6 Awesome Health Benefits Of Bananas
By Golb on Jun 26, 2007 in Nutrition and Diet
Before we start discussing the health benefits of bananas, here is some nutritional information for a serving of banana (source - these numbers can be slightly different when obtained from a different source):
Serving size = 1 medium sufficiently ripe banana [about 7″ long and 126 grams (0.28 pounds) in weight]
Total Fat = 0 g; Cholesterol = 0 g; Calories = 110
Potassium = 400 mg (10% of daily recommended value)
Dietary Fiber = 4 g (16% of daily recommended value)
Sugar = 14.8 g; Protein = 1 g (2% of daily recommended value)
Vitamin C = 16% of daily recommended value
Vitamin B6 = 20% of daily recommended value
With this nutritional information in the background let’s work through the incredible health benefits of this commonplace fruit. I will try and list only substantiated facts with references wherever possible. I am particularly concerned about this because there have been some unsubstantiated claims (rumors) about extraordinary banana benefits floating around the internet (here is an example).
- Bananas are good for your heart and nerves: Bananas contain a high dose of potassium - an essential ingredient to keep your heart and nervous system in good shape. Potassium is essential for proper muscle contraction and hence plays an important role in muscle-influenced activities including: the normal rhythmic pumping of the heart, digestion, muscular movements, etc., Some studies have also linked low potassium intake to high blood pressure and increased risk of stroke. Most Americans don’t get enough potassium in their diet (recommended dose is about 4 g per day) - blame it on our fast food culture. Including a banana (or two) in your diet everyday would take you a step closer towards getting your daily recommended dose of potassium (references: American Heart Association, University of Maryland Medical Center, Colorado State University).
- Bananas are good for your kidneys and bones: Benefits to the kidneys and the bones are again due to the high potassium content of bananas. A normal intake of potassium suppresses calcium excretion in the urine and minimizes the risk of kidney stones. Also, for the same reason (suppressing of calcium excretion), it minimizes the loss of calcium from the body and thereby reduces the risk of osteoporosis (references: University of Maryland Medical Center, University of Kansas Medical Center).
- Bananas can act as mood enhancers or mild sedatives: Bananas contain tryptophan (although it’s not one of the major sources, a medium still contains about 10.6 mg of tryptophan). Tryptophan is one of the 20 amino acids which are building blocks of proteins (btw, an incredible number of articles on the internet call tryptophan as a “mood-enhancing protein” and that is technically not correct). Tryptophan helps the body to produce serotonin - which has a calming effect on the brain (creates a stable mood) and acts as a mild sedative. It should be noted that the only way our our body gets it’s dose of tryptophan is through our diet - it does not produce tryptophan naturally; bananas is one of the easiest ways to get it (references: Nutritiondata.com, Chemistry Daily, Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, NIH MedLinePlus).
- Bananas are good for your blood: Bananas are one of the highest sources of naturally available vitamin B6: Vitamin B6 plays an important role in converting tryptophan to serotonin (read #3 above), and also helps the body to make hemoglobin - a crucial ingredient of your blood. Vitamin B6 is also essential for antibody production and to maintain a healthy immune response. It also helps to convert carbohydrates to glucose and thereby maintains proper blood sugar levels. A medium banana can take care of 1/5th of your daily recommended intake of vitamin B6 and is one of the easiest (and cheapest) ways to increase your dietary intake of the vitamin (references: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements).
- Bananas are good for kids: Let me quote this from NIH’s Medical Encyclopedia -
Bananas are part of the BRAT diet, a diet many physicians and nurses recommend for children recovering from gastrointestinal problems, particularly diarrhea. BRAT stands for the different components that make up the diet: Bananas, Rice cereal, Applesauce, Toast. These are binding foods that make the stools harder.
- Bananas are good source of dietary fiber: A single serving (one medium-sized banana) contains 16% of the daily recommended dietary fiber intake for a normal adult - that’s substantial for a single serving of any food. Fiber improves laxation (smooth bowel movements). Fiber-rich diets have also been linked to lower risk of coronary heart disease and of type 2 diabetes. Also, view this information in light of the following facts (references: Health.gov, NIH PubMed - abstract is sufficient):
Current recommendations suggest that adults consume 20-35 grams of dietary fiber per day. Children over age 2 should consume an amount equal to or greater than their age plus 5 grams per day. Yet the average American eats only 14-15 grams of dietary fiber a day. source: Harvard School of Public Health
Availability is the best part: Bananas are very affordable at about 35~40 cents per pound (on an average - in the US) and are generally available in almost all grocery stores; you don’t need to cook them or wash them (unless you want to eat the outer skin) and that makes them ideal as quick lunch substitutes. Consider bananas as an awesome and affordable dietary supplement.
