12 Amazing Reasons To Include Bananas In Your Diet

Bananas are one of the most popular and handy fruits in the market. This elongated, golden-yellow fruit is botanically a berry. It belongs to a Musaceae family, usually found in all parts of India.

In India, the banana is an important fruit. It can be used in various sweet dishes such as desserts and salads. It can be consumed raw as well as ripe fruit.

Doctors always advise you to include an apple in your diet to keep your health balanced. However, a banana is as nourishing as an apple so you can add them to your diet. They contain essential nutrients that can have a protective impact on health.

# May improve digestion:

Banana is rich in soluble and insoluble fibres that play an essential role in digestive health. Soluble fibres help to control blood sugar levels and may reduce cholesterol levels. Insoluble fibres may soften your stool and regulate intestinal movements.

Banana deals with your hyperacidity symptoms by protecting the stomach lining from ulcers. It also helps to guard the stomach against unfriendly bacteria that are responsible for causing gastrointestinal disturbances.

# Helps to improve heart health:

Banana is essential for your heart health. It is rich in potassium, minerals, and electrolytes that help to maintain your heart health. Banana has a high potassium and low sodium content. Hence, it may also help to protect your cardiovascular system against high blood pressure.

A medium-sized banana will provide around 320-400 mg of potassium, which meets about 10% of your daily potassium needs.

# Helps to build lean muscles:

If you feel recurrent soreness of muscles after a workout, you may lack magnesium in your body. A magnesium-rich banana may help with muscle contraction and relaxation that increase the lean muscle mass.

# Helps muscles to recover after exercise:

Banana is rich in potassium that helps to recover your muscles after a workout. Consuming bananas after exercise may help to strengthen your muscles and it allows you to work out more.

# Supports bone health:

Though bananas are not high in calcium, they can help to maintain your bone health. How? Banana contains a prebiotic named- Fructooligosaccharides. Fructooligosaccharides helps to enhance the ability of the body to absorb calcium. Hence, this prebiotic may help to improve the bone health of your body.

# Helps to reduce bloating:

Bloating makes you feel uneasy. Banana may help you in this situation, fight back against gas and water retention. It might increase the bloat-fighting bacteria in the stomach. Also, it might help to diminish the retained fluid in the body as it is rich in potassium.

# Helps to make you feel fuller

Unripe bananas make you feel fuller for a longer time. It is rich in a specific starch called resistant starch. This starch helps to resist the digestion process. It helps to suppress your hunger and make you feel fuller. Since the raw bananas are bitter, you can make a smoothie with other fruits and vegetables.

# May improve kidney health:

Banana is rich in potassium that helps to keep your kidneys healthy and clean. Some studies suggest that those who eat bananas 4–6 times a week are almost 50% less likely to develop kidney disease than those who don’t eat this fruit.

# Helps to fight against anaemia

Due to the high folate content in the bananas, they are healthy for those suffering from anaemia. Anaemia-induced fatigue and paleness may reduce by the daily consumption of bananas.

# May help with a hangover

A hangover is the worst thing after a rocking party. Banana may help you in this condition. Consuming a banana smoothie made of milk/curd or banana with some milk and few strawberries may help to provide relief from the hangover.

# Supports eye health:

Banana is rich in vitamin A, vitamin E, lutein and antioxidants that help keep your vision healthy. Lutein is a nutrient that may help to reduce the risk for macular degeneration.

# May help to whiten the teeth:

Banana peel is very beneficial to whiten the teeth. Gently rubbing the inside part of the banana peel for about 2 minutes will give the desired effect of white and bright teeth.