7 Health Benefits Of Bananas

7 Health Benefits Of Bananas

Article
Digestive Health
Behavioral & Mental Health
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Contributed byKrish Tangella MD, MBANov 11, 2021

A banana is an edible fruit, botanically a berry, produced by several kinds of large flowering plants in the genus Musa. The scientific names of most cultivated bananas are Musa acuminata, Musa balbisiana, and Musa × paradisiaca for the hybrid Musa acuminata × M. balbisiana. There is a protective outer layer (a peel or skin) with numerous long, thin strings, which run lengthwise between the skin and the edible inner portion. The inner part is a sweet yellow dessert.

Here are the seven health benefits of bananas.

1.     Bananas can give you a fantastic boost of energy.

Bananas are rich in calories, which can sustain an individual for up to 90 minutes during vigorous activity. One medium-sized (7-inch long) banana contains 105 nutritionally dense calories.

2.     Bananas can help you maintain healthy blood sugar levels.

The glycemic index (GI) ranks food and drinks based on their potential to increase your blood sugar levels. Foods high on the glycemic index (such as white rice and white bread) will break down easily and cause blood sugar and insulin level spikes after meals, which is followed by rapidly dropping blood sugar levels. Bananas are slowly absorbed into the bloodstream, which prevents sugar crashes, sugar cravings, and mood swings. From a scale of 0 to 250, bananas have a rating of 18 on the glycemic index scale.

3.     Bananas can you help maintain a healthy blood pressure.

Bananas are loaded with potassium and a low content of sodium. They are well known because of its high potassium content. One medium-sized banana contains an astonishing 422 milligrams of potassium, compared to 1.2 milligrams of sodium. This helps the blood vessels relax and maintains proper blood pressure, preventing hypertension.

4.     Bananas could help you maintain a strong heart.

Fiber, vitamin C, vitamin B6, and potassium have been known to improve the heart’s health. The recommended 4700 milligrams (mg) of potassium are not obtained by many individuals in the United States, according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, despite the benefits of increased potassium intake. One study suggested that people who consumed 4069 mg of potassium per day had a 49 percent lower risk of death from ischemic heart disease compared with those who consumed less potassium (approximately 1000 mg per day).

5.     Bananas can help promote digestive regularity.

Fiber can help prevent constipation, making one’s bowel movement easier to manage. Bananas are an excellent source of fiber. A medium-sized banana contains 3 grams of dietary fiber. The daily recommended dietary fiber intake for men and women are 38 grams and 25 grams, respectively. 

6.     Bananas could help fight stomach ulcers.

Bananas have been used as an antacid food to calm upset stomachs by suppressing acid secretion. Leucocyanidin, a compound in bananas, stimulate the activity of the cells in the stomach lining in order to build up a protective barrier against acids. In addition, they remove the harmful bacteria that have been linked to the development of stomach ulcers.

7.     Bananas can help you sleep better at night.

Bananas have been known to help people sleep better because of its high content of magnesium, which is a mineral that is directly linked to improving the quality, duration, and tranquility of sleep. Bananas also help regulate the metabolism, to help reduce sleep disorders and the occurrence of insomnia. Studies have also suggested that bananas increase melatonin levels in the blood, helping you fall into a peaceful sleep. 

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Krish Tangella MD, MBA

Pathology, Medical Editorial Board, DoveMed Team

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