Surprising Benefits of Eating Bananas

Each year, millions of people spend millions of dollars are spent on magic pills, elixirs, and pretty packaging each year, in hopes to lose weight and be fit and “healthy.” What most end up finding out is that these dieting techniques are full of false hope. Same goes for beauty and hair care products. What people don’t think about is how much they can save, weight they can lose, and beautiful skin they can gain by merely eating healthy. The golden key to all of this? Eating bananas.

You may think we’re crazy, but we think you should ditch all of those products made of chemicals you cannot pronounce. There are far more health benefits to eating bananas than you might realize. Here are the banana health benefits you most likely didn’t know of:

Build Lean Muscle

Do you know that feeling after you work out? The soreness that comes from exercising? What about muscle growth? Are you finding your muscles aren’t growing?

That’s a sign that you may not be getting enough magnesium in your diet. A top benefit of bananas is magnesium.

Bananas are packed with magnesium to help your muscles contract and relax. Add that with protein synthesis and you are set. What happens is an increase in lean muscle mass.

Did you also know that magnesium helps boost the process of your body, releasing fat from its stores? That’s called synthesis, and you want that to happen after your work out, right? The answer is found by eating bananas.

Recover from workouts fast

The simple truth is that bananas help your sore muscles recover faster. By eating bananas, you’re gaining the vital benefits of potassium.

Ditch that sports drink and eat a banana instead. What’s even better is your muscles will develop better.

You’ll also be able to hit the gym more often because potassium lets you work out more frequently.

Get in a better mood by eating bananas

Never again will you have those nasty mood swings that come with fad diets.

By eating bananas, you’re getting the benefit of happy vitamins, B9 (folate). Folate helps you from depression.

It gives off a substrate of antidepressant properties. It gives you a boost of serotonin, which provides you with a good feeling, much faster.

It’s also recommended that patients with depression get more folate in their diets while taking antidepressants. It’s enough to help boost the effects.

Want the benefit of being happy? Eat a banana.

Anxious? Eat a banana

Along with depression, the benefits of eating bananas add up when stressed or anxious.

Another benefit in bananas is tryptophan. You have probably heard that eating turkey on Thanksgiving makes us sleepy because of tryptophan. But what you didn’t know is that bananas also contain this precursor for serotonin, which will evidently help you relax and sleep better.

And because bananas contain norepinephrine, that “fight or flight” response will be regulated, which in turn helps control stress and anxiety – without the prescription!

Bananas are also great as a bedtime snack because of the tryptophan. That way, you can ditch the melatonin supplements, and receive the benefits of a banana instead.

Bananas keep you calm under pressure

We actually mean under blood pressure. That’s because bananas contain low-sodium and high potassium. The combination is associated with lower blood pressure levels. Because of this, banana eaters will find that there is a lower frequency in individual stroke cases.

The FDA even says that the high potassium and low sodium benefit to bananas can protect against heart attack and stroke. Do your heart a favor and eat bananas!

Bananas stop the bloat

No one likes having belly bloat. But knowing that a banana can reduce the gas and water retention in your belly is definitely a plus.

Take this study, for instance. It was found that women who ate bananas twice a day noticed a 50 percent decrease in bloating of the stomach.

How is that possible? We can once again thank the potassium in bananas, which curbs the retention of fluids.

Feed the healthy gut bacteria

Bananas are a perfect addition to your meal if you need to curb hunger and feel fuller. That’s because prior to ripening, bananas contain resistant starch. Resistant starch resists digestion process, suppresses the appetite, and feeds healthy gut bacteria. This ultimately leads to more efficient fat oxidation.

Another benefit to eating a banana post-meal can burn that fat from your meal by up to 30 percent more. That’s why many people opt for bananas in their weight-loss smoothies. No icky powders for you!

Bananas are great for reducing bad cholesterol

You know those trans fats, the ones that come inside literally every meal at the drive-through, right? Those fats raise your LDL, which are the bad cholesterol levels.

Counteract those trans fats by grabbing a banana instead. Bananas contain phytosterols, which lower those LDL’s. And because bananas contain Vitamin B6, you will find your heart, immune system, digestive system, and nervous system benefiting from bananas, too.

Aids in healthy digestion

Bananas contain prebiotics, which essentially are nondigestible carbohydrates that act as food for the good bacteria in your gut. This comes from fructooligosaccharides, which is a cluster of molecules ready to give you better digestive health on the spot.

So, next time your tummy is feeling, shall we say it, off, give it what it needs by benefiting from bananas. Bananas aid in regular bowel movements.

Bananas contain high fiber. We all know what fiber helps with, right? If you don’t, then now you know that it normalizes your bowel motility. Just three grams of insoluble fiber can help you pass stools way easier.

Or, if you are experiencing diarrhea, bananas work as binders, which means that the probiotics in bananas are are food for those healthy microbes in our tummies.

Many people who suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) can benefit by eating a banana when things aren’t going so well for their bowels.

