Banana is a popular, tasty and convenient fruit with many important nutrients. You can eat banana raw or mixed in your favorite smoothie. Banana is rich in vitamin B6, good source of vitamin C, dietary fibre and manganese. This article will discuss about the nutrition value and health benefits of banana.

Nutrition value of Banana

One medium-sized raw banana (118g)  contains the following nutritions: 

• Calories: 105
• Fat: 0.4g
• Sodium: 1.2mg
• Carbohydrates: 27g
• Fiber: 3.1g
• Sugars: 14.4g
• Protein: 1.3g
• Manganese: 0.27 mg
• Potassium: 422mg
• Vitamin C: 10.3mg
• Magnesium: 31.9mg

Health benefits of bananas

• Banana improve digestion 

Bananas contain water and sufficient dietary fibre in the form of starch and pectin which can aid digestion and help beat gastrointestinal issues such as constipation, stomach ulcers, and heartburn

• Bananas give you energy

Since banana contains three natural sugars – sucrose, fructose and glucose , it gives you a fat and cholesterol-free source of energy. Banana ms are ideal, especially for children and athletes, for breakfast, as a midday snack or before and after sports.

• Promotes heart health

The fiber, potassium, folate and antioxidants, such as vitamin C in banana  support heart health. The potassium in banana prevent fatal blockages in the heart and impedes the narrowing of arteries. Again, the magnesium in banana is an nutrient that maintains or regulates heartbeats. In 2017, a research found that people who follow a high fiber diet have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease than those on a low fiber diet.

• Aids in weight loss

Though banana had high starch content but it’s a low calorie food with plenty of filling fiber. This will help loss weight. Also, unripe bananas are packed with resistant starch, so they tend to be filling and reduce your appetite. They are an excellent snack to steer away from hunger pangs. That must be a reason to have bananas for breakfast.

• Help to fight type II diabetes

Unripe bananas with significant resistant starch content may help fight diabetes. The resistant starch has the potential to increase insulin sensitivity by 40 to 50% when consumed regularly. That’s why the  American Diabetes Association recommend eating bananas and other fruit as they contain fiber. 

Tips for serving and eating

There are several ways to enjoy bananas. Some are :

• Add a sliced banana to your cereal or oatmeal as breakfast.
• Mash ripe bananas on  bread 
• Add mashed bananas to muffins, cookies, and cakes for a naturally sweet flavor.
• Add bananas to a smoothie.
• Frozen bananas are a yummy substitute for ice cream
• Put a frozen mashed banana with a small amount of dark chocolate, add a few crushed almonds

There are numerous benefits of eating bananas . They are great for lowering the risk of cardiovascular diseases, helps in weight loss, improves digestion, fights against Type II diabetes, etc.