Top 10 banana health benefits:

Top 10 banana health benefits:

1. Potassium:

Bananas are among the most convenient food sources of potassium. This mineral is essential for maintaining proper heart function and regulating normal blood pressure.

Numerous studies have shown the effectiveness of potassium-rich foods like bananas in lowering high blood pressure.

So much so that the food and drug administration (FDA) allows the banana industry to make official claims (much like they would a pharmaceutical drug) of their ability to reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke.

The potassium in bananas is also beneficial for your kidneys and bones.

2. More energy:

Even with the proliferation of brightly colored 'sports' drinks, 'energy' bars and 'electrolyte' gels (these are loaded with unhealthy chemicals and coloring by the way) you often see athletes eating bananas just before and even.

Bananas make a great snack at work when your energy is lagging and while they might not be the most obvious weight loss food, they are only about 100 calories and can satisfy those sweet cravings.
You can replace candy bars and other junk foods with bananas, you might just have a really important step towards losing weight. As an added bonus your energy will be much more steady and consistent.

3. Helps digestion: 

Bananas are a great source of dietary fiber that most of us don't get nearly enough of. Fiber helps the food you eat move smoothly through the digestive tract and improves elimination.

A couple of bananas may be a healthier choice than laxatives to treat occasional constipation.

Turning to another important element of digestion, bananas are rich in fructo-oligosaccharides (fos for short thankfully). Fos is known as a prebiotic since it feeds the important friendly bacteria in the digestive tract that help us absorb nutrients more efficiently.

Bananas are also known to help relieve the symptoms of heartburn. 

4. Good for ulcers:

Eating bananas regularly may help protect against stomach ulcers. Compounds in bananas seem to create a thicker protective barrier in the stomach against hydrochloric acid.

Bananas also contain protease inhibitors that work to eliminate certain bacteria in the stomach implicated as a major cause of stomach ulcers.

5. High in vitamin b6:

Bananas are particularly high in vitamin b6. This vitamin is important for creating hemoglobin for healthy blood.

B6 is also involved in maintaining proper blood sugar levels, synthesizing and breaking down amino acids and producing antibodies for a stronger immune response in your body.

6. Vitamins and minerals:

The high levels of potassium and vitamin b6 already mentioned, bananas also have good levels of vitamin c, magnesium and manganese.

They are also a source of most of the other b vitamins and smaller amounts of trace minerals like iodine, iron, selenium and zinc.

7. Skin trearment:

Banana skins have been used externally to treat skin conditions like psoriasis and acne.

The freshly peeled inside of the banana skin is gently rubbed over the affected area and the residue left on. This might be better done on a day indoors or before bed to avoid the banana smell when out and about.

Banana peel treatments are even used to heal warts. 

8. A cancer fighter:

Recent Japanese animal research linked bananas that are fully ripe (with the dark spots) to the production of a compound called tumor necrosis factor (tnf-a). This compound is a cytokine which is believed to have the potential to increase white blood cell count, thus enhancing your immunity and combating cancerous cell changes.

9. Improving your mood and reducing stress:

Bananas are a good source of the amino acid tryptophan which your body converts to serotonin. Proper serotonin levels help improve your mood, reduce stress and enhance your general outlook and happiness levels. It also helps regulate good sleep patterns.

Tryptophan is considered an essential amino acid because the only way your body gets it is through your diet. Bananas, while certainly not the highest source out there, are one of the easiest ways to get a little more tryptophan. Another reason why bananas make such a great snack for those stressed out at work.

10. A hangover cure:

Bananas are a great hangover food for mornings when you've overdone it a bit the night before. A couple of bananas in a blender with ice, some berries and coconut milk or organic cow's or goat's milk makes a really good recovery drink.