Looking to make small steps toward getting healthier?
Want to improve your heart health while cutting your risk for some diseases?
Think bananas might help you get bigger, better, faster, stronger?
It turns out that there's strong scientific evidence to think that they just might.
Muscle cramps are incredibly unpleasant.
Of course, because life isn't fair, these pesky and painful events can sometimes occur
if you're just watching television, or trying to get some sleep, or walking, or worst of all?
Swimming.
"Cramp, cramp, cramp, cramp, cramp!"
Cramps can be due to dehydration or a lack of nutrients, and some of the nutrients which
have been linked to alleviating muscle cramps are potassium, calcium, sodium, and magnesium.
Bananas contain three of these four nutrients, including 9% of your recommended daily intake
of potassium and 8% of your recommended daily intake of magnesium.
While they do contain calcium, you'll only be getting about 1% of the recommended daily
intake in a banana.
So, while it may help in preventing the occasional cramp, you should be sure to look to other
sources when it comes to getting the rest of the calcium you need.
Because bananas boast three naturally occurring sugars — fructose, glucose, and sucrose
— they are a common choice for athletes and others looking for a quick boost of energy
to get them through, well, almost anything.
"No hustle, no muscle!"
"Gym class in the 80s."
According to Healthline, all three of these natural sugars contain the same calories,
but the body processes them differently.
Fructose and glucose are absorbed into the bloodstream directly, while sucrose has to
first be broken down by the body.
This means that fructose and glucose will provide you with immediate energy, while sucrose
will provide energy over a short period of time.
However, it's not just natural sugars that provide the boost.
The banana's vitamin B6 also helps in providing energy.
In fact, a study found that consuming a banana before a 46-mile bike race had the same effect
on an athlete's stamina and performance as drinking a carbohydrate energy drink.
Because bananas tend to have only about 100 calories and a minuscule amount of fat, they
are a great option if you're trying to cut down on pounds.
Not only does this peel-and-eat fruit provide essential nutrients, but it also contains
substances that will help you feel fuller for longer — so that you aren't tempted
to start eating something else immediately afterwards.
Bananas that still have a bit of green to them contain what is called resistant starch,
an indigestible carb that works the same way in the body that soluble fiber does.
Unripe bananas also contain pectin, which is a fiber-like substance.
Some people like that chlorophyll taste which is so prominent in green-yellow bananas, but
if not, riper bananas also have soluble fiber in them.
Bananas have a low-to-medium glycemic index ranking, which is a scale that determines
how quickly a food increases your blood sugar levels.
The University of Sydney explains that low numbers — of 55 or lower — means that
the food in question is digested and absorbed slower, which leads to a more gradual and
less immediate rise in blood sugar and insulin levels.
The glycemic index of bananas are around 30 when they're unripe, and 60 when they are ripe.
On average, the value is 51.
As a result, bananas won't cause your blood sugar to spike… but what does that mean?
Healthline says that over time, blood sugar spikes can lead to a hardening and narrowing
of the blood vessels which can ultimately result in a heart attack or stroke.
Uncontrolled blood sugar spikes over the long-term can also cause the body to become unable to
lower blood sugar on its own, otherwise known as type 2 diabetes.
While the Mayo Clinic says that a rise in blood pressure under stress is normal, consistently
elevated blood pressure is not.
The good news is that the American Heart Association suggests that eating a banana every day could
make it easier to manage.
The main reason a daily banana could help regulate a person's blood pressure is the
potassium found in each one.
Since a higher daily potassium intake has been shown to reduce one's blood pressure,
eating a banana offers a substantial boost of the important mineral.
Obviously, there's no guarantee that a banana a day will keep your blood pressure at bay.
But since high blood pressure increases a person's risk of both heart attack and stroke,
it's worth incorporating the yellow-peeled treat into your daily diet.
"Michael, I think you're what's stressing everybody out."
In 2022, the American Cancer Society projected that an average of 1,670 people would die
every day from cancer.
In other words, since the gothic specter looms over us all, any dietary advantage we can
give ourselves is worth incorporating.
With this in mind, consider going bananas and eating the fruit every day, since doing
so may decrease your risk of developing certain cancers.
According to a 2004 study, children who regularly consumed bananas during their first two years
were less likely to develop leukemia — perhaps owing to the fruit's potassium and vitamin
C levels.
Additionally, bananas contain the plant-derived protein lectin, which a 2014 study found could
potentially inhibit the growth of cancerous cells.
The high level of antioxidants found in bananas could also contribute to its possible anti-cancer properties.
It's actually unclear whether antioxidants directly reduce a person's risk for developing cancer.
But since they're known to neutralize free radicals, there's a chance that at least some
correlation exists between antioxidant intake and a reduced cancer risk.
No muscle works harder than the heart, and according to the Library of Congress, it has
the ability to surpass 3 billion beats during a person's life.
Consequently, taking genuine care of your heart is key to a long and healthy life — which
is one reason to consider eating a banana every day.
The potassium found in bananas is the biggest benefit for your heart's overall performance.
Colleen Spees, an associate professor of medical dietetics at Ohio State University, told the
American Heart Association in 2022:
Since an increase in potassium intake is known to lower a person's risk for heart disease,
prioritizing the daily consumption of a fruit loaded with the mineral can work wonders.
A single banana contains roughly 326 milligrams of potassium, according to the USDA.
