Banana is a fruit that has numerous health benefits with a delicious taste. Bananas are among the world’s most popular fruits. Bananas contain several essential nutrients, provide benefits for digestion, heart health, and weight loss. Aside from being very nutritious, they are also highly convenient snack food.
One medium-sized banana (118 grams) contains:
- Potassium: 9% of the RDI (recommended daily intake)
- 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
Health Benefits:
- Banana is great for kidney health. Eating a banana several times, a week may reduce your risk of kidney disease by up to 50%.
- Bananas are rich in vitamin B6 and B6 in bananas can easily be absorbed by the human body. Vitamin B6 produces red blood cells, metabolize carbohydrates and fats, turning them into energy, metabolize amino acids, removes unwanted chemicals from your liver and kidneys, and maintain a healthy nervous system.
- Bananas can help moderate blood sugar levels after meals and may reduce appetite by slowing stomach emptying.
- High fiber foods are said to be good for the heart. Increasing the consumption of fiber-rich foods such as bananas can lower the risk of both cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease.
- The high content of potassium in bananas makes it a super fruit. It helps in regulating heartbeat, blood pressure, and keeps the brain alert.
- Bananas can help you beat gastrointestinal issues such as constipation, stomach ulcers, and heartburn.
- Bananas are high in several antioxidants, which may help reduce damage from free radicals and lower your risk of some diseases.
- Unripe bananas are good for type 2 diabetes. Unripe bananas are a good source of resistant starch, which may improve insulin sensitivity.