Got sugar concerns?: People worry a lot about the carbohydrates (especially the sugar part) in bananas. To that end, here are a few quotes from a couple reliable sources:
A banana has a glycemic index of 52 and 24 grams of available carbohydrate. This gives a glycemic load of 12. In comparison, an apple having a glycemic index of 38 and 15 grams of available carbohydrate has a glycemic load of 6 … Although an apple may be a little better choice for a snack, eating a banana isn’t all that bad either because foods with glycemic loads in the low teens and below are the ones that should be selected as part of a balanced diet. (source: USDA.gov)
Despite being erroneously called “fattening” and too high in sugar, a small banana only contains about 100 calories, which is not much more than a medium apple. Nor should it raise your blood glucose level too high. (source: American Diabetes Association)
Like always, stuff should be done in moderation and it should be noted that all the above health benefits are “general observations” - and there must be, for sure, exceptions to general observations. If you have specific health conditions related to any nutritional constituents of bananas, make sure you consult your doctor before you go bananas on bananas.
If you have additional information (or even folklore 
) about bananas, feel free to share it with us through your comments.
Very nice article!
Regular consumption of bananas/oranges and orange juice in children from ages 0-2 has also been associated with a reduction in the risk of childhood leukemia diagnosed between the ages of 2 and 14 years. There’s also evidence that higher consumption of bananas and apple juice from concentrate may protect against wheezing in children.
http://www.highlighthealth.com/food-and-nutrition/benefits-of-bananas/
I applaud you on your source referencing - so many sites don’t do it and it really is necessary.
Walter
Walter | Jun 26, 2007 | Reply
Very thorough and informative!
I always keep bananas on hand for easy snacking or recipes. It’s amazing how much you can do with bananas: breads, desserts, shakes, ice cream, snacks…
I like to use them as one of my natural sweeteners, as I do not eat cooked or processed foods.
Great research!
-Caroline
http://www.rawlifestyle.wordpress.com
Caroline Jeannot | Jul 2, 2007 | Reply
“I loathe bananas!”
Dr Zira, “Escape From the Planet of the Apes”
Angie Hartford | Jul 10, 2007 | Reply
Oh man I love bananas! Nice to see some really good reasons to keep going back for this wonderful fruit.
We have a huge variety of bananas in India. Unlike in the west, we prefer to eat them when they are ripe and sweet.
Thanks for the info!
Nikhil Nayak | Jul 19, 2007 | Reply
On the B.R.A.T. diet, how much of each food are you to eat each day?
dayle reynolds | Oct 26, 2007 | Reply
today is my first time of visiting this site and i have really enjoyed reading the benefits of bananas. i like bananas and i take in a lot at a time, i want to know if it can afect me negatively when i eat too much of it. i also want to know if it really enhance sexual ability
osei yaw addo | Jan 11, 2008 | Reply
Huh? Bananas sure get a lot of good press, but are they really as good as everyone thinks?
Bananas raise are high enough in sugar and starch to contribute to high glucose levels, especially since they are often consumed without other fats and proteins, which could at least slow the absorption of glucose. Not good. Therefore they also raise insulin levels, also not healthy or conducive to weight control, regardless of the low calrloic content (high chronic insulin levels & constant carbohydrate intake drives fat storage and prevents burnign body fat for energy).
I know bananas get a lot of attention for the potassium content, but there isn’t a nutrient in bananas, even potassium, that can’t be eaily obtained from unprocessed non-starchy and low sugar produce items, such as avocados, leafy green veggies, etc. There is simply just too much sugar and starch in bananas compared to the micronutrients to considered a regular part of a healthy diet that keeps blood glucose at normal, even levels.
Additionally, the vast majority of commercial bananas have traveled a very, very long way to market, making them an oil-guzzling crop. So bananas additionally are a very unsustainable fruit crop compared to local, seasonal produce. And there is a history of nasty economic and political influence in the international banana trade, hence the term “banana republic”.
It’s time for people to get over their love affair with bananas.
Anna | Jan 11, 2008 | Reply
This is for “Anna.” Use some common sense, that banter you posted would better suit someone who eats ONLY bananas. Bananas as part of an OVERALL healthy diet are extremely beneficial. All fruits are sources for high levels of NATURAL sugar, which is why you’re suppose to eat other things too (vegetables, perhaps).
It’s time for people to think less like Anna there and more like the advanced life form we claim to be.
CommonSense | Jan 17, 2008 | Reply
This response is for Anna. I was diagnosed with pre-diabetes 2.5 years ago. As a rule, bananas do help in maintaining glucose levels and maintains a healthy body. How do I know??? I eat them among other foods with moderation. Infact, you can possibly live on banana’s.
