Recently, I have gotten back to including a nice, ripe banana in my daily routine. I go through months without even thinking about a banana and then the cravings hit, and I can’t get enough of them. Luckily for us all, not only are bananas readily available but they also have many health benefits.
- Bananas are high in fiber making them a good choice to promote digestive regularity and helps you feel full longer. The high fiber in bananas can also help regulate blood sugar by slowing down the digestion of the naturally occurring sugars in the banana.
- Green bananas are also high in resistant starch, a favorite food of the good bacteria in your gut.
- One banana provides your daily allowance of potassium, important for muscle contraction and heart health.
- Bananas also improve heart health with their high flavonoid content, helping to lower LDL (the bad) cholesterol.
- Bananas are high in B6, an important vitamin in the regulation of blood sugar. B6 is also important in the production of the neurotransmitters that carry signals from one cell to another.
- Some research suggests bananas might aid in mitigating hangovers by helping to replenish electrolytes, especially potassium.
- Athletes have long relied on bananas as both a pre and post workout snack. Their wide assortment of vitamins and minerals can not only help fuel your workouts but can also help you recover.
Another good characteristic of bananas is their versatility. There are so many ways to enjoy a banana from banana bread, to slathered in peanut butter or ground up in a smoothie. What is your favorite?
Photo from flickr.