So while a banana a day won't single-handedly protect your heart, it does provide a solid
serving of potassium — and a slight bit of potential cardiac protection for those
who eat the fruit every day.
Trying to decipher which foods provide a legitimate nutritional bounty for the brain can be downright
overwhelming to the average consumer.
Luckily, certain foods are indeed worthy of the brain food designation, particularly those
whole, natural food items chock full of nutrients — such as the humble banana.
The brain's energy is largely derived from glucose, and bananas provide an easy burst
of fuel for the brain.
Additionally, bananas are an excellent source of vitamin B6 as well, notes the Harvard School
of Public Health, which may help improve a person's cognitive functionality.
One 1996 study found individuals with greater vitamin B6 levels in their body demonstrated
stronger memory skills than those with lower levels, and, according to NPR, a 2011 study
found a reduced risk of brain shrinkage in elderly folks who consumed a high number of
vitamin B-rich foods.
Frankly then, while a banana a day won't transform you into the next Albert Einstein, it just
may boost your brain's overall performance.
Many folks struggle to ingest the necessary amount of dietary fiber each day, just as
they do with any number of essential dietary components.
This is a problem, of course, since dietary fiber is absolutely vital to maintaining consistent,
healthy, and comfortable bowel movements.
And since each banana contains a solid amount of dietary fiber — about three grams in
a medium-sized banana, according to SFGate — it's not exactly a mystery why eating
a banana daily can improve your digestive health.
But there's more to the banana's digestive powers beyond simple fiber content.
According to the Harvard School of Public Health, the digestion-resistant starch found
in less-ripened bananas can promote gut healing in those with stomach ailments.
And, according to a 2012 study, a diet rich in bananas has been shown to improve symptoms
for those afflicted with irritable bowel syndrome.
A 2020 study also found bananas can help promote the growth of probiotic bacteria in the body
— or so-called good bacteria that the Cleveland Clinic says aids in gut health.
In other words, there's a plethora of reasons why eating a banana every day can improve
your digestive health and very few reasons not to eat the fruit.
"Wash your hands, Kevin."
Frankly, unless we're actively sick, many of us tend to neglect our body's protective
system during our day-to-day lives.
And that's not great.
Of course, when we are attacked by some sort of foreign substance, we want to ensure our
immune system is ready to go.
And if you eat a banana every day, you can increase the odds your body's protective system
kicks into gear when needed.
While the precise mechanisms that allow bananas to potentially boost your immune system aren't
entirely clear, there are several solid reasons to believe the fruit can help strengthen it.
After all, a number of nutrients found in bananas are known to play important roles
in the maintenance of the immune system, including vitamin B6, vitamin C, copper, and folate.
In a lot of ways, our immune system is like insurance.
You may not always need it, but when you do, you're glad it's there.
Eating a banana every day doesn't guarantee your immune system will operate at its peak
performance — but, then again, nothing else in life is guaranteed, either.
"I want candy."
"What is he on?"
"Morphine.
It's good stuff"
Whether you're hoping to never break a bone again or if you've never experienced the pain
and are hoping to keep it that way, there's good news: Eating a banana every day can help
the cause.
Perhaps the biggest factor in a banana's ability to strengthen your bones is its potassium level.
For one thing, potassium itself is known to play a hand in bone health.
Some observational studies have even noted a potential correlation between high-potassium
diets and greater bone density, according to Harvard School of Public Health.
More than that, though, is potassium's ability to reduce calcium excretion in bones.
Since the importance of calcium to bone health is well established, it's logical to include
foods in your diet that help bones maintain their calcium levels.
And with an average of 326 milligrams of potassium in each banana, it's clear the fruit may decrease
your body's loss of calcium — and increase your overall bone strength.
It's really difficult to oversell the importance of sleep on the human body; after all, we
spend one third of our entire life asleep, or in bed trying to sleep, at least.
Realistically, then, we don't need to explain why obtaining a consistently sound night's
sleep is of monumental importance — or why it's necessary to prioritize foods that help
that cause.
Thankfully, if you eat a banana every day, you may be able to doze off with less difficulty
on a nightly basis.
Healthline says there are several things that can boost a banana's stock as a potential
bedtime aid, particularly the magnesium and tryptophan found in each piece of fruit.
Magnesium can help regulate a person's circadian rhythm, or the daily wake-sleep cycle that
occurs every 24 hours.
Since a proper circadian rhythm ensures we feel awake during the day and tired at night,
the magnesium in bananas might cause you to fall asleep with less difficulty once your
head hits the pillow.
"Other flu medicines let you sleep for 8 or 10 hours.
Hibernol lets you sleep through the entire flu season, usually between 2 and 3 months."
If it's not entirely clear by now, the potential health benefits derived from consistently
consuming bananas are tremendous.
And just as you may boost your heart health by eating the fruit daily, your lungs could
be bolstered by bananas too.
As a 2002 study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology demonstrated, low
dietary potassium and magnesium content results in inferior overall lung function in children.
Since bananas contain a fairly substantial amount of both magnesium and potassium, it's
easy to ascertain why the fruit could positively impact your pulmonary system.
Additionally, Medical News Today reports that low potassium levels are common in individuals
dealing with acute chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD.
While there's no clear link between eating bananas and a lower COPD risk, it seems plausible
that regularly eating potassium-rich foods, like bananas, could reduce your long-term
chances of developing chronic lung disease.
And that?
That's just one more reason in a long list of reasons to make sure bananas are on your
shopping list.