As we all know banana is a fruit which is long and curved in shape and it grows in clusters. It usually has a yellow skin and pulpy flesh. It botanically belongs to berry and it is produced in the plants belonging to the Musa family. It is also a well known fact that bananas are largely consumed fruits all over the world. Some researchers and scientists also believe that banana would have been the world’s first fruit.
In present day, bananas are grown in almost 107 countries and it also occupies the fourth rank in the monetary value of world’s food crops. When comparing the amount of apples oranges and bananas consumed by Americans, it is proven that they are consuming more number of bananas that is very much higher even when the consumption rate of both apples and oranges are considered together.
Benefits of Bananas
Banana helps in treating more number of diseases including
- Asthma
- Blood Pressure
- Cancer
- Treating Diabetes
- Treatment of diarrhea
- Boosting of mood and Preservation of memory
Asthma
A study which was conducted by Imperial collage of London have discovered that the children who are consuming at least one banana per day has a lowered risk of getting affected from asthma up to 34%.
Blood Pressure
It is a well known fact that maintaining low sodium intake to the body would help the person from being affected by the blood pressure. Banana is a rich source of potassium and it is also proved that a person who is consuming adequate amount of potassium each and every day would be protected from most of the diseases.
Cancer
It is a well known fact that if a child consumes banana oranges and orange juice in its first and second year, it would help the child largely in reducing the chances of getting leukemia. We all are aware that free radicals are main cause for the cancer disease and we also know that banana is a rich source for the Vitamin C, this vitamin C helps in fighting with the formation of those harmful free radicals. Every one of us are aware that with the help of intake of high fibrous fruits and vegetables, we can prevent ourselves from cholesterol cancer. Banana is one among the fruits which contains a good quantity of fiber content.
Treating Diabetes
It is proven by researchers that people who are suffering from type 1 diabetes and who are also consuming bananas would have a lowered blood glucose level and those type 2 diabetes patients may have improved blood sugar content on consumption of fibrous food. It is known that an average medium sized banana has about 3 grams of fiber in it.
Diarrhea Treatment
In case if a person is suffering from diarrhea, then he could be treated with bland fruits like apple and banana. It is also known to everyone that electrolytes like potassium are lost in larger contents during diarrhea. So, consumption of banana would compensate the lost potassium content as banana is a rich source for potassium.
Boosting of Mood and Preservation of Memory
Fruits like banana helps in improving the mood of a person because it posses typtophan which is an amino acid. This tryptophan amino acid which is present in banana would also help children and adults in preservation of their memory.
Banana’s Nutritional Profile
It is known that one medium sized banana which is about 126 grams contains about 110 calories, thirty grams of carbohydrates and one gram of protein. You may wonder to know the fact that bananas are free from cholesterols, fats and sodium. Bananas also act as a source for a wide range of nutritional items like vitamin B6, Vitamin A, Magnesium, Dietary Fiber, Proteins, Iron etc.
Unlike other fruits, you can see the growth of bananas all over the world and almost all periods of a year. Usually, bananas can be stored in the room temperature. If you want your bananas to ripen faster, then it is advised for you to store your banana in a brown colored paper bag and to keep it in the room temperature. In the year 2008, people followed a popular diet plan called as the Morning Banana Diet which included eating a banana in the early morning and then eating a normal lunch and continuing with a dinner meal before 8 pm. You can also smash bananas and then use them as a substitute for oil and butter during your baking process.
How Many Bananas Should You Eat A Day?
The number of bananas you can consume in a day solely depends upon your capacity of consuming vitamins and minerals.
However, it is generally advised that consumption of about 2 bananas a day is good for health. According to some surveys and researches, it is proved that men who are aged 19 and above and the women who are aged between 19 and 30 should consume at least two bowls of fruits per day and those women who are aged above 31 should consume about one and a half cups of fruits in a day.
An average sized banana will almost be equal to one cup of fruit. Therefore, it is advised that an individual can consume about one and half to two bananas per day.
Everything is good for your health if it is consumed in right quantity. So too much consumption of bananas is not good for your health as well as avoiding bananas from your diet is also not good for you. Too much consumption of bananas would lead to problems like increased intake of potassium, head ache problems, Fatigue, Tiredness; it may even lead to the damage in nervous system.
So, to avoid taking risks in your health, you can consume the right amount of fruits and vegetables. You can consume about one and a half bananas to two bananas per day to lead a happy and healthy life!
