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10 healthy reasons to go bananas!
11/6/2013 2:47:20 PM
When it comes to health benefits, bananas are difficult to beat. They are delicious,
cheap, available throughout the year and almost every part of a banana tree is useful –
be it the leaves, flowers, fruit or the stem.
Although the leaves are mainly used as a replacement for plates and for cooking food,
you can enjoy the fruit on its own or in a fruit salad or a milk shake. The banana stem
and flowers are used as a staple ingredient in many South Indian dishes. And of course,
not to forget the mouth-watering banana halwa! Bananas are rich in carbohydrates,
fibre, vitamins B6, and minerals like potassium and manganese which make them very
nutritious.
Here are 12 health benefits of bananas:
1. Need instant energy?
Eat a banana! With an average of 105 calories, banana is an excellent source of instant energy. It is
especially great as an after workout food because it instantly replenishes the low levels
of glucose in the blood – commonly seen after a workout. Eat a banana immediately
after your workout to give you that instant kick of energy.
2. Fight those muscle cramps Ever worked out so hard that your muscles cramped up? Or woken up in the night
because of a painful cramp in your legs? Bananas might just be the right solution for
you — it actually protects you from muscle cramps. Because of its high magnesium and
potassium content, bananas are the best way to replenish the minerals in your body. It
helps relax the muscles and protects you from any further episodes of leg cramps.
3. Keep your blood pressure under check. Bananas, being very rich in potassium and very low in sodium help manage blood
pressure better. They also help maintain water balance in the body and detoxify the
body to protect you against heart attack and stroke.
4. Keep acidity at bay Bananas are also very effective antacids. They coat
the inner lining of the stomach and suppress acid
secretion, thereby protecting you from stomach
ulcers and acidity.
5. Beat constipation Both the fruit and stem are rich in fibre and pectin
which helps assist bowel motility and eases out
constipation. Alternatively you can even drink the
juice prepared from the banana plant stem.
6. Recover faster after a bout of diarrhoea Just had a bout of diarrhoea? Banana can be beneficial after diarrhoea too! Diarrhoea
leaves your body dehydrated and depleted of electrolytes. Restore the lost potassium by
eating bananas.
7. Get the probiotic effect naturally The probiotic effect of fructooligosaccharides (FOS) present in bananas, helps stimulate
the growth of friendly bacteria in the intestine and protect you against gastric
disturbances. It is also good for your bone health too. Fermentation of FOS reduces the
pH in the gut thereby promoting calcium absorption which in turn builds strong
bones.Banana stem helps to eliminate fluids from the body. This diuretic effect is
thought to be useful in eliminating kidney stones and also help detoxify the body. The stem is also believed to dissolve stones.
8. Get a good night’s sleep Having a banana before bed can help promote sleep. The soothing effect is due to high
levels of tryptophan which gets converted to serotonin in the brain. This not only
improves your mood but also makes you more alert and improves your concentration
levels.
9. Get glowing skin Apart from helping you get some much needed beauty sleep, you can add bananas to
your beauty regime too. Banana masks are a natural way to get smooth, supple and
glowing skin. It has moisturising properties which are extremely good for people who
have dry skin.
10. Improve your sex life The phallic shape of banana makes it the most suggestive food. But the aphrodisiac
effect of banana is not just confined to its shape. It is rich in nutrients that help produce
sexual hormones and also enhance male libido. It also regulates secretion of serotonin
which is known to be responsible for the euphoric feeling after intercourse.
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