Along with moderate intake of variety of foods and plenty of exercise, will provide the body with the nutrients it needs. So, with this mind, EAT, EAT, EAT banana’s!!!
happy | Jan 23, 2008 | Reply
It may be time for people to get over their love affair with bananas, but it ain’t gonna happen. My favorite breakfast for the last sixty years or so has been sliced bananas and peanut butter on toast — great tasting and great energy to start the day. Yes, bananas are here to stay.
oldbiker1 | Feb 19, 2008 | Reply
I enjoyed reading all good stuff about bananas, I love it because its the only fruit can be eaten just after buying, no need washing if in case of hunger… Was worried about the sugar level, now I feel no need to, because everything is well explained on this site, thanks to all good ppl around for help..
maashu | Mar 23, 2008 | Reply
Good info, I “like” bananas but I can’t handle eating them more than a few times a week unless its with other foods such as cereal, and like the oldbiker, I too like them with peanut butter on bread or toast.
Only this past year did I find another great use for them, they make for a good wine. Which is what actually brought me to this site, searching for a sugar content conversion on them.
Dean | Apr 14, 2008 | Reply
i eat average six bananas a day ether in a protien shake or just as they are is that too many , good or bad?
dawg | May 12, 2008 | Reply
I too have got a problem with constipation but the only thing that renormalizes my bowel movement is a banana. We have a family history of diabetes and bananas have always done the trick!I am sorry Anna! the love affair with the fruit goes on!
Flint Madziya | May 20, 2008 | Reply
Does it also include sex power for men. Does it increase energy???
Shaikh | Jun 23, 2008 | Reply
Please give references so we can validate your view.
Thanks
Me | Jun 24, 2008 | Reply
In defense of Anna
Just because she’s showing the other side of the banana issue shouldn’t make her the scapegoat for all banana lovers.
Thanks for bringing up the negative side of bananas for a more balanced and in-depth look at this fruit! I would like to see some references to support your claims though…
Sarah
Sarah | Jul 18, 2008 | Reply
Anna doesn’t know how to find “real” information. Fruit has minimal fructose (a banana only 5 grams, an apple 7) as compared to processed foods and other crap like soda that has upwards of 70 grams!
No one should fear eating a banana! That is ridiculous, just get rid of grains and refined sugars! Quit listening to propaganda, anna.
rick | Aug 6, 2008 | Reply
some good stuff about banana.
I have started eating banana alot. I eat like 2 on average but sometimes 3 or 4. I was wondering if its too much. Can someone please tell me with some references so i know forsure.
Thanks..
Shani | Aug 7, 2008 | Reply
I like what i just read about this awesome fruit banana. I have been taking 6 banana’s as a breakfast(empty stomatch) since past six years.
My people say too much of banana is bad, but i m yet to find any bad things which has happen in my body.
I also read that banana help to develop sexual harmones. is it for real??
vikki-nepal | Aug 16, 2008 | Reply
I consume, on average, 14 bananas a day, having done so for the last 25 years. The only concern I have ever heard from a doctor was that I had a abnormally high T-wave on my EKG. (As far I know, a high T-wave indicates that the heart is able to take a rest between beats.) Don’t think there is such a thing as too many bananas. Am I wrong?
George | Aug 17, 2008 | Reply
Very helpful! The Philippines is one of the biggest producers of bananas which makes this nutritional source just in our backyard. But still many are not aware the power of banana.
jun yancha | Sep 12, 2008 | Reply
I am a type 2 diabetic living in Florida. I just harvested my first bunch of bananas and when they ripen I intend to see how they affect my glucose. Will post later
Pat | Sep 24, 2008 | Reply
I normally have a bit of insomnia that wakes me from about 3-4am in the early morning. However, I have found if I eat a banana right before I go to bed I do not wake up anymore.
Malia | Oct 15, 2008 | Reply
I eat a small banana per day. They’re tasty, low in fat/cal, filling, cheap to buy, travel well, good for my heart, bowels, and moods, and a natural snack at that. I’d choose a banana over an apple any day:)
Nan | Nov 3, 2008 | Reply
Bananas improve skin complexion too!!
I started consuming bananas about two weeks ago, found that they really help to improve my skin complexion. Read an article claiming “Banana skin” can helps skin itchiness. Having this problem (fungus) on my arms, so try using “Banana skin” to rub on the affected skin and leave it for another 1-2 minutes then rinse. After afew days, found they really help, and some other scars that left previously have been lighten. Now I use them to rub on my face before I cleanse. It works too! My face complexion looks more moisten and clearer.
