The health benefits of banana
include helping with weight loss, reducing obesity, curing intestinal
disorders, relieving constipation, and curing conditions like dysentery,
anemia, tuberculosis, arthritis, gout, kidney disorders, urinary disorders,
menstrual problems, and burns. They are also good for reducing blood pressure,
protecting heart health, modifying the metabolism, improving the immune system,
reducing the severity of ulcers, ensuring healthy eyes, building strong bones,
and detoxifying the body.
The fruit of the banana tree is
eaten directly when ripe or as a part of fruit salads, juice, or shakes. Unripe
bananas can cause severe indigestion and
should be eaten only in cooked form. Also, bananas are good toppings for
breakfast cereals, or as a snack for a quick burst of energy. Bananas have been
an important cultural food for many different countries, although the genus of
bananas, Musa, is native to South and Southeast Asia. The full scientific name
of bananas is Musa acuminata. Now, bananas are grown in more than 100 countries
around the world and can also be used to make fiber, banana wine, and even as
ornamental decorations.
The banana tree is actually the
largest flowering herbaceous plant in the world, and although there are many
different varieties exist, they almost all are elongated, slightly curved
fruits with a fleshy outer peel that can be easily removed to expose white to
yellow flesh. They all grow in clusters near the top of the fruiting plant, and
come in a range of colors, including green, red, yellow, purple, and brown
(when ripe). The main distinction is between bananas and plantains, and while
there are not many differences, plantains are smaller with starchier, denser
fruit and is traditionally eaten in Asia and tropical countries. Bananas are
more commonly found in Europe and America, and are soft, desert fruits.
The many medicinal benefits of
bananas are attributed to its rich vitamin, mineral, and organic compound
content. Let’s explore the actual content of what makes bananas such an
important, powerful, and beneficial fruit!
Nutritional Value of
Banana
Bananas have been considered one
of the healthiest options for fruit consumption for many years due to its
impressive nutritional content, which includes vitamins like vitamin C, vitamin
B6, riboflavin, folate, pantothenic acid, and niacin, as well as trace amounts
of other vitamins. In terms of minerals, bananas deliver a significant amount
of potassium, manganese, magnesium, and copper. Bananas are also good sources
of dietary fiber and protein.
Health Benefits of
Banana
The health benefits of banana include the following:
Weight Loss and Obesity: Bananas
are useful for weight loss as one banana only has approximately 90 calories. It
contains a lot of fiber as well and is easy to digest. Furthermore, it does not
contain any fats. Therefore, an overweight person does not have to eat too many
calories if their diet contains some bananas, because they also serve to feel
very filling. The roughage will also not make the person feel hungry by
inhibiting the release of the hunger hormone, ghrelin. This will reduce
overeating, keep a person healthy, but also help them naturally lose weight.
Stronger Bones: Bananas are one of the best fruits for guaranteeing
strong, healthy bones throughout your life. One of the best reasons for this is
the presence of fructooligosaccharide, which is a prebiotic and eventually a
probiotic, beneficial bacteria in our digestive tract that boosts the intake of
minerals and nutrients by the body. Specifically, bananas are linked to
increased absorption of calcium. Some bananas also possess short-chain fatty
acids, which humans cannot absorb, but the organism that live in our stomach
lining can consume those fatty acids, which increases their ability to absorb
minerals like calcium. Calcium is the most important element in the production
and regrowth of bone matter in the body, thereby reducing the chances of
osteoporosis and natural weakness commonly linked to aging.
Arthritis and Gout: Various compounds inside of bananas are
anti-inflammatory in nature, meaning that they can reduce swelling,
inflammation, and irritation from various conditions like arthritis and gout.
These conditions are very common as people age, or if they have poor diets or
unhealthy diets. Therefore, adding a banana a day to your dietary regimen can
keep you ache and pain-free for many years.
Weight Gain: At the same time as helping people lose weight,
bananas can also be useful for weight gain. When consumed with milk, bananas help
to increase a person’s weight rapidly. Milk provides the necessary proteins and
bananas provide the sugars. Furthermore, since bananas are easily digested, a
weak person can gulp 5-6 bananas in a day apart from the regular meals without
giving them indigestion. This leads to an additional 500-600 calories which is
quite necessary for weight gain. Since bananas have the ability to provide
instant energy, sportsmen eat bananas during breaks during games for an extra
surge of energy.
Constipation: Bananas contain significant amounts of dietary fiber
and therefore help in smooth bowel movements. Bananas are said to push out
stubborn stools and relieve a person from constipation. They also help in
treating other intestinal disorders. Fiber is able to bulk up stool and help to
stimulate the body’s peristaltic motion, which helps to move bowel movements
through the intestinal tract. This can help to reduce unhealthy digestive
conditions, as well as colorectal cancer!
Ulcers: For years, bananas have been used as an antacid food to
soothe upset stomachs. It actually does far more than that, however, and can
suppress acid secretion. The organic compounds in bananas stimulate the
activity of the cells in our stomach lining in order to build up a protective
barrier against acids. They also contain protease inhibitors, which eliminate
the harmful bacteria that have been linked to the development of stomach
ulcers!
Menstrual problems: Cooked banana flower and banana steam help in providing relief
from painful and excessively bleeding during the menstrual cycle as well as
other menstrual disorders.
Kidney Disorders: Bananas have been linked to reducing the danger
towards the kidneys from a number of different conditions. Potassium helps to
regulate the fluid balance in the body, and that can help ease the strain on
the kidneys, and also encouraging urination. This can help to keep toxins from
accumulating in the body, and speeding up their release from the body through
increased frequency and volume of urination. Furthermore, there are
polyphenolic, antioxidant compounds in bananas that positively impact kidney
function and the accumulation of toxins, while also stimulating proper
functioning of the kidneys.
Eye Health: Bananas, like many other fruits, are packed with
antioxidant compounds and carotenoids, as well as a proper mix of minerals that
can seriously boost the health of your eyes. Macular degeneration, cataracts,
night blindness, and glaucoma have all been shown to decrease with normal
intake of bananas and other similar fruits.
Cardiovascular Protection: Bananas represent an important part of
overall heart health for a variety of reasons. First of all, bananas are rich
sources of potassium, so they reduce blood pressure, since bananas are
vasodilators. By relaxing the tension of arteries and veins, the blood can flow
more smoothly through the body and oxygenate the various organs of the body to
increase their function. This can help eliminate atherosclerosis and the
subsequent strokes and heart attacks that are so commonly associated with that
condition. The fiber in bananas also scrapes excess cholesterol from the
arteries and blood vessels, as a further message of reducing stress on the
cardiovascular system.
Piles: Piles is characterized by having difficulty in passing
stools that may also lead to bleeding. It is believed that bananas help in
treating piles. Some people also consider bananas to cause negative effects on
the bowels during piles as it adds a lot of bulk, giving additional pressure on
the bowels. However, the primary problem with piles is excretion, and bananas
definitely stimulate that process. Bananas also have anti-inflammatory
properties, which can help treat piles by reducing the inflammation and
associated pain that often leads to itching and a worsening of the condition.
Anemia: Bananas contain high iron content and therefore aid in
treating anemia because iron is an essential part of red blood cells, which is
why anemia occurs, low blood cell count due to lack of iron. Banana also has a
significant content of copper, which is an important element in the creation of
red blood cells. By increasing red blood cell count, not only do you prevent
anemia, but you can increase circulation to all parts of the body, thereby
oxygenating various parts of the organ and optimizing their functionality.
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