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The Power of Bananas: Nutritional Value, Health Benefits, and Interesting Facts

Bananas are one of the most commonly available and consumed fruits in the world, due to their pleasant flavour as well as flexibility. Not only are they a delicious food stuff, but bananas have all kinds of nutritional plus points. In this blog post, let us take a deep dive into the world of bananas and see why are they called superfruit?

The Nutritional Profile of Bananas

Bananas: Bananas are rich in vitamins and nutrients, which helps keep you healthy overall. 

Nutritive value (Banana, raw. Portion - 100 gram):

  • Calories: 89 kcal
  • Carbohydrates: 22.8 g
  • Sugars: 12.2 g
  • Dietary Fiber: 2.6 g
  • Protein: 1.09 g
  • Potassium: 358 mg
  • Vitamin C: 8.7 mg
  • Vitamin B6: 0.367 mg
  • Magnesium: 27 mg
  • Manganese: 0.27 mg
  • Total Folate: 20 µg

Source: USDA

Rich in potassium — a mineral that is vital for heart health and muscle function, as well as maintaining fluid balance within the body. Dietary fibre in them keeps us full for a long time and aids indigestion as well.

Health Benefits of Bananas

1. Supports Heart Health: Potassium is very essential in regulating blood pressure and bananas contains a lot of potassium. Potassium on the other hand counter acts the effect of sodium since it causes high blood pressure. Bananas can therefore be used in maintenance of the heart health and the prevention of heart related diseases.

 2. Aids Digestion: bananas give a shot of dietary fibre, which is good for keeping bowel movements regular and preventing the ever-dreaded constipation. The especially, the fibre present in the bananas is soluble fibre and thus aids in slow digestion and thereby aids in weight loss.

3. Boosts Energy Levels: They are very useful in providing natural energy therefore widely produced and preferred by athletes and physical trainers. The natural sugars of bananas are glucose, fructose, and sucrose; all the carbohydrates in bananas are readily digestible and give quick energy

4. Promotes Healthy Skin: Bananas provide the necessary vitamins and minerals for maintaining a good shape of the skin and for synthesizing collagen due to such elements as vitamin C and manganese. These are useful in skin maintaining skin tautness hence reducing the formation of wrinkles and possibly achieving a skin firmness.

5. Supports Mental Health: The bananas also contain tryptophan which is an amino acid that is used by the body to produce the brain chemical, serotonin. Citalopram is the drug which acts on serotonin receptor that can reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety disorders.

6. Helps Maintain Bone Health: Despite the fact that bananas are not calcium sources, Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) is present in them and these compounds are known to improve calcium absorption in the body and thus the bones.

Interesting Facts About Bananas

World’s Favourite Fruit: They are the fourth most consumed fruits in the world after grapes, oranges and apples.

Over 1,000 Varieties: There are no less than one thousand and one types of bananas in the world today yet the most popular of them all is the Cavendish banana.

Bananas Are Berries: On botanical parameters bananas are berries, or at least the fruit offered to the consumer is a berry, but strawberries are not.

Not Always Yellow: Contrary to the yellow bananas that are commonplace many people don’t realize that there are red, pink and even blue bananas.

Natural Antacid: Because of its’ unrepented fruit skin, bananas are natural antacid that prevents and relieves acid reflux and heartburn.

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Conclusion

Different part of bananas is beneficial for us, so it is not only a tasty snack It is a rich source of nutrition. From cardiovascular aid to the gastrointestinal tract to increasing energy levels to improving skin quality, bananas rightfully earned their status as one of the favourite fruits. So, the next time you’re up for a snack and thinking of taking something unhealthy well guess what your body would rather you take a banana.

 

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