BANANAS not only good as diet supplement, also a good source for skin complexion!
Suephrinla Lim | Nov 6, 2008 | Reply
Anna needs to calm down. She talks like she’s got a retarded kid who smokes banana peels as a chaser to sniffing glue. I eat two a day and they just make me feel better after i have one. I’m a runner and i work out with weights. I have to eat 5-6 times a day and a banana is a quick way to get something in ma belly to keep my energy up. If i keel over and die tomorrow it won’t be because of the banana, unless i choke on one and can’t breathe. Then i’ll blame Anna because she didn’t warn everybody about the importance of chewing your banana before swallowing. Thanks for nothing Anna!
Jason | Dec 16, 2008 | Reply
hi i am 44 years old, and had a breast cancer,and just had my operation 3 weeks ago, now i love eating banana 1pc. every morning. is it good for my health? since i’m on medication for my monthly chemotherapy?
i really apprciate i found this site and read all the good things about banana.
josefina park | Dec 17, 2008 | Reply
Anna claims,
“the vast majority of commercial bananas have traveled a very, very long way to market, making them an oil-guzzling crop.”
You clearly have not really studied logistics or energy consumption in food production. The idea that ocean transported foods consume vast amounts of oil is just plain silly; ocean shipping is the most energy efficient means of delivering a product, the oil consumed is vastly less than that used by trucks.
Anna continues:
“So bananas additionally are a very unsustainable fruit crop compared to local, seasonal produce.”
Again, another ridiculous claim without any substantiation whatsoever. This crazy idea that locally grown food is more economically and environmentally sound has absolutely no basis in fact whatsoever. These wild claims are never accompanied by studies that show total relative costs involved.
I know it’s a big, big myth amongst the eco-crowd and the goofy “peak oil” doom and gloom theorists, but it remains nothing more than that: a myth. All such talk is always purely theoretical with no rigorous examination. Locally grown has its own heavy costs in land-use, frequently makes use of cruel and exploitative “migratory” labor (which consumes more fuel than a cargo ship full of bananas), produces social dislocation, on and on and on.
If the land is very close to an urban center, it can probably be more economically used for other purposes. If it’s far from an urban center, requiring trucks to get the product to market, it can consume more energy than a cargo ship.
Anna continues:
“And there is a history of nasty economic and political influence in the international banana trade, hence the term “banana republic”.”
Oh jeezus. One might as well not eat potatoes because the ancient Incas practiced human sacrifice. Or boycott universities because many professors are left-wing and left-wing ideologues have been the most blood thirsty mass-murderers of the last century.
This is just silly.
Richard | Dec 18, 2008 | Reply
Bananas are one of my favorite fruits because they’re so easy to eat and so easy to take on the go! I love mine with peanut butter….mmmm. Also, I get low blood sugar at work towards the end of the day and bananas help a lot. Good article!
Marjie | Jan 7, 2009 | Reply
I Love Bananas To Eat And For Sex Also !
I dont have a husband anymore and a banana takes the place of a husband!
Janet | Jan 20, 2009 | Reply
This type of diet is no longer recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics for children with diarrhea. It is too low in nutrients. Please remove this recommendation.
Wendy, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
Bananas are good for kids: Let me quote this from NIH’s Medical Encyclopedia -
“Bananas are part of the BRAT diet, a diet many physicians and nurses recommend for children recovering from gastrointestinal problems, particularly diarrhea. BRAT stands for the different components that make up the diet: Bananas, Rice cereal, Applesauce, Toast. These are binding foods that make the stools harder.”
wendy mosiman | Jan 30, 2009 | Reply
My favorite way to eat bananas is with organic raw almond butter….mmmmmmmmmm so good, and healthy! I also use them in my post workout shakes.
Tish | Feb 6, 2009 | Reply
Hi,
Great article!
Now, I understood why I was made to eat bananas everyday without fail since my childhood.
Apart from the health benefits, I have also heard that bananas are good when used on face. It seems they have anti-aging properties and are used in facial masks.
You can add that aspect to the article too.
InfoCreators | Feb 7, 2009 | Reply
I am on different medications that cause diarhea every morning. I started eating a banana right before going to bed and my bowel situation is now totally controlled. I don’t know what is in a banana that stabalizes the bowel but it has made my mornings much easier and as a result, I’m much happier.
carolynne | Feb 11, 2009 | Reply
Banana peels can be used on minor burns to help heal and prevent blistering. You peel the banana and apply the inside of the skin to the affected area.The result, no redness or anything.
