Banana Bunker Logo

Why Should We Eat Bananas?

I see my trainer eating bananas at the gym all the time, all while he frowns if I say that I like and eat 5 oranges per day. I personally don't like bananas, they lack juice for my taste, but after seeing him eat bananas all day every day, I decided to do some investigation. I want to be healthy and fit after all, so there must be some magic in bananas. As it turns out it might be just that due to all kinds of vitamins and nutrients in each banana.

Yellow Ripe Bananas

Let's talk about each beneficial mineral and vitamin bananas have in detail:

1. Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 in bananas is easily digested and utilized and each fruit contains about ¼ of its daily dose. B6 aids your body's production of red blood cells, turning fats and carbs into energy, absorbing amino acids, cleansing liver and kidneys, and helping maintain healthy mind.

Pregnant women should definitely develop the love for bananas, if they don't have it already, because Vitamin B6 provides many benefits for a baby's developing in the womb. It is included in prenatal vitamins, but why not get more Vitamin B6 from its natural source?

2. Vitamin C

Bananas might not immediately come to mind when you think about Vitamin C, but actually one fruit can provide about 10% of your daily need. And Vitamin C does a whole lot of goodness for your body – helps cells heal after damage, increases iron absorption, aids in collagen production, strengthens your body's immune system, and helps produce serotonin, which regulates sleep patterns, mood, and the way your body responds to stress.

3. Manganese

This nutrient directly affects the health of your skin, nails, and hair. Each banana provides over 10% of your daily need of this mineral. Manganese helps your body in collagen production – it is a protein that safeguards skin cells from damage and works to rebuild them if that damage does occur.

4. Potassium

Bananas are amazing sources of potassium and each fruit contains about 10% of what you need each day, that's about 300-400mg of it. Potassium is vital for heart and blood pressure support and maintenance. Bananas are very low in sodium, which is another blood pressure stabilizing benefit.

5. Energy

Bananas are sweet and contain natural sugars – sucrose, fructose, and glucose. Those sugars will give you energy rush without fat or cholesterol increase. This is why children, athletes, and pregnant women more than anybody else should choose bananas for breakfasts and as snacks anytime energy level is getting low.

Ripe Bananas

6. Digestion help

Bananas are excellent sources of fiber, about 10-12% daily need per each fruit. Bananas have two types of fiber – soluble and unsoluble. Soluble fiber participates in regulating blood sugar and reducing cholesterol. Unsoluble fiber aids digestion systems and makes bowel movements more regular. In other words, bananas work hard to help your stomach health and to maintain beneficial bacteria balance. It's like your natural probiotic!

Newly ripe bananas contain a lot of starch that doesn't get digested fast and thus it keeps you full longer. This must be why my trainer eats bananas like there is no tomorrow.

Eating bananas will help you avoid constipation, stomach inflammations, and acids rising.