You either love them, or you hate them, there is no ambivalence about bananas. They are, however, unarguably, a very versatile fruit. Put them over a sandwich, blitz them in the blender for smoothie, add them to your muffins, use to make sundae, or bake the good old banana bread; the way to utilize bananas is a testament to the great fruit that it is. Read about bananas are a superfood below.
That’s not all there is to the bananas. The health benefits offered by this fruit supersede the convenience they offer for people in the kitchen. 6 reasons why bananas are a superfood are:
1. Good for controlling Hypertension
Blood pressure is a condition in which heart pumps the blood with greater pressure, that in turn damages the blood vessels. It leads to complications like stroke, erectile dysfunction, pulmonary embolism, optic nerve damage, choroidopathy and kidney disease.
Therefore, it is vital for people to monitor and control their blood pressure, and bananas can facilitate this endeavor. It contains potassium that is used by the body to regulate blood pressure. However, rely on just on bananas to manage hypertension, but also consult a good Internal Medicine specialist in Lahore as well.
2. Heart Health, check
Another benefit offered by bananas is improved heart health. It contains good nutrients like folate, vitamin C and potassium, that help the heart operative better. These also aid in preventing cardiovascular diseases as well.
Bananas also allow for normalization of the heart rate. They also help in maintaining the proper fluid balance of the body, which helps the heart.
Moreover, bananas also a good source of fiber. According to research, having more fiber in diet lowers the levels of bad cholesterol in the body, thereby averting the risk of conditions like atherosclerosis and heart attack.
3. Good for the gut
You might not like bananas, but your gut surely does. It contains prebiotics, which although are useless form of carbs for the human body, but they are relished by the good bacteria in the gut, the probiotics.
The greater balance of probiotics you have, better is your body’s health. These bacteria not only keep your stomach running smoothly, preventing problems like diarrhea, but they also help fight infections in the body.
Probiotics are useful defense against urinary tract infections –women, take notes! – and gastrointestinal tract infections. Moreover, probiotics also help in lessening the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, alongside making lactose intolerance better. They also improve the symptoms of some types of allergies.
Since probiotics also facilitate the body during bouts of cold and flu, they are especially useful in winters.
Bananas are also an excellent source of fiber; a regular sized banana has whopping 3g of fiber. Used to add bulk, fiber is not taken up by the body, but it facilitates in the movement of food around the GI tract, thereby preventing constipation.
4. May help with weight loss
Due to the sweet taste of the bananas, many people refrain from bananas when they are trying to shed a few pounds. However, bananas overall have very few calories; an average sized banana has less than 100 calories. Yet, its high fiber content makes it really filling.
Moreover, consumption of nutritious fruits like bananas has been linked to weight loss. The unripe or semi-done bananas have greater quantity of resistant starch, which is not used by the body, but adds bulk so promotes feeling of fullness.
5. Good source of antioxidants
Oxidative stress is a serious threat to the body. It occurs when the dangerous free radicals run amok in the body, and there is lesser quantity of the antioxidants to counter them. Consequently, these dangerous compounds damage the good cells in the body, causing serious ailments like cancer.
Bananas, on the other hand, are packed with these useful antioxidants. Bananas are a good source of two particular antioxidants, dopamine and catechin. These then help curb the risk of heart disease and other degenerative disorders.
6. Good for the Kidneys
Potassium, found in abundance in the bananas, is really good friend to your kidney. It helps in maintaining blood pressure, and thus, also protects the kidneys. It also helps avert the risk of kidney stones as well.
However, those with kidney disease should exercise caution when eating potassium-rich foods, as too much of it also harms the kidneys. It is best that you consult your Internal Medicine Specialist in Islamabad about safety of bananas, with regards to your kidney problems. Hope you love reading about bananas are a superfood.