Alex | Mar 25, 2009 | Reply
I eat a million bananas, if i could be an orangatan i would live on orangatan island and be the bomb on animal planet
p-ce
Laura F | Apr 21, 2009 | Reply
janet theres something wrong with u, u fucking wierdo
Chris | Apr 21, 2009 | Reply
Sure Anna hates bananas.Good she does not experience constipation,or else she would rely heavily on this fruit
Ed | May 3, 2009 | Reply
This is for ANNA one of the first few comments.
FUCK YOU.
FUCK YOU
FUCK YOU
FUCK YOU
BANANAS KICK ASS. THEY WILL NOT MAKE YOU FAT.
they contain NATURAL SUGAR. not processed sugar that doesn’t agree with the human body as well. Natural sugar found in fruits have actually been shown to help people’s insulin levels and control diabetes and other blood sugar problems.
I hope you go to hell for saying banana’s aren’t good.
FUCK YOU
Alex Masak | May 21, 2009 | Reply
I have been an avid fan of the banana for the past six years during my high school career in track and cross-country. Bananas are the perfect food for those that are physically active and for those that might not be. Because of bananas high amount of potassium, they are key is muscle recovery and getting over muscle soreness, not to mention their portability to and from track meets! Anytime I get done with a hard practice I always eat a couple bananas and drink lots of water and stretch before I go to bed, and guess what….NO SORENESS in the legs! This allows me to recovery quicker and start getting in the miles again. And in respose to Anna, and how she claims bananas can mess with your weight? I think she out to check out this website:http://www.ehow.com/about_4571229_bodybuilding-bananas.html . The author of this article is Kevin Rail, a certified personal trainer and wellness coach in Utah, and from his reviews he is honest and tells it like it is!
Mason | May 23, 2009 | Reply
To Alex Masak,
Thank you for your kind comments. The same to you with brass knobs on, you little squirt of piss. My comment was intended to give a further more balanced insight into health properties of bananas. You may continue to do with them what you will, pulling them back out of your ass, I presume.
Anna | Jun 2, 2009 | Reply
You Jason get the award for funniest post! LOL good job!
MermaidJudi | Jun 2, 2009 | Reply
To Anna,
How could I have an ass, if I am a squirt of piss?
You say:
“There is simply just too much sugar and starch in bananas compared to the micronutrients to considered a regular part of a healthy diet that keeps blood glucose at normal, even levels.”
Although this is true for diabetics, diabetics only account for about 8 percent of people in America. Basically meaning the other 92% of the people in the U.S. can safely eat bananas without having to worry about altering their blood glucose level to a dangerous state.
And considering that the main cause of diabetes, especially in America, is obesity, then bananas would have been safe for them to eat at some point in their life. Think of it this way, rather than snacking on candy everyday, which would contribute to obesity and raise the risk of diabetes, what if they had eaten a banana instead? Rather than taking in all that unnatural, processed, sugary candy, and about 500 empty calories, they could have eaten a banana and gotten a healthy, nutritional snack with natural sugar and only 130 calories.
You say:
“Therefore they also raise insulin levels, also not healthy or conducive to weight control, regardless of the low calrloic content (high chronic insulin levels & constant carbohydrate intake drives fat storage and prevents burnign body fat for energy).”
What you are referring to is one’s metabolism. A high sugar intake can alter one’s metabolism in a negative way. But eating one, two, or even three bananas in a day isn’t nearly enough sugar (15-45g at most) to alter a healthy person’s insulin levels enough to slow their metabolism drastically. A can of soda has more sugar than 3 bananas. You said: “(high chronic insulin levels & constant carbohydrate intake drives fat storage and prevents burnign body fat for energy).” What, do you think people just sit at home and eat 70 bananas a day?
And keep in mind that bananas are extremely easy to digest, due to it’s fiber content. The nutrients in bananas pass through the gastrointestinal passages very easily and quickly. This actually speeds up metabolism and helps digest other food as well.
And, needless to say, if one exercises… then bananas can be used as a pre-workout boost of energy, and eaten as a post-work out snack for all the nutrients lost. Plus if one is into weightlifting, bananas help muscles not feel sore afterwards, which is pretty sweet(no pun intended)!
Alex Masak | Jun 6, 2009 | Reply
I’ve begun making smoothies in the morning with 2 bananas, 10 strawberries, 1/2 cup of 2% milk, and two small containers of fat free strawberry banana yogurt. I drink half in the morning and the other half at night after I exercise.
I did a search on the health benefits of bananas to see if my new regime, although delicious, was doing me much good healh wise. I found this page very informative, but also very hilarious. Anna seems to have bashed bananas on the wrong page!
Stephanie H. | Jun 16, 2009 | Reply