Globally, bananas are the most traded fruit and the fourth most traded agricultural product. A big reason, apart from its wonderful taste and affordable price, is the health benefits bananas have on the human body when consumed routinely. Throughout history, mainly starting when the boom for Gros Michel bananas started worldwide, studies have been conducted to study the effect of bananas and its components on the human body. With the introduction of the Cavendish banana, which quickly rose to consumers most staple fruit, data has been plentiful, leading to a near perfect understanding of the link between consumption and health benefits.
Bananas are rich with nutrients, including some of the most essential nutrients for a healthy performing human body. These nutrients include potassium, vitamin b6, vitamin c, magnesium, copper, manganese, net carbs, fiber, protein, and fat. Being only 105 calories per portion, containing mainly water and carbs, this fruit is as healthy as it gets.
Pectin, a nutrient found in banana helps regulate blood sugar levels, and bananas are also a safe food to consume if prone to blood sugar variations and they rank low to medium on the glycemic index. Therefore, bananas won’t cause a sharp spike in blood sugar levels, and will actually help maintain it.
Another benefit of bananas comes in the form of dietary fiber. With a healthy amount of fiber found in bananas they are linked to improving the digestive system and help lose weight. Also contained in bananas are antioxidants, including dopamine and catechins, which gives the body a boost in energy making people feel better.
Studies have also shown that 2-3 per week consumption of bananas can lead to improved kidney health, which a 33% drop is likeness to develop kidney disease. Another study found that eating bananas 4-6 times per week reduces the risk of developing kidney disease by 50%.
When writing about bananas once can’t avoid mentioning potassium. One of the most famous virtues of bananas come in the form of this electrolyte, which happens to be the third most abundant mineral in the human body. The effect on the body is essential to normal functioning as potassium helps regulate fluid balance. 60% of the human body is composed of water, out of which 40% of that water is inside cells in a substance called intracellular fluid, the other portion of water is in a fluid called extracellular fluid. Potassium plays a major role in intracellular fluid as it determines the amount of water inside a cell. For balanced water levels between intracellular fluid and extracellular fluid there must be a balance between electrolytes, as the imbalance will cause cells to either shrink or swell up and burst. Therefore, a diet with healthy amounts of potassium is necessary for every human being, which can then lead to the consumption of bananas.
Another role of potassium in the human body is in the nervous system. As a relay between brain and body, the nervous system sends messages to every part of the body through nerve impulses. These nerve impulses work by sodium ions moving inside of cells and potassium moving out of cells which cause changes in the voltage of cells causing a nerve impulse. Therefore, low potassium levels in the human body can cause lack of nerve impulses causing a combinations of negative side effects. One of those side effects is problems with the heart rhythm which can lead to heart arrythmia, or an irregular heartbeat, which can lead to death.
Other benefits of potassium in the body include reduced blood pressure by reducing the sodium levels in the human body. About 1 in 3 people in America suffer from high blood pressure, therefore countless studies have been able to link the consumption of potassium to reduced blood pressure, helping people live a better life. Related to blood pressure, another benefit of potassium in the human body is protection against strokes. Studies have shown that a potassium rich diet can lead to a decrease of 24% in risk of having a stroke, as well as having less risk of heart disease.
Benefits of potassium don’t stop at those; studies have also concluded that a diet including healthy amounts of potassium intake lead to the body reducing the amount of calcium lost through urine which then lead to greater bone mass. Based on these finding, scientists found that potassium helps prevent osteoporosis. Closely related to those studies, another benefit of reducing calcium lost through urine is a 35% lower risk of kidney stones. Potassium also leads to less water retention in the body.
Bananas contain 358 mg of potassium per fruit consumed, and at a small-affordable meal size it becomes a no brainer for a healthy diet. Virtually in every store, bananas can lead to a multitude of health benefits, which can far outweigh any cost, especially compared to other foods that contain potassium. Other reasons for choosing bananas over other types of foods based on potassium intake is for the sweet and delicious taste, and the lack of cooking or prep needed. As simple as going to the store, buying the fruit, pealing it, and enjoying a quick snack, bananas are a staple consumer good without a doubt as to why.
In conclusion, the benefits of studies, through multiple studies, have shown that consumption of bananas several times per week can lead to multiple health benefits. One must then make a habit of going out multiple times per month and purchasing bananas. The health benefits outweigh any other benefit of not consuming bananas. Plus: bananas are a great tasting food!
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