Akasombo
Bananas are popular worldwide, and in the United States, their demand exceeds that of apples and oranges combined.
Bananas are round fruits with firm, creamy flesh that are wrapped in thick peel. Depending on their variety, banana trees produce 50 to 150 bananas at a time in clusters of 10-25 individual bananas, each referred to as a hand or bunch.
Bananas come with many colors of skin: red, purple, brown, yellow, and green are the most prevalent ones. Yellow bananas provide plenty of essential vitamins and nutrients, which may benefit health conditions like arthritis.
Nutritional Content of Bananas
Bananas are one of the world’s favorite fruits, packed with essential vitamins, minerals, and other health-promoting phenols. One medium banana offers up roughly 9 calories.
- 105 calories
- 1 g of protein
- 0 fat
- 27 g of carbohydrates, of which 3 g is fiber
- 24 mcg of folate, or 6% of your daily needs.
- 10 mg of vitamin C, or 6% of your daily requirements
- 26 mg of phosphorus, or 3% of your daily needs
- 422 mg of potassium, or 12% of your daily needs
Types of Bananas
Common varieties of bananas:
- Banana (Cavendish): When fully mature, this beloved classic banana offers mild sweetness with green or yellow skin that gradually matures into brown and finally black hues.
- Plantain (Green Banana): This banana variety has larger, less sweet kernels with greater starch concentration – perfect for cooking! Plantain bananas can often be seen used in preparations.
- Manzano: This fruit tends to be smaller and sweeter than its classic Cavendish banana counterpart, featuring typical banana flavors complemented by subtle apple undertones.
- Red Banana: This banana features shorter and plumper fruit with dark red peel.
- Burro banana: This banana features an unusual blocky shape. Additionally, its stem and thickness make this banana shorter and wider than most.
Bananas Provide Benefits to Health.
Given all the vitamins and nutrients found in bananas, it should come as no surprise that this yellow fruit holds many advantages for health.
1. Maintain regular bowel movements.
Bananas contain three grams of fiber, of which approximately half is insoluble (1.2). Insoluble fiber works to soften stool formation while simultaneously trapping waste products that need to be flushed from your system.
Studies have demonstrated the health benefits of green banana consumption in recovering from diarrhea. One such research showed it can also aid bloat symptoms while generally being well tolerated by the body.
Unripe bananas contain 100-250 mg of tannins and amylase-resistant starch; therefore, excessive consumption may result in constipation.
Summary:
Bananas can help regulate bowel function and restore nutritional stores after an episode of diarrhea, yet overdoing banana consumption may lead to constipation.
2. Helps manage blood sugar.
Bananas contain resistant starch that ferments well in the large intestine and acts like fiber in terms of digestive processes.
Resistant starch has been shown to reduce blood sugar, postpone stomach emptying time, and improve insulin sensitivity – in this respect, bananas could support managing diabetes; further research needs to be completed, though.
Summary:
Bananas contain components that could potentially provide benefits in treating type 2 diabetes.
3. Serving as a natural energy source
Bananas contain both complex and simple carbs that provide short and long-term energy sources, increasing antioxidant capacity while simultaneously decreasing oxidative stress in athletes.
4. Protect against stomach ulcers with this solution
Bananas can protect the stomach by helping produce more of its protective lining, serving as a layer against stomach acidity.
Fruit contains protease inhibitors that may kill stomach-causing bacteria; more research must be completed in order to understand its proper usage and dosage.
5. Benefits of celiac disease
Celiac disease is an immune-mediated condition marked by intolerance to gluten.
Studies suggest that pasta made with green banana flour may provide added nutrition due to their unique properties, making this alternative flour an invaluable food resource for people living with celiac disease. Furthermore, banana flour could serve as an additional food option by being added as an ingredient into various dishes to broaden food selection options for them.
6. Helps improve heart health
Bananas are an excellent source of potassium, an essential mineral that has been shown to lower the risk of stroke and other cardiovascular illnesses.
Potassium plays an integral part in heart rhythm regulation and blood pressure management, in addition to serving as an electrolyte that regulates water balance within our bodies.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a potassium intake of 3,510 mg/day to lower blood pressure and decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease. One medium banana contains 422 mg of potassium.
Consumer Tips on Consuming and Storing Bananas
Bananas can be enjoyed both cooked and raw. Purees or smoothies made from them may also be prepared using this fruit. Bananas may also be frozen, dehydrated, or dried before being stored away for later consumption.
Plantains make for a tasty snack when cut up and deep-fried into chips; whole plantains may also be dried and ground into flour for further use in recipes.
Hanging bananas on hooks for maximum shelf life is highly recommended. By providing the cluster with even and steady exposure to oxygen, their gradual and uniform ripening should occur naturally without pressure from other fruit on their way towards being ready.
To delay their ripening process, store bananas away from other fruits that release ethylene gas that accelerates ripening.
Use of Banana Peels
Banana peels contain high concentrations of potassium and other minerals that may help promote tooth health, strengthen and whiten them, as well as maintain overall skin wellness.
Safety of Bananas
Bananas are generally safe since their thick peels protect from pesticide exposure; however, allergies to bananas do occur occasionally.
Allergic reactions may manifest themselves through various symptoms that include skin rashes, itching in the mouth and throat area, facial/mouth swelling, as well as narrowing of the throat opening and wheezing.
Drug Interactions
Bananas may interact with these medications:
- ACE inhibitors like captopril, enalapril, and lisinopril can increase potassium levels significantly; eating bananas while on one of these drugs could result in elevated potassium blood levels that cause irregular heartbeats or palpitations of the heart.
- Diuretics are used to flush excess fluid out of the body and manage blood pressure. Unfortunately, bananas’ high potassium levels could interfere with this balance and create an electrolyte imbalance in your system.
Therefore, always consult your physician or pharmacist if you have concerns about eating potassium-rich foods like bananas while taking certain medications.
Bananas Are One Of The World’s Favorite Fruits — Here Are Answers to Some Common Banana Questions (FAQs).
Do bananas impact weight?
People trying to lose weight often steer away from bananas due to a perception that they contain excessive carbohydrates; however, their resistant starches could potentially increase satiety levels and aid in weight management.
Do bananas boost mood?
Two studies found that eating raw whole fruits is linked with lower rates of depression, anxiety, and negative mood while simultaneously increasing perceived life satisfaction. Unfortunately, more research needs to be conducted on this linkage between the consumption of raw whole fruit and lower rates of depression, anxiety, and negative mood, and increased perceived life satisfaction. As this connection still needs to be understood, further investigation will likely follow.
Are bananas safe for babies to eat?
Bananas are often one of the first foods introduced to babies when starting solid foods. Bananas can easily be made into a puree form for infants once their pediatrician approves solid foods as an introduction.
How many bananas can I consume daily?
Current recommendations suggest adults consume at least two cups of fruit daily – this corresponds to approximately two bananas.
What are the consequences of eating too many bananas?
Bananas generally do not cause adverse side effects when eaten in moderation; however, excessive consumption could cause headaches, drowsiness, irregular heartbeat, and kidney issues.
Final Word. In conclusion.
Bananas are beloved fruits enjoyed throughout the globe. A snack favorite or featured as part of various cooked and baked recipes, bananas boast many nutrients which contribute to good heart and digestive health.
