Posts Tagged ‘banana nutrition’

How Can Banana Nutrients Help Your Health?

Bananas are considered to be one of the most nutrient rich fruits that you can eat — they are also one of the most popular fruits eaten today by people of all ages all over the globe. This combination means that few foods can have such a regular and positive impact on our health and well-being. So, let’s take a closer look at how banana nutrients can help your health.

Bananas are a great source of vitamins for a start, including vitamins A, B and C, and we all need plenty of those. They are also rich in a variety of minerals including calcium, magnesium and potassium. The calcium content here, for example, is a great way of helping promote healthy bone growth for both children and in adults.

It is, however, the potassium content of the average banana that is considered to be the nutrient of most value in the opinion of most nutritionists and diet experts. Bananas contain such high levels of potassium that some doctors will even recommend eating them if their patients have low potassium levels and need a natural boost here. They are also a good source of fiber which is also important to your general health and everyday fitness.

You should also remember that the potassium boost that you can get from eating bananas regularly can also help keep you physically healthy in other ways. It is, for example, good for your heart and for your blood pressure. The potassium content in a banana also makes them the snack of choice for many athletes and fitness trainers. Potassium can go a long way to avoiding cramps and muscle spasms after exercise, for example.

Bananas are also an easily digested fruit which means that this can be an acceptable fruit to eat if you suffer from certain stomach problems such as ulcers. The way that a banana breaks down in your system helps protect the stomach and causes few problems. For this reason many people swear by eating bananas after a stomach upset or bout of diarrohea as the stomach can accept and digest bananas very easily without further problems.

Finally, bananas can be one of the greatest snacks that you can eat when you are on a diet. They are rich in natural healthy sugars which will immediately deal with any cravings you have for sugary foods. You will also get an immediate energy boost with a banana that is similar to the sugar rush that you will get from eating a sugary snack. The difference here is that a banana is good for you!

You will also find that your body processes the nutrients from a banana slowly and steadily. This means that most people will feel fuller for longer and they will not need the energy boost of sugary snacks as there will be a steady flow of natural sugars and carbohydrates going through their bodies. So, as you can now see, bananas can help you keep healthy in all kinds of ways!

About the Author:

A Guide To Banana Calories

Bananas are one of the most popular foods all over the world. They are also one of the easiest to eat, especially if you are watching your diet, as you can carry them around with you until you want to eat them quite easily.

As with all fruits, bananas are good for you on a general health basis. The actual calories in a banana can vary widely as this fruit can range from the tiny to the outsized. But, in very general terms you can expect anything between 70 calories for a small banana through to +/-140 for a particularly large specimen.

Calorie counting your banana can be an important thing to do if you are watching your overall health or if you are on a diet. As a particularly popular fruit many people want to know the impact that eating bananas will have on their diet. So, what can a banana give you apart from 70-140 calories?

Bananas are actually a very rich source of vitamins and minerals. They are, for example, great at boosting your potassium levels and are a good source of calcium, magnesium, fiber, protein and healthy carbohydrates. One of the great things about eating a banana as a snack is that it can take a while for the body to absorb its nutrients which simply means, if you are on a diet, that it can leave you feeling fuller for longer.

In vitamin terms the average banana also gives you plenty of vitamins A, B and C in various forms. They are also low in sodium which is, once again, great news in healthy eating terms. You could almost say that eating one banana gives you access to as many good things as a meal!

The fact that bananas are absorbed relatively slowly also means that they can give you a steady and consistent release of energy after you have eaten them. For this reason they are often the favored fruit of athletes looking for a quick energy surge followed by a long lasting energy boost.

You may also find that bananas also have other health benefits as well as healthy eating ones. Their high potassium content, for example, can be beneficial to your blood pressure and to your overall cardio vascular health. Their fiber content is also thought to work against heart diseases. And, many sufferers from ulcers and related stomach disorders find that they can tolerate bananas over most any other fruits.

So, this fruit could be the ideal health solution for people of all ages. Bananas are also great for children (and adults) as their calcium content helps promote the growth of healthy bones.

And, in the general scheme of things we should all be looking to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day to stay healthy. Bananas are often the easiest option for us here and they also go great with breakfast cereals and other meals so can be relatively versatile. So, next time you need to reach for an energy snack reach for a banana!

About the Author: