Health Benefits of Bananas
What Are The Benefits of Eating Bananas?
You probably won’t be enjoying the health benefits of bananas through juicing. Firstly, because there is almost no “juice” in bananas and secondly, because juicers generally aren’t made to handle them.
If you’re curious, go ahead and try it. The juicer will just end up covered in sloppy, mushy bananas with little or no juice at all. Hungry? Feel free to scoop that mush into your fingers and slam it in your mouth. I’m sure it’ll still taste like banana, and hey, it’ll still be great for you.
If we can’t juice bananas, why talk about the health benefits of bananas on a juicing website? Well, since Healthy Juicing is all about getting massive benefits from fruits and vegetables, it makes sense to talk about something like bananas.
This once-exotic fruit is now everywhere. You’ll find this yellow fruit in the hand of school kids. More than any other fruit (except probably apple), they are a great snack. They fit into the hand perfectly, and the skin is easily pealed. If you peel the skin the right way, it’ll even act as a handle while you take bites of this tasty treat.
But at the end of the day, it is better than a snack. It kicks typical snacks’ butts when it comes to the nutrition department. I’d rather be eating a banana than chewing on a chocolate bar, if only because bananas are awesome.
Health Benefits of Bananas
- Great food for ulcers. Bananas lower the level of acid in the gastric juices of the stomach and build a protective coating inside the stomach, making them great food for anyone with ulcers.
- Full-on energy. Sugar gives the body energy and as everyone knows, fruit provides a superior source of natural sugar, including fructose, glucose and sucrose. Jumpstart your day with a banana – what an awesome idea.
- Avoid Anemia. Anemia is a blood disorder, usually caused by a decrease in the normal number of red blood cells. How do you boost your red blood cell count? Give yourself some iron! Iron is a mineral found in abundance in bananas and creates many of the health benefits of bananas.
- Reduce high blood pressure. With their high potassium, bananas are potent reducers of high blood pressure.
- Get rid of cigarettes. Smoking can be smacked on the head and evicted from your life with bananas. They’ve got Vitamins A1, B6, B12 and C, along with a pile of potassium which all tend to minimize nicotine withdrawal.
- Pain relief from minor burns and wounds Try it. Next time you hurt yourself, mash up the inside of a banana and wrap it in a paper towel. Place this fancy package on the burn or wound and the pain relief will begin shortly. Pain relief is one of the more interesting health benefits of bananas.
- Lift your spirits. Like most fruit, bananas are mood elevating and alleviate depression. They contain tryptophan, which is one of 20 amino acids which are building blocks of proteins. It helps the body to create serotonin, a chemical needed to relax.
- PMS (Premenstrual syndrome). Surprised? Packed with Vitamin B6, bananas help to regulate blood glucose levels, which affect the moods and pains of women during PMS.
- Get your bowels moving. One of the great health benefits of bananas is that they are a natural, very light laxative. They’ll help to get rid of constipation without giving you a blast of diarrhea. This is due to the high fiber content.
- Great for kids. Growing young bodies need a wealth of vitamins and minerals, and bananas pack a punch in the perfect package. Like I said, they are one of the most perfect snacks, so make sure you pack them in your kids’ lunchboxes.
- Cheap as chips. That is, when a cyclone hasn’t just run through the main crop (I hear it in Australia during 2011!). All the fantastic benefits above are crammed into something which is almost always cheap. And you don’t even need to prepare or wash them. You can eat them right away.
Banana Nutrition
One medium banana contains 1.29 grams of protein, 105 calories and 3.1 grams of dietary fiber.
Vitamins
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin B1 (thiamine)
- Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
- Niacin
- Folate
- Pantothenic Acid
- Vitamin B6
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin K
*Contains some other vitamins in small amounts.
Minerals
- Potassium
- Phosphorus
- Magnesium
- Calcium
- Sodium
- Iron
- Selenium
- Manganese
- Copper
- Zinc
*Also contains small amounts of other minerals.
Banana Ideas
- Snack. Grab a banana from the fruit bowel and eat away. Take one (or three!) to work, school or the movies.
- Smoothie. Throw a few bananas in the blender. Rather than adding sugar and other unhealthy ingredients, add a few fruits and vegetables, such as apple or spinach. If your blender can handle it, you’ll end up with a green smoothie, which is at least as good as a fresh juice.
- Banana split. If you want to take a break from all this healthy eating, make yourself a banana split. They’re a tasty treat and rather than feeling guilty, you can remind yourself that you’re getting the health benefits of banana from the banana in the split. Just don’t eat too many!
If you enjoyed this page, you’ll also enjoy:
- Health Benefits of Ginger Root
- Benefits of Tomato Juice
- 20 Healthy Eating Benefits and Why You Must Change Your Diet
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