Have you ever thought about what goodness is in bananas? These are not only rich in vitamin B6 but also are an excellent source of vitamin C, manganese, and dietary fiber. Bananas are free of cholesterol and sodium. What does this mean for your health?
Banana has very delicious and healthy. This has several important nutrients and proves to be the best food for weight loss, improved digestion, and heart health.
Besides being highly nutritious, they are also a very convenient snack food. Here are some science-based health benefits of banana.
•Improves kidney health
Potassium is very essential for blood pressure regulation and proper kidney function. Being a good source of potassium, bananas might be beneficial for maintaining healthy kidneys. A study in women revealed that those who consumed bananas 2-3 times a week were 33 percent less likely to have kidney disease. Another study showed that those who have bananas 4-6 times per week are 50 percent less likely to suffer from kidney disease than those who do not eat this fruit.
•Enhances insulin senility
Insulin resistance is an important risk factor for the world’s most serious diseases, such as type 2 diabetes. Various studies show that 15-30 grams of resistant starch in a day might improve insulin sensitivity by 33-50 percent in a few weeks. Unripe bananas are an excellent source of resistant starch. So, these can help improve insulin sensitivity.
But the main reasons for these effects are yet to be well understood, and few studies agree on this matter. More studies need to be conducted on banana and insulin sensitivity.
•Helps you feel full
Resistant starch is an indigestible carb mainly found in unripe banana and other foods, which functions like soluble fiber in your body. As a rule of thumb, it can be estimated that green bananas have higher resistant starch content. On the other side, yellow ripe bananas have a lesser amount of resistant starch and fiber and a higher amount of soluble fiber. Both resistant starch and pectin offer appetite-reducing effects and enhances the feeling of fullness after a meal.
•Provides important antioxidants
Fruits and vegetables are very good sources of dietary antioxidant and banana are no exception. They have several potent antioxidants like dopamine and catechins. The antioxidants are related to several health benefits, such like reduced risk of heart diseases and degenerative conditions.
However, it is a common misunderstanding that dopamine from bananas act as a feel good chemical in the brain. Actually, dopamine from bananas cannot cross the blood-brain barrier. It only acts as an antioxidant instead of changing hormones or mood.
•Helps in weight loss
No study has yet directly tested the impacts of bananas on weight loss. But bananas have several important attributes that make them the best food for weight loss. For starters, banana has relatively low calories. A banana has over 100 calories, yet it is too nutritious and filling. Eating more fiber from vegetables and fruits like bananas has been linked to weight loss and lower body weight.
Also, unripe bananas are full of resistant starch, so these tend to be filling and might reduce your appetite.
•Controls blood sugar levels
Bananas are rich in pectin, which is a type of fiber which provides the flesh its spongy structural look. Unripe bananas have resistant starch that acts like soluble fiber and is not digested. Both pectin as well as resistant starch may lower blood sugar levels after meal and may reduce appetite by slowing down the emptying of the stomach. Also, bananas ranks low to medium on glycemic index, which is a measure of how quickly food increases blood sugar level.
The GI value of an unripe banana is about 30, and ripe bananas rank at around 60. The average value of bananas is 51. This would mean that bananas shouldn’t cause major rise in blood sugar level in healthy persons. However, it may not apply to a person with type two diabetes, who must avoid eating excess well-ripened bananas, and monitor blood sugar levels carefully.
•Provides several important nutrients
Bananas are one of the most popular foods. They are native to Southeast Asia and are grown in many warm regions of the world. Bananas differ in color, shape, and size. The most common variety is the Cavendish, which is a kind of dessert banana. It is green when unripe and yellows when matures.
Banana contains large amounts of fiber and several antioxidants. A medium-sized banana also has below nutrients.
Potassium: 9% of RDI
Vitamin C: 11% of RDI
Magnesium: 8% of RDI
Vitamin B6: 33% of RDI
Manganese: 14% of RDI
Net carbs: 24 grams
Copper: 10% of RDI
Protein: 1.3 grams
Fiber: 3.1 grams
Fat: 0.4 grams
A banana has about 105 calories and contains water and carbs. Bananas have little protein and no fat. The carbs in unripe bananas consist of resistant starch. But when the bananas ripen, the starch converts into sugar.
•Have benefits for exercise
Bananas are also referred to as a perfect food for athletes mainly due to mineral content and easily digested carbohydrates. Consuming bananas can help reduce exercise-associated soreness and muscle cramps, which affect up to 95 percent of general population. The reasons for the cramps are unknown, but a theory of a mixture of dehydration and electrolyte imbalance can be the reason.
However, different research provides mixed findings of muscle cramps and bananas. While a few studies have found them helpful, others find no effect. Banana provides essential nutrition before, during, and after exercise.
Conclusion
Bananas are a very popular fruit that is believed to provide a number of health benefits. Among many other things, they may enhance digestive and heart health because of their fiber and antioxidant contents.
They may even help in weight loss, as they have relatively low calorie and nutrient-rich. Ripe bananas are the best way to maintain your overall health.in