A fruit, flavoring and ingredient, bananas feature on almost every healthy meal plan. With more and more diets debuting on the health scene, banana nutrition is finally receiving the spotlight it deserves. While some recommend them as snacks, others have turned them into full meal replacements. Filled with a range of nutrients, you can easily add this fruit to your menu to benefit from banana nutrition.
Banana Nutrition Facts
Bananas are a powerhouse of vitamins and minerals. They also contain other substances that can ease common ailments and improve health.
Potassium
According to banana nutrition facts, they are well-known as natural food sources of potassium. Potassium is the mineral that regulates your blood pressure and ensures that your heart is functioning at its best. Potassium also nurtures the tissues in your nervous system. Bananas are so packed with potassium that they can provide 10% of your daily needs in a single serving.
Dietary Fiber
Another vital substance that bananas provide is fiber. They have both insoluble and soluble dietary fiber. Both types of fiber are essential to digestion and cannot be made by the body naturally. Fiber helps to break down what you’ve eaten, move it along the intestines and bulk up your stools for waste to be excreted from the body. Bananas are also considered great foods for upset stomachs.
B-Vitamins
Whenever you peel and eat a banana, it releases certain amounts of niacin, thiamine, folate and riboflavin. These are all B-vitamins that help break down food. Folate, in particular, has been found to increase red blood cells and allows oxygen to move easily through your body. Pregnant women can benefit from banana nutrition by preventing conditions that affect fetuses.
Vitamin C
While most know citrus fruits to be the bearers of vitamin C, many are not aware that bananas are also great sources. With more than 9 milligrams inside each banana, the fruit can give you about 10% of the vitamin C you need every day. Vitamin C improves the resistance of your immune system and can help clean up free radicals that cause diseases.
Can Bananas Make You Fat?
Bananas are often banned from extremely low-carb diets. Although they are low in calories, they are high in sugar. The sugar in a 6-inch banana forms 75 out of 100 calories. Unfortunately, this sugar can be stored as fat if your body doesn’t use it up. This is not to say that bananas are fattening. They can be if you eat more calories than you need. Banana nutrition research suggests that in addition to vegetables and whole-grain bread, it is one of the healthiest sources of carbohydrates in the world.
How to Incorporate Banana Nutrition in Your Diet
Eating a banana raw is always recommended. However, you can blend it with other foods like yoghurt, muesli, fruit salads and smoothies. It is not uncommon for bananas to be mixed into mashed potatoes or foods with a similar consistency. It is a great sweetener alternative and contains far more nutritional benefits than processed or commercially-baked treats. Whether you use it as a snack or flavoring, balance it out with plenty of protein and healthy fats.
According to banana nutrition data issued by the World Health Organization, bananas have been deemed as one of the world’s healthiest foods. It is loaded with potassium, vitamins and fiber to regulate digestion, toughen up immune system and aid nerve function. Easy to add to any diet, anyone can improve their health through its nutritional benefits.
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