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Bananasare the most popular fresh fruit in the United States and globally.
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RecentUSDA datashows that we eat, on average, more than 13 pounds of bananas per person per year.
That’s good news since the world’s largest herbaceous plant providesnumerous surprising health benefits.
Here are some banana basics that reveal what’s under the peel and how that affects your health.
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Bananas are nutrient-rich.
Bananas are an excellent source of vitamin B6 with 25% of your daily recommended intake.
They also provide around 10% of your daily recommendations for potassium, vitamin C, and manganese.
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Bananas are diet-friendly.
A medium banana is 110 calories and provides 30 grams of carbs and 3 grams of fiber.
The fiber in bananas helps slow down digestion to help keep hunger and cravings in check.
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(The greener the banana, the more resistant starch it contains.)
One of those foods is bananas.
Bananas temper blood pressure.
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As an excellent source of potassium, a medium banana has 422 milligrams of potassium while being sodium-free.
The high potassium to sodium ratio helps to neutralize the blood-pressure-raising effects of sodium in your diet.
Bananas have antimicrobial and antiviral properties.
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Bananas have been used in ancient medicine totreat infections, from diarrhea to viruses like chickenpox and measles.
Taken together, a banana a day is a healthy option tobolster your immune system.
They may improve your mood.
Bananas provide nutrients that may lift your mood.
The vitamin B6 they provide helps increase the feel-good neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine.
