I love eating bananas. And when I do eat them, I am not thinking of the health benefits of eating bananas one bit. The fruits, as far as I am concerned, are the best gift of nature to us.
Apart from pineapples, I can’t think of any fruit that comes close to bananas in area of sweetness. That is why I found it disheartening one of my closest friends doesn’t eat them.
Her dislike for bananas left me bewildered. It wasn’t as if she hated sweet things. She just had something against bananas. What that meant to me was that I couldn’t share a meal of bananas with her.
There are several reasons a guy like me would want his girl to eat lots of bananas which doesn’t have anything to do with the health benefits of eating bananas.
I had to admit it was always a sore point with me as long as our affair lasted.
Maybe I didn’t do enough to convince her about why bananas are really good for her. If you have a friend or family member who is weirdly like that, you’d better show them this article.
Benefits of eating bananas
The benefits of eating bananas are closely linked to the nutrients and essential minerals contained in them. Therefore, it is natural we look at these substances that make them tick.
Bananas are rich in potassium, vitamins B6 and C, magnesium, copper, manganese, carbohydrates, fiber, protein and more importantly, have very little fat.
These minerals and nutrients are implicated in so many benefits to the body. Apart from directly affecting your health, the presence of these substances means the fruits have other positive uses unrelated to health.
Let’s now take a look at some of these benefits
Mood enhancer
The presence of protein in bananas is primarily due to the high levels of tryptophan in banana. Tryptophan is used for the synthesis of protein.
Apart from that, tryptophan is also important in its ability to lift our moods during depression when it is converted to serotonin during digestion.
Serotonin is known as the happy drug as it stimulates the brain into producing mood-enhancing chemicals.
Blood sugar levels
Thinking of engaging in some serious workout? Since it is not advisable to eat before exercising, you can get the needed energy for your exercise by eating bananas.
Generally, bananas sustain the level of sugar in your blood ensuring you have enough energy throughout the day.
Blood pressure
Because bananas are high in potassium with very low salt content, eating them would lower your blood pressure at the same time ensuring you are protected against heart attack and stroke.
Digestion
One of the common known benefits of eating bananas are related to how they affect digestion’
- Bananas are rich in pectin which help the digestive process and help to remove heavy metals and toxins from the body.
- Bananas help to stimulate the growth of beneficial bacteria and and digestive enzymes in the alimentary canal.
- One way to help ease the discomfort of constipation is to eat all those lovely fiber-rich bananas.
- Treating of cramps as as result of diarrhea is one of the benefits of eating bananas. Eating bananas after suffering from diarrhea would help replace important fluids in the body.
- People who suffer from stomach ulcers would find bananas soothing to their stomach as the fruit contains practically no corrosive acids.The pectin and high fiber content also act as a sort of coating on the stomach walls against acids from other sources.
More important benefits of eating bananas
- Eating enough bananas regularly can help in the prevention of caner of the kidneys.
- The vitamins and minerals in bananas also have a beneficial effect on the eyes by making the muscles in and around the eyes stronger.
- The high calcium content in bananas ensures stronger bones while the potassium affects the brain by making one more alert. Taking bananas before an exam is a pretty good idea.
- For women suffering from morning sickness, eating bananas can help alleviate the problem while stabilizing the blood sugar level at the same time.
- Controlling the body temperature during a hot day or a bout of fever is one of the benefits of eating bananas. Eating them would lower the body temperature and provide relief from the heat.
- Are you looking for help to quit smoking? Eating bananas is a natural and pleasant way to help you in this lifestyle choice. The high levels of vitamin B-6, potassium and magnesium helps to combat the effect of withdrawal symptoms.
With all these benefits of eating bananas, why would somebody decide against eating them. It is not as if bananas are bitter like kola nuts or bland and tasteless like water!
I guess in life, one can’t legislate on how some people would behave. But I still can’t wrap it around my head there are people who won’t eat bananas unless their lives depended on it.
Do you know anybody who doesn’t like bananas? Why not share this articles with them or better still, share the article with your friends on Facebook and Twitter.
You could be doing one of your friends a mighty good turn. Cheers.
