome in the gut, and they help the body make compounds that can help keep diseases at bay.
Fiber makes you feel fuller for longer, too. Bananas have a lot of fiber compared to other carbohydrate-rich foods that don’t have much. This slows down processing enough to make the energy last longer. Still, it’s best to eat bananas with protein or a good fat to keep your energy up.
Overall, eating bananas is a simple way to get the amount of fiber you need every day.
4. You might improve the health of your heart.
People know that bananas are a good source of potassium. The National Institutes of Health says that one medium banana has 9% of what you should eat every day.
Potassium is in all of the body’s cells and is needed for them to work properly. It is also important for keeping your heart fit. Bananas are a good way to get the potassium you need every day.
Getting enough potassium in your food might also help lower blood pressure. High blood pressure is a major cause of heart disease, so eating foods with potassium every day is an important part of living a healthy life.
Smoothies and overnight oats are easy ways to add bananas to your diet. These foods can also include other fruits and whole grains that are good for your heart.
5. You might be less likely to get a long-term illness.
A fact about bananas that not everyone knows is that they have antioxidants called phytosterols and carotenoids. Oxidative stress can make cells in the body hurt and inflamed.
A 2020 piece in Ageing Research Reviews says that if this keeps happening as you get older, it can lead to chronic inflammation, which is a known cause of diseases like heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and more. Fruits and veggies that are high in antioxidants can give your body the tools it needs to keep inflammation in check.
6. Packed with antioxidants
Fruits and veggies are great ways to get antioxidants in your diet, and bananas are no different. They have powerful antioxidants in them, such as flavonoids and amines.
There are many health benefits linked to these antioxidants, such as a lower chance of heart disease and diseases that get worse over time. They help stop free radicals from damaging your cells through oxidation. Without antioxidants, free radicals can build up in your body over time and do damage if they get high enough.
7. May help you feel fuller
Bananas may help you feel full because they have soluble fiber. This fiber adds bulk to your digestive system and slows down digestion. Also, bananas have a small number of calories for their size. Bananas are a more filling snack than other foods like processed or sugary canned snacks because they are low in calories and high in fiber.
Protein also makes you feel full, but bananas don’t have much of this element. So, eat a sliced banana with a protein-rich food like Greek yogurt, or blend a banana into a protein shake, to help fight hunger.
8. May be good for the kidneys
Potassium is important for keeping the kidneys healthy and for keeping blood pressure in check. Bananas could be especially good for keeping your kidneys healthy because they are a good source of potassium. One study that looked at more than 5,000 people with chronic kidney disease in its early stages found a link between potassium and lower blood pressure and a slower rate at which the disease got worse.
On the other hand, some people with late-stage kidney failure or who are on dialysis need to limit how much potassium they take in. If you are one of these people, talk to your health care team before you increase the amount of potassium you intake.
In conclusion
Bananas are a popular food that may be good for your health in many ways. Because they have fiber and antioxidants, they may help you digest food better and keep your heart healthy.
Plus, they may help you lose weight because they are high in nutrients and low in calories. Bananas that are ripe and yellow and bananas that are still green can both satisfy your sweet tooth and help you stay healthy.