The banana has been called “the fruit of the wise”. The more you learn about the banana, the more this makes sense. It contains minerals and vitamins that are essential for a healthy body. A banana tastes good yet they are surprisingly healthy. Bananas are an ideal fruit for the whole family. It is easy to eat, easy to take somewhere, easy to peel and loved by children, athletes, grandparents, workers, anyone looking for a nutritious snack.
Banana Nutrition Facts
One fallacy associated with bananas is around the topic of constipation. They are actually high in fibre which, as well as making them good for your cardiovascular health, also helps avoid constipation. Bananas are a great source of vitamins and minerals.
They contain potassium, Vitamin A, riboflavin, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, Vitamin C, a full range of B vitamins including Vitamin B6, thiamin, niacin, copper, pantothenic acid and zinc. The plantain banana, when cooked, rates slightly higher on the nutritional scale of minerals and vitamins but similar to the fruit banana in protein and fibre content.
Bananas also have nutritional value for eyesight. Banana is given to premature babies and has been proven to aide malnourished children.
Banana Calories
Most of a banana is just water, although 35% percent of it is actually sugars. They are responsible for more than 50% of the calories in a banana. Bananas contain more digestible carbohydrates than any other fruit. The body burns off calories from carbohydrates more easily and quickly than calories from fat or protein.
A medium sized banana has around 100 calories and a large banana around 130 calories. Just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. The banana is rated the number one fruit with the world’s leading athletes. When we talk about the calorie levels above, these are fresh, raw bananas.
When we cook, steam or dry the bananas that take out a lot of the vitamins and lower the nutritional value. For example, take banana that has been dried like banana chips and you will find that there are over five times the calories of the fresh banana. As you can see, the way that the banana is prepared is extremely important to the nutrient value.
Carbs in Bananas
Potassium helps in the building of muscle and with protein synthesis. Potassium stimulates nerve impulses for muscle contraction. The banana is rich in potassium and free from sodium so it can be included in a diet to reduce the risk of high blood pressure. A diet rich in potassium is said to reduce the risk of hypertension and stroke.
Bananas are popular with young people because they provide a quick and easy source of carbohydrate which is needed to provide energy for the brain and your muscles. The best food choices for sport are foods that are high in carbohydrates so you can see why bananas are so popular with sporting people.