Are Bananas Good for You? Absolutely. They are an amazing thing to eat and today, we will learn more about their health benefits for you!
Are Bananas Good For You?
If you’re curious about the benefits of bananas, read on. Bananas contain many compounds that are good for your health, including fiber and prebiotics. Here are some of the best ways to enjoy them.
They also contain healthy fats, dopamine, serotonin, and fiber.
In addition to being high in these nutrients, bananas are also great for your skin, as they contain a good amount of dietary fiber.
Dopamine
Researchers have found that dopamine is present in the latex vessels and isolated parenchyma cells in bananas.
Bananas at the green-tip stage of ripening had an average of 58.1 mg dopamine per gram of pulp, whereas bananas at the fully ripe stage only contained 24.5 mg dopamine per gram.
The researchers believe that this discovery could lead to better treatment for depression, Parkinson’s disease, and other neurodegenerative disorders.
Dopamine from bananas does not cross the blood-brain barrier, making them a great source of dietary antioxidants.
Bananas contain both dopamine and catechins, two types of antioxidant flavonoids that have been linked to a reduced risk of degenerative diseases and heart disease.
However, dopamine in bananas does not act as a feel-good chemical in the brain. It simply acts as a powerful antioxidant.
Serotonin
Bananas are rich in serotonin, a substance that influences our moods and is present in healthy levels in the brain. Bananas do not directly cross the blood-brain barrier, but their high vitamin B6 content may indirectly increase serotonin levels.
However, eating a single banana every day will not cure depression or lift your mood.
Although bananas contain high amounts of vitamin B6, they do not have enough of it to treat depressive conditions or lift moods.
Besides serotonin, bananas also have magnesium and vitamin B6, which aid sleep and relax muscles. The serotonin content of bananas depends on the type of fruit and its quality.
For the best taste and health benefits, try consuming bananas as a snack.
Moreover, they are loaded with a variety of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin B6 and magnesium. A diet rich in bananas contains plenty of both.
Fiber
Bananas contain two types of fiber: pectin and resistant starch. Both types are helpful in regulating bowel function and promoting regularity. Banana fiber binds to waste in the digestive tract, which helps eliminate it and prevents bloating.
Additionally, bananas help keep the colon clean by absorbing water. In addition, bananas are low in calories.
A single banana provides 14 percent of your daily fiber requirements.
Bananas are high in pectin, a type of soluble fiber that helps regulate blood sugar levels. Bananas contain a combination of water-soluble and acid-soluble pectin.
When bananas ripen, water-soluble pectin levels rise while acid-soluble pectin levels decrease, causing the banana’s flesh to soften.
Bananas also contain resistant starch, which functions as a soluble fiber. Studies have shown that pectin can balance blood sugar levels.
Prebiotics
Bananas are a superfood for your digestive system, thanks to their prebiotic content. These fiber-rich fruits are great for relieving both diarrhea and constipation.
In addition to making stools firmer, they also replenish the gut microbiome with beneficial bacteria.
Bananas are a great source of prebiotics, so try eating them green or underripe. You can also eat them out of the peel or add them to smoothies or bread.
While bananas have several kinds of prebiotics, consuming them only once a day is not recommended. It’s better to add these foods to two or three vegetarian meals per week.
Besides, bananas contain a wide variety of nutrients, making them ideal for a diet rich in fiber.
While the prebiotics in bananas can cause bloating and trapped wind, eating bananas regularly will help keep your immune system ticking.
Antioxidants
Bananas are rich in antioxidants. As the banana ripens, it becomes sweeter and the texture softens. The ripening process also increases the content of antioxidants and vitamin C in bananas.
The ripe banana also contains a compound called tumor necrosis factor that gives the fruit its anti-cancer properties.
Antioxidants found in bananas help the body fight free radical-mediated diseases and are also important in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Research has found that bananas contain gallocatechin. Gallocatechin was isolated from banana peel extract and was found to have a higher antioxidant activity than the pulp.
This might be due to the higher content of gallocatechin in the banana peel.
This compound may be a good source of natural antioxidants. Therefore, eating bananas should be part of your diet. Moreover, you can also use banana peel to make other products.
Resistant starch
Bananas are an excellent source of potassium and vitamin B6, and also contain copper, manganese, and magnesium. They also contain protein and pectin, the natural substance that gives bananas their spongy texture.
The resistant starch found in bananas is particularly beneficial for regulating blood sugar levels after a meal. Bananas can also help with weight loss, as the pectin content is known to reduce appetite.
Studies show that eating foods high in resistant starch can improve blood sugar control and insulin sensitivity.
About half of the carbohydrates in bananas do not spike blood sugar, making them a beneficial addition for diabetics.
In addition, individuals with metabolic syndrome can improve insulin sensitivity by eating up to 40 grams of resistant starch per day.
To reap the benefits of resistant starch in bananas, eat underripe bananas.
Anti-inflammatory properties
Bananas are full of powerful antioxidants and nutrients that can help prevent inflammation and promote a healthy digestive system.
Among these compounds are phytochemicals and flavonoids. All of these compounds work together to combat inflammation, and their anti-inflammatory effects may help improve the quality of life for a wide variety of patients.
The anti-inflammatory properties of bananas may be particularly beneficial for those who suffer from arthritis, diabetes, or other inflammatory conditions.
Ambon banana peel extract shows a high anti-inflammatory effect in a mouse model of rheumatoid arthritis.
It also has anti-inflammatory properties and is effective in inhibiting the production of inflammatory substances like histamine and bradykinin.
These compounds have a variety of other benefits, too, including preventing the development of osteoarthritis.
The anti-inflammatory properties of banana peel extracts are becoming more popular as natural medicines.
High GI rating
Bananas can be a healthy food for people with diabetes. Because they have a low glycemic index (GI), they are a good option for diabetics.
The GI rating is a measure of how quickly a food raises blood glucose levels, and foods with a low GI are absorbed slowly and cause a gradual rise in blood sugar levels.
Bananas contain a combination of starch and sugar, but they are also high in fiber, which slows down the digestion of sugar and prevents blood sugar spikes.
Bananas also contain a high percentage of resistant starch, which is a complex chain of glucose found in the upper digestive system.
The GI rating of bananas varies, depending on the level of ripeness. A slightly green banana has a GI rating of 42. However, bananas can reach as high as 61 once they are fully ripe.
In order to keep your blood sugar levels from rising too quickly, it is best to eat only those bananas that have a low GI rating.
However, if you’re a diabetic, it is recommended that you limit your banana intake to one to two per day.
Carotenoids
Carotenoids are a class of pigments found in plants. Research have linked carotenoid levels with human health and disease.
Researchers have found that bananas contain high levels of carotenoids and may be beneficial for our health.
Scientists have conducted tests on a variety of banana varieties and found that some species have higher levels than others.
Carotenoids are found in bananas in a number of ways.
In one study, researchers studied 19 different banana and plantain cultivars grown in Cameroon. Among the varieties tested, eight had higher levels of a-carotene than b-carotene. These results point to the nutritional value of bananas as a source of vitamin A.
Although this type of research requires high-throughput screening, it could be useful in assessing bananas for potential use in food and drug development.
