As much as all of us want to eat healthier, it can be hard when a lot of the foods don’t taste all that great to us. However, there are certain foods that seem to be almost universally liked, and the banana is among them. Not only do these fantastic fruits taste great, but they are also cost effective and have a ton of benefits.
You can find bananas in just about any part of the world, and there are many different varieties that have their own positives. So what are the benefits of these fruits that you can buy by the bunch without breaking the bank? Let’s take a look inside of the banana to see how you can increase your overall health.
Vitamin World
A lot of fruits have some great nutrients and vitamins, but very few have the beneficial power of bananas. Eating just one medium sized banana will get you more than 25 percent of your daily recommended intake of vitamin B6, which can help you prevent a stroke or blindness later in life. Bananas are also packed with about 20 percent of your recommended manganese intake, which gives you stronger bones and an improved metabolism.
Other helpful nutrients that you can find in bananas include vitamin C, potassium, fiber and copper. There is some natural sugar to be found in the banana, but it’s necessary to have this kind of sugar to keep your insulin stable. Obviously, this is going to be much better than the sugar you find from a candy bar. In fact, bananas are so low on the glycemic index that you can expect to stabilize your blood sugar thanks to eating bananas more often.
Dropping the Pounds
Some people that are trying to lose weight tend to shy away from bananas because they see that there are more calories than a lot of other fruits. However, you have to look at the serving sizes and see what you are getting out of bananas. It is around 100 calories for an entire banana, which is not that bad at all and makes for a great snack. For a comparison, strawberries have less than 50 calories per serving, but that’s just one cup and you can end up eating a lot more.
It’s not just the low calorie count that will help you to lose weight, but bananas also help to improve your metabolism and increase your digestive health thanks to fiber. The natural energy boost that you will get from the sugar and vitamins within will give you a better chance of getting through those workouts without feeling sluggish before, during and after. That’s a godsend for those of us that struggle getting to the gym due to lack of energy.
The fiber found within bananas not only help your digestive system, but will also help you feel more full. It is one of the most filling fruits that you can find, and will help you stay away from those unhealthy snacks at the vending machine. Sure, there are carbohydrates to be found in bananas, but with simple sugar and fiber being the source, these are the types of carbs that you want in your body.
Curing a Rough Morning
We have all had those times where we end up drinking a bit too much and feel awful the next morning. Too many people usually turn to greasy foods or even another alcoholic drink to make themselves feel temporarily better, but that doesn’t work too well. Instead, you should be reaching for a banana if you had too much fun the previous night.
That’s because bananas are high in electrolytes in potassium. After drinking too much, your body experiences a potassium deficiency that leaves you feeling sluggish. If you want something less sugary than a sports drink that will make you feel better, the banana is the perfect way to do it. Also, you might want to drink some water on top of eating a banana.
The same could be said if you worked out too hard, or became dehydrated and suffered a cramp. The potassium in a banana can help you sooth your cramp, and are the perfect food to eat in the time around a workout whether it is before or after. Between avoiding cramps and providing healthy fuel, bananas are the exercise enthusiasts’ dream.
Home Remedies
There are a lot of issues that we can have at home and have us turning toward home remedies. What you might not know is that bananas can be used for a lot of ailments that people experience every day. Here are some of the things that bananas can help you out with:
- Wart Removal
- Smoking Cessations
- Bug Bites
- Season Affective Disorder
- Leather Polish
- Body Temperature Regulation
- Ulcers
That’s right, eating bananas when you feel like smoking can help you get through one of those cravings and even attaching a banana peel to a wart can help to get rid of the problem. While eating the delicious fruit inside has a lot of benefits, there are also some amazing things that the peel can do.
Summing it Up
Bananas are among the fruits that seem to have nothing wrong with them, and the amount of benefits seem to be endless. How many other foods can you name that are able to help you lose weight, control your blood sugar, improve your organ and bone health all while being cost effective and delicious?
So is there anything the banana can’t do right? Well, they don’t last too long while they are sitting on the shelf of your home, so some might not be able to get through an entire bunch before having to throw out their browned bananas. Unless you are trying to grow them yourself (which can be a hassle), there really isn’t anything negative about bananas.
The next time you get a craving for something sugary, instead go for a banana. You will feel better throughout the day and it will help lead to healthier decisions down the road and better health for your body. Not only that, but there are about 100 different uses for bananas when it comes to cooking, making it a versatile superfood.