For a lot of people, bananas might not only become that in-between-meal fruit. Instead, this naturally wrapped fruit has become a cereal replacement for breakfast, as it is thought to be much healthier. This affordable fruit is although underrated, has become very popular worldwide. Thereby, what benefits could you possibly gain by eating one or two bananas daily and consistently?
A quick energy boost
When you are in a rush, preparing breakfast can be frustrating. Yet, this type of meal should not be missed, for any reasons, as breakfast provides you nutrients and energy boost required for starting a day. Bananas, fortunately, will definitely give you a much simpler breakfast preparation. Paired the fruit with a boiled egg and you are ready to go.
Very simple and easy to prepare, bananas give you a quick energy boost, too. The fruit, as various research states, contains sufficient naturally-occurring carbohydrate that is essential for providing enough energy daily. Alternatively, the fruit is also recommended for in-between-meal snack, which is much healthier than a bag of chips as well as a cup of drink with heavy cream.
Help controlling your blood pressure
Eating two bananas per day is also a more natural method for lowering your blood pressure, thanks to its high content of potassium.
This beneficial compound lowers the effects of sodium and helps to ease tension in your blood vessel walls. With less tension in your blood vessels, the risk of having high blood pressure consequently decreases
Eating two bananas per day—and by hence, consuming about 750mg potassium is recommended for those with blood pressure above 120/80, although healthy persons will also get benefits from doing the meal as well. A healthy adult requires 4700 mg potassium per day to maintain healthy blood pressure level and overall health. Other potassium-rich foods include potatoes, dates, and avocados.
Get healthy bowels
Depending on their ripeness, bananas affect your bowel movements. Because of this, green and yellow bananas may give a quite different effect on your digestive system. Green bananas, the unripe one, contain a high amount of resistant starch. Your body has a harder time digesting starch and consequently, the compound moves more slowly through your digestive tract.
On the other hand, in ripe bananas, the starch turns into a fruit sugar known as pectin, which gives sweet taste to the creamy flesh. These sweet bananas are rich of insoluble fiber. This type of fiber absorbs water as it moves through your digestive system. Absorbed water will add bulk to your stool and help it moves quickly. As a result, you lower the risk of having constipation.
Potassium in bananas is also a good remedy for diarrhea. This mineral is one of those important electrolytes you lose during diarrhea. High amount of potassium in bananas, therefore, replace the lost minerals, while the insoluble fiber helps add bulk to your stool.
A banana a day keeps the asthma away
According to a 2011 study, bananas that are consumed daily and regularly have been proven to improve the symptoms of asthma quite drastically. Improving the gut is essential for improving asthma-induced conditions. According to Dr. Neil Williams of Nottingham Trent University, microbes living in the gut can have a substantial influence on immune function and allergies, which is essential in airway diseases. Hence, by strengthening their immune system, people with asthma have a chance of improving visible symptoms.
Bananas are helpful in this case, as they contain sufficient amount of prebiotic. This prebiotic, which acts like a fertilizer, increases the growth of good bacteria on the lining of the colon. Adequate amount of good bacteria reduces the risk of inflammation in asthma patients. This also improves the lung functions, which is essential in treating airway diseases.
Eating two bananas each day is proven to be effective and beneficial in reducing the risk of asthma in those healthy persons as well as exercise enthusiasts. The high prebiotic content will also reduce the risk of post-exercise blocked airways.
Keep cancer at the bay
Long-term daily consumption of healthy fruits, including bananas will potentially keep various diseases away. Since bananas are loaded with vitamin C, it helps combat free radicals that may lead to cancer. The fact is, the riper the banana is, the higher the content of antioxidants will be. Consequently, this type of banana commonly “decorated” with dark spots provides better anti-cancer quality.
The dark spots on ripe yellow bananas might not be aesthetically beautiful. Yet, these spots produce a substance called Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) that helps destroy cancerous tumors. Ripe bananas that contain higher level of antioxidants strengthen your immune system and increase your white blood cells, make them eight times as effective as the greener ones in elevating the cancer-fighting potential possessed by the white blood cells.
However, ripe yellow bananas tend to be sweeter than the green ones and consequently consist of higher sugar level that may potentially elevate blood sugar level. Therefore, consuming green and ripe yellow bananas alternatively in daily basis is recommended in order to get its maximum benefits and avoid counter side effects.
Enhance good mood
Regular consumption of bananas is also beneficial for your mood status. If you are expecting a good mood, try to eat the easy-to-find fruits in regular basis. In fact, according to various research two bananas a day will enhance your good mood, due to its amino acid content. Bananas are a natural mood booster due to its ability to raise serotonin level, a compound that is essential for treating insomnia, depression, and anxiety.
Eating two bananas each day will significantly raise the level of amino acid called tryptophan. This compound will be converted into serotonin—the neurotransmitter for happy mood.
Boost bone mass
Potassium in bananas are not only good for improving your bowel movements. It is also an effective compound that fight the bad effects of high-salt diets by preventing bones from being decayed. It also works as a bone shield to increase bone density. Eating two bananas per day will fulfil your potassium need and thus, promotes healthier and denser bones.
Prevent risk of anemia
Vitamins and minerals in two bananas you eat each day also have a significant role in preventing the risk of anemia. There are three major compounds in bananas that work hand in hand in boosting the formation of hemoglobin to keep anemia the bay. They are iron, vitamin B12, and folic acid. Banana is also enriched with calcium, which is essential for reducing anemia symptoms. Two or three bananas a day is recommended for those patients with lower blood pressure. Women are also advised to consume bananas daily during their monthly period to prevent the risk of anemia.
Get rid of heartburn
The individually-wrapped fruit makes a great snack on the go, which does not only give you an instant energy boost, but also works as nutrient provider. In addition to many benefits the fruit provide you, bananas are also a great home remedy for people suffering from heartburn. Bananas have 5.6 pH, which is beneficial for people with acid reflux. Consuming two bananas a day along with heart-healthy foods improve heartburn conditions in the majority of patients, although less than 1% of them notice worsened symptoms after banana consumption.
