Whether you’re looking for a portable grab-and-go snack or want to add a dash of sweetness to a smoothie or bowl of yogurt, bananas fit the bill.
Bananas are one of the most popular fresh fruits in the world. Not only are they naturally sweet and affordable, they are also packed with nutrients. Although bananas get a bad reputation for their high sugar and starch content, this tasty tropical fruit is loaded with potassium, vitamin B6, fiber and prebiotics. Not to mention bananas can replace sugar in many baked goods.
Here are a few more reasons you should add bananas to your eating plan and simple ways to use them.
Banana nutrition facts
One medium banana has:
- 105 calories
- 1 gram protein
- 0 grams fat
- 27 grams carbohydrates
- 3 grams fiber (12% daily value (DV))
- 422 milligrams potassium (16% daily value)
- 10 milligrams vitamin C (13% DV)
- 0.4 milligrams vitamin B6 (31% DV)
The health benefits of bananas
“Bananas are full of essential nutrients including vitamin B6, vitamin C, magnesium and fiber,” says Lauren Harris-Pincus, registered dietitian and author of The Everything Easy Pre-Diabetes Cookbook. “They are also one of the best sources of potassium, which is a shortfall nutrient in the American diet and important for regulating blood pressure and supporting function of the nervous system,” Harris-Pincus adds.
Unfortunately, most Americans don’t eat enough daily potassium (3400 milligrams for males and 2600 milligrams for females), which is why the 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans lists potassium as a nutrient of concern. Research concludes that diets rich in potassium are linked to lower blood pressure levels, cardiovascular disease chance and stroke. What’s more, a study examining the effects of specific fruits on blood pressure found an inverse association between bananas and diastolic blood pressure. In other words, the more bananas you eat, the lower your risk of high blood pressure.
Potassium also plays a key role in fluid regulation within…
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