Although eating bananas can’t directly help in weight loss, research shows that some of the properties of this fruit may help reduce bloating, replace processed sugars, and control their appetite.
Read on this article to know about consuming bananas to achieve weight loss. We also provide an insight into their sugar content and nutritional information.
Banana: Important nutritional facts
Bananas are rich in nutrients and minerals and provide a number of health benefits. They contain too much fiber, carbs, and a essential vitamins and minerals.
A medium-sized banana includes below nutrients:
- Vitamin B6: 20% of RDI.
- Magnesium: 8% of RDI.
- Copper: 5% of RDI.
- Manganese: 15% of RDI.
- Fiber: 3.1 grams.
- Potassium: 12% of RDI.
- Vitamin C: 17% of RDI.
This comes to around 105 calories, 90 percent of which come from carbs. Most of carbs in bananas are sugars which include sucrose, fructose, and glucose. Also, bananas are low in both protein and fat.
Bananas also contain many beneficial plant compounds and antioxidants such as dopamine and catechin.
Can bananas help in weight loss?
Bananas are the best source of fiber. A medium-sized banana has 3.07 grams of fiber, and recommended daily intake for adults is 25 grams for people taking a 2,000-calorie diet.
Research reveals that there is a strong link between higher fiber consumption and lower body weight. This nutrient can also help reduce as well as stabilize blood sugar level.
Fiber can help you feel full for longer, which in turn could reduce the total number of calories that you eat. The body takes more time to digest some types of fibers, allowing them to efficiently regulate food intake.
The authors of a study who looked at more than 40 studies suggested that increasing daily intake of fiber by 14 grams can lead to a 10 percent decrease in energy intake and a weight loss of 2 kg in 4 months.
Research from China studied at the impact of dietary fiber on appetite in 100 overweight people but healthy adults. The results revealed that an increase in dietary fiber reduces feeling of hunger, and how many calories the participants consumed. Fiber can also help lower cholesterol level and decrease the risk of heart disease.
Unripe green banana contains resistant starch. This is a carbohydrate which doesn’t break down easily in small intestine. It passes through to large intestine. This means that it doesn’t increase blood sugar level. It then ferments in large intestine, promoting the growth of good bacteria in our gut.
Consuming more resistant starch might help people lose weight, since it works in a similar way as dietary fiber does. It may reduce your appetite by making you feeling fuller for longer period of time. Research revealed that resistant starch can also help improve insulin sensitivity. This benefits that it provides for the gut health could reduce the risk of colon cancer and help with constipation. Bananas are very healthy and nutritious, and there is no doubt in that. They are also rich in fiber, but low in calories.
Most bananas have medium glycemic index and shouldn’t cause increase in blood sugar level compared to other high carb foods.
Although is no study that directly revealed the effects of bananas on weight loss, they have several properties which can make them an effective weight loss friendly food. If you are trying hard to lose weight, there is nothing to worry about eating bananas as part of daily balanced diet.
How to eat bananas to lose weight?
A medium banana contains about 105 calories, three grams of fiber, about 14 grams of natural sugar, and 27 grams of carbohydrate, along with a number of essential micronutrients. The fruit not only boosts your metabolism but also keeps you full for longer period preventing you from over snacking in between meals.
Bananas are packed with nutrients and are a great source of essential vitamins. Bananas don’t make you gain weight or lose weight by themselves. The combinations in which is taken, timing, and the way you eat bananas contributes a lot to the weight management.
In comparison to other fruits, banana contains little more calories and carbohydrate. So, to incorporate bananas in your daily weight loss diet, follow some ground rules as given below:
- Limit your daily consumption to 5 pieces a day.
- The best time to have banana is post or pre-workout. It helps boost your stamina and also aids in recovery.
- Use them to control bloatingthat certain diets tend to cause. Potassium in banana helps decrease water retention which helps in weight loss.
- Bananas can be consumed for losing weight in a healthy manner as they don’t make you starve or bring energy levels down.
Bananas are a rich good source of fibers. A high fiber intake is linked to reduced body weight and several health benefits. Go and grab a few to see the result.
