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Benefits of Banana And Its Side Effects

Last Updated: Aug 27, 2020

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The soluble fibers in bananas helps provide enhanced energy levels and maintains stamina. It also helps to aid in digestion by creating helpful bacteria and cures heartburn and ulcers too. Thickening of the protective stomach walls helps to reduce the chances of hydrochloric acid damaging the stomach.

The abundance of vitamin B6 in bananas can help us create haemoglobin which in turn strengthens our immune system. Apart from these, it also helps to reduce stress and improve your mood due to the presence of serotonin. Additionally rubbing banana peels on the face helps to control skin conditions like psoriasis and acne. It also cures hangovers and prevents cancer from occuring.

Banana

A banana is a fruit which is produced by different varieties of herbaceous flowering plant. This fruit is usually firm and is variable in colour and size. It is curved and elongated. The flesh is usually covered with a brown, purple, yellow or green rind. Bananas generally hang in clusters from the banana tree.

Nutritional Value of Banana

Bananas are extremely nutritional as it contains around 1% protein, 23% carbohydrates and 75% water. The best part is that the fat content in a banana is usually negligible. It is considered a rich source of vitamin B and also contains dietary fiber, manganese and vitamin C.

The taste of a banana can vary from sweet to starchy depending upon the ripeness and cultivar. Compounds such as isobutyl acetate and isoamyl acetate directly contribute to the flavour and aroma of fresh bananas. In many parts of the world, banana peel is also consumed due to its high nutritional value. It also contains potassium, vitamin B12 and B6 in copious amounts.

Nutritional facts Per 100 grams

89
Calories
0.3 g
Total Fat
1 mg
Sodium
358 mg
Potassium
23 g
Total Carbohydrate
1.1 g
Protein

Vitamins and Minerals

1 %
Vitamin A
14 %
Vitamin C
1 %
Iron
20 %
Vitamin B-6
6 %
Magnesium

Health Benefits of Banana

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Mentioned below are the best health benefits of Banana

Increased energy

A lot of times, we witness athletes or sportsmen/sportswomen eating banana before their sports. Banana is a high source of energy and it also helps the human body to become more and more immune to viral infection. Other than this, it gives increased stamina and energy to anyone who consumes it.

The soluble fiber along with the natural sugars gives a stable energy when eaten half an hour before working out. This fruit has also been known to help to fight against mid-afternoon slump. No matter how much banana a person consumes, the probability of gaining weight and becoming obese is comparatively low.

Improves Digestion

We usually don’t get enough fibers through our daily diets. Fiber is of utmost importance for food to travel properly in the digestive tract. Since bananas are a high source of dietary fibers, it improves bowel movements to a great extent.

Consuming a few bananas is much better than taking laxatives to cure constipation. Bananas are also rich in FOS (fructo-oligosaccharides), this feeds the helpful bacteria which lives in our digestive tracts. This bacteria is known to absorb all the nutrients efficiently.

Cures heartburn

Bananas are great for curing heartburns as they relieve pain by enhancing the protective mucucs layer and balancing the stomach’s PH. The fiber content present in bananas also makes the food move to the digestive tract much faster, thus preventing an acid reflux.

Cures Ulcers

Consuming bananas regularly can also help to protect the stomach against ulcers. Continuously eating banana for a long period of time thickens the mucus barriers inside the stomach. This instead prevents damage from hydrochloric acid. Bananas also contains protease inhibitors which helps to reduce bacteria that causes stomach ulcers. Studies have shown that maximum number of people with healthy digestion regularly consumed banana.

Creating haemoglobin

Since bananas are a good source of vitamin B6, it creates abundant amount of haemoglobin for healthy blood supply in the body. Vitamin B6 is also involved in producing antibodies, breaking down and synthesizing amino acids, maintaining blood sugar levels, etc. These help in creating a strong immune response in the body. Bananas can certainly be a great substitute of Vitamin pills.

Skin conditions

Beauty has become very important in today’s world. We all want to achieve flawless and healthy skin, thankfully bananas can help to achieve this. Banana peels are very helpful in treating skin conditions such as acne and psoriasis. Rubbing the banana peel on the affected area helps release a lot of fatty acids from the peel which helps to relieve skin conditions and also moisturises the skin from within. Banana peels have also been helpful in removing warts since ages.

Reduces stress

Bananas contain amino acid tryptophan which the body converts into serotonin right after consumption. Serotonin helps to regulate sleep patterns, reduces stress, improves mood and increases happiness levels. Banana is not the highest source of serotonin but it helps to improve your mood to a great extent. This is the reason why we observe people snacking on a banana while feeling too stressed out during work.

Cures hangovers

Bananas are ideal to cure hangovers after a night of over drinking. Blending the banana with coconut milk, berries and ice can give you a high energy level and helps you to recover from a hangover. It also reduces pain and discomfort felt on the head. According to studies, bananas are a better alternative to Caffeine to reduce hangover symptoms.

Fights against cancer virus

Banana has a compound called cytokine which can increase the blood count of the white blood cells easily. This in turn increases your immunity and combats harmful cancer cells from taking over your immune system. Consuming bananas on a daily basis can make you less prone to developing cancer later in life.

Uses of Banana

Banana is rich is potassium, so it is ideal for curing insect bites, scrapes, bruises, cuts and treating damaged hair. Rubbing a banana peel on your teeth can also whiten your teeth due to high starch content in it. Banana can also prove to be useful during exfoliation and make your skin soft and supple. Apart from health benefits, banana peels can also act as a fantastic fertilizer for different plants.

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Allergies and Side-Effects of Banana

Bananas are not known to have any major side effects, but sometimes over consumption of bananas can prove fatal for your body. If you suffer from regular migraine attacks, it is better to avoid consuming bananas. This fruits contains a substance called Tyramine which can trigger migraine headaches.

Since bananas have excessive potassium in them, over-consumption can cause excessive potassium to be present in the blood, resulting in Hyperkalemia. This condition can also result to heart attacks in some cases. Since banana is extremely high in starch, tooth decay can be common due to consuming bananas.

Cultivation of Banana

Earlier, the cultivation of bananas usually originated from Papua New Guinea and Southeast Asia. Being a tropical fruit, one can find bananas in tropical areas such as Pacific, Caribbean, Latin America and Africa. Banana usually grows in dark and rich fertile soil. Warm tropical temperature is essential for bananas to grow completely. Additionally, it takes 9 to 12 months for a newly sown banana to harvest the entire fruit.

References

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    Written ByDrx Hina FirdousPhD (Pharmacology) Pursuing, M.Pharma (Pharmacology), B.Pharma - Certificate in Nutrition and Child CarePharmacology
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    Reviewed ByDt. Ms. Shilpa MarwahB.Sc (Home Science), Post Graduation Diploma in Dietetics and Public Health NutritionDietitian/Nutritionist
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