Health

Why you should eat a banana every day?

Those who still think bananas are for monkeys, here are 10 reasons while you should have a banana every day.

bananaBanana is probably one of nature’s healthiest snacks. Packed with Vitamin B6, manganese,Vitamin C, potassium, dietary fiber, biotin and copper, the health benefits of a banana ranges from curing a hangover to fighting cancer.

Those who still think bananas are for monkeys, here are 10 reasons while you should have a banana every day:

1. Fights depression:

Feeling depressed? Eat a banana. It has high levels of tryptophan α-amino acid, which increases the flow of mood-boosting neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain.

2. Helps cure anemia:

High in iron, bananas stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood.

3. Protects from heart attack:

Are you suffering from high blood pressure and is at risk of a cardiac attack? Try a banana every day. It is packed with mineral electrolyte potassium, that lowers the negative effects of salt (sodium).

This benefit of banana is even recognized by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

According to a research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas daily can reduce the risk of death by stroke by 40%.

4. Strengthens bones:

The potassium in bananas protects bones from rapid decay. The fruit contains calcium that protects bones from thinning, and instead strengthens them. Banana is also a source of probiotic bacteria which helps the bones to absorb calcium.

5. Helps control Type II diabetes:

Banana contains Vitamin B6 that improves glucose tolerance in the body, thereby help control Type II diabetes.

6. Gives relief from acidity and gastric disorders:

Banana is nature’s antacid. This alkaline fruit helps neutralize the acid in the stomach, giving instant relief from acidity, heartburn and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD).

7. Helps you lose weight:

Banana makes you full and that too for minimum calories. The fruit contains around 108 calories, 17.5 grams of carbohydrates, 19 grams of sugar and 1 gram of protein.

It neither has fat, nor cholesterol, nor sodium. Instead, there is about 2.5 grams of fibre (about 50% of which is insoluble) in a 6-inch banana, which helps control your hunger pangs, at the same time check on your weight.

8. Protects from stomach ulcers:

Unripe bananas increase mucus in the digestive tract, thereby coating the stomach against corrosive acids. This not only prevents and heals stomach ulcers, but also helps cell growth in the intestine.

9. Helps lower risk of cancer:

The potassium in bananas helps in calcium absorption, thereby preventing kidney stones and kidney cancer. Besides, bananas are rich in antioxidants that include beta-carotene, lutein, selenium, vitamins A, C and E.

This fruit thus checks on free radicals and helps reduce the risk of cancer.

10. Help in digestion and bowel movement:

Banana is a rich source of resistant starch and water-soluble pectin that naturally chelates toxins and heavy metals from your body and helps in promoting digestion. Besides, the high fibre content in banana aids in maintaining healthy bowel movement.

(Sources: USDA National Nutrient Database, Colorado State University Extension, Healthdirect Australia, Food Matters, The Australian, American College of Cardiology, CureJoy, Nutri-Facts)

Big Wire

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