Bananas support your bones

Bananas help promote calcium uptake. They work with those prebiotic fructooligosaccharides, which ferment in the digestive tract. This enhances the ability to absorb calcium.

And even though bananas don’t contain much calcium, they will still give you a leg up with your bone health, which is handy when you’re older.

Bananas provide energy when you need it

Have you ever noticed how runners are always eating bananas before, after, or during their races? That’s because bananas are rich in glucose. Glucose is the easiest source of sugar. And it provides the optimal energy for any sport you partake in.

Try eating a banana post-workout to replenish energy stores from being depleted.

Fend off diseases with bananas

Bananas help if you have a vitamin A deficiency. Yet, they don’t contain vitamin A. How is that possible?

Well, bananas contain three types of carotenoids, provitamin A, carotenoids, beta-carotene, and alpha-carotene. The body actually converts these into vitamin A.

Another benefit of carotenoids in bananas is that they’re shown to protect from chronic diseases. These diseases may include certain cancers, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes.

Want healthy eyes and vision? Eat a banana

Of the many benefits of bananas, this one is probably most surprising.

Bananas contain vitamins A and C, which are antioxidants and nutrients for the eyes and skin. The beta carotene also helps. It’s an antioxidant that helps protect cells and repairs damage at the cellular level.

Among the many nutrients in bananas, they contain vitamin E and lutein, which are the healthy nutrients your eyes need to help reduce the risk of macular degeneration.

Bananas help burn unwanted body fat

Did you know that? Heavy alcohol drinkers have bloated bellies from depleted choline. Choline removes fat and is a B vitamin. It works on the genes that cause fat storage in the tummy. So, if you want to debloat your mid-section, ditch the beer and eat a banana.

Ditch the green juice – go for a banana

Bananas are a vital ingredient in pulling off an at-home natural detox. The key component for your detox is the pectin in bananas. How it works is through pectin’s gelatin-like fiber. It sticks to any toxic compounds in your blood and will flush it right out when you urinate.

Citrus pectin is excellent for excreting mercury through urine by 150 percent in just 24 hours. And pectin can also limit the fat your cells are able to absorb.

Bananas are extraordinary for regulating blood sugar, too. This is certainly something you want to be aware of when you detox.

In order to get the full-effectiveness from the pectin, pick ripe bananas. That’s because the proportion of water-soluble pectin increases, the more yellow your banana is.

Also, try to consume proteins and healthy fat with the banana. You’ll slow down the absorption of sugar, and stabilize them. It’s effective for weight loss. The stable blood sugar allows the pancreas to secrete glucagon, which is the hormone that burns fat.

Quitting that nasty habit

Looking to quit smoking? The high levels of B vitamins, potassium, and magnesium in bananas speed up the recovery, the effects that come with withdrawal.

So, next time you reach for a cigarette, have a banana instead!

Removing disgusting warts

Never thought a banana could cure warts, did you? Just place the inside part of a banana peel on your wart, tape it in place, and you should be healed in no time.

You can also rub the inside of a banana peel over a bug bite or hives. It will sure cool down the surface and relieve itching. Wanna know more about it? See all instructions here.

Don’t get SAD

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) comes with living in colder climates. The gray winter sky and falling snow can often be depressing to many. However, the tryptophan in bananas is shown to help relieve the symptoms of SAD.

Tryptophan in bananas is a health benefit, especially since it is a mood-booster.

Cool down

Next time you’re trying to cool down on a hot day or need to beat a fever, make sure you eat a banana. The cooling properties in bananas help cool your body temperature down.

Bananas can also be beneficial when you have a terrible sunburn. Rub the inside of a banana peel to alleviate the burning. The cooling effect will bring down the heat on a summer’s day.

Get smart by eating bananas

Bananas are helpful if you have an important exam or learning to do. Why? Their high levels of potassium make you more alert. So, remember next time to fuel up so you can score high and fuel that brain.

Help with PMS pain

According to the National Institutes of Health’s Office of Dietary Supplements, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is helpful in aiding pain relief that comes from menstrual cramps and aches. The vitamin B6 in bananas provide the added benefit to that time of the month.

Fight morning sickness

Many women experience terrible morning sickness in their first trimester. Because bananas are so calming with their vitamin B6, pregnant women can calm their morning sickness by eating bananas early in their pregnancies. Baby will benefit as well!

Conclusion

Are you going bananas over bananas? No matter how you cut it, bananas are beneficial for your mind, body, and spirit. The health benefits of bananas are far more beneficial than consuming or buying products with toxins or a hefty price tag. For a mere several cents per banana, you can ail your aches and pains, lose belly fat, and smile more every day. Beat the bloat and pick up a delicious banana.

Next time you purchase bananas, remind yourself of the many benefits of bananas. Not only are they tasty, but you will find yourself feeling good in no time! Bananas turn into the best banana bread and can even be incorporated with your beauty routine. What other benefits have you found from bananas? The list is sure to go on and on here.