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Bananas For Health And Fitness

Are Bananas Really Beneficial To My Health?

One of the healthiest foods

Bananas are one of the healthiest and most commonly available fruits. They are a typical non-seasonal fruit, which means they are available fresh all year. They contain, amongst other nutrients, three types of sugars (viz. sucrose, glucose & fructose) and fibers.

Sugars in bananas provide instant as well as sustained energy to your body. Athletes world over, find them useful to include in their diet. If you eat two bananas then they are enough to supply energy for 90 minutes of your regular rigorous workout.

Banana is known for its sweet flavor as well as for its high nutritional values. They are liked by many as a food. They are in FDA's top twenty fruits. Banana’s are an excellent source of vitamin A ( 75.5 IU, 2 % DV- daily values ), vitamin C ( 10.3 mg, 17 % of DV), vitamin B-6 ( 0.4 mg, 22 % of DV ), and potassium ( 422 mg, 12 % of DV ).

They contain about 74% water, 23% carbohydrates, 1% proteins, 0.5% fat, and 2.6% fiber. (All values correspond to a medium size banana which is 7 to 8 inches long and which weighs approx. 118 gms). A medium sized banana gives you about 110 calories.

Major health benefits of bananas are:

• One banana provides you with 22 % of your DV-daily value of vitamin B6. B6 boosts your immunity system & maintains your nervous system in good working condition.

• Iron content (0.3 mg, 2 % DV) in bananas help increase hemoglobin in your blood. It is good for people who suffer from anemia. High fiber content (3 gm, 12 % DV) of bananas helps restore your normal bowel movement.

• Bananas contain tryptophan which is a mood enhancing amino acid. It can be converted to serotonin in your body which leads to a relaxed & happy mood. It helps in containing depression.

• New research indicates that bananas act as a natural antacid. This property of bananas helps in ulcer treatment. Bananas contain the protease inhibitors which seem to kill the harmful bacteria that help to cause ulcers.

• Potassium in bananas lowers the risk of high blood pressure, heart attacks & strokes.

• Bananas nourish probiotic (friendly) bacteria in the colon as they contain fructooligosaccharide. Our ability to absorb nutrients, including calcium, increases due to digestive enzymes produced by these beneficial bacteria. Better calcium absorption means better bones if you eat bananas.

Banana is flexible when it comes to its consumption. You can cook it or eat it the way you want. Frying of banana is possible. Baking or mashing is possible or you can just eat it raw. Sliced bananas can find place in your breakfast.

At lunchtime you can eat a raw banana. You can also make a peanut butter and banana sandwich. You can make a banana split by adding it to your ice cream. Choices are plenty.

Bananas lose their pleasant taste and they become dry when they are refrigerated. But they do not lose their nutritional value. But they last longer if they are refrigerated.

Include one or two bananas a day in your daily diet. Eat healthy, Be healthy!

By: Pradeep Mahajan

Last updated : Feb 18, 2011