This is one fruit that most people love to eat the world over. But while you may love your banana be it in ice creams, fruits salads, smoothies or whole, did you know that there is more to the banana than you know? Yes, the color of bananas makes a huge difference and while all of them are good to eat, some have more beneficial properties than the others. The information here could be very helpful the next time you purchase bananas. So read on and find out.
You can’t go wrong health-wise when you choose bananas as they are always good for health. Bananas improve digestion, provide us fiber, promote heart health and weight loss. They contain a high amount of nutrients and essential vitamins vital for good health. They are virtually good for everything as you will read about some of the benefits at the end of this article. But what’s surprising is that with each type of color, you get a different health benefit.
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The texture and flesh of green bananas are firmer than ripe yellow bananas. They also contain more resistant starch. Unripe or raw bananas also fall into this category and can be eaten when cooked. In fact, try out a nice Indian curry with raw bananas and you’ll love it.
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Dietician Jill Corleone says that the starch in green bananas acts like good fiber for the body. Called resistant starch, it can prevent diabetes and regulate blood sugar. It is also beneficial for heart problems and lowers blood cholesterol. Green bananas also called young bananas satiate you faster thus helping you with weight loss by regulating appetite. Raw young bananas are low on the glycemic index and controls blood sugar.
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Green bananas are rich in Vitamin in B-6 and just 1 cup contains 39% of your daily requirement. Vit.B-6 is important for almost 100 enzymatic reactions in the body and is required for the production of hemoglobin which also oxygenates the body. B-6 also helps in controlling levels of blood sugar.
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Ripe and form yellow bananas are rich in antioxidants that fight illness caused b free radicals in our body. Yellow bananas contain an ingredient called dopamine which prevents heart disease reduces the risk of degenerative disease and elevates mood. While the mood factor doesn’t come into play here since dopamine from bananas does not enter the blood-brain barrier, it is still a strong antioxidant good for health. What one should realize about yellow bananas is that the riper the banana, the more sugar it contains.
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Yellow bananas are rich in antioxidants by the time they are ripe. However, they need to be eaten fresh. While green bananas do contain several nutrients, by the time bananas ripen and turn yellow, they do contain a generous dose of all vitamins nutrients, minerals and antioxidants.
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Yellow bananas contain magnesium that can help you manage insomnia. If you eat bananas at night, you may tend to feel sleepier as the fruit produces a neuroprotective effect and relaxes the muscles in the body. Magnesium also reduces brain temperature and regulates hormones.
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Have you ever seen a tennis match when during the breaks some players start eating bananas? Do you know why? Bananas are one of the richest sources of potassium which is considered one of the electrolytes found in bananas besides magnesium and phosphorous. All of these promote metabolism, provide instant energy and also contribute to protein synthesis which is the production of muscle tissue.
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Bananas also contain phosphorous that are essential for healthy bones and is one of the components used in producing DNA in the body. One banana provides 4 % of the dietary intake of phosphorus in the human body.
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Yellow bananas with brown spots may not be as healthy as the young ones but they are super rich source of antioxidants that promote heart health. In fact, research in Japan has even found that these spotted bananas contain cancer-fighting properties.
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Research at Teikyo University Japan found that though these are sweeter, spotted bananas contain 8 times more TNF or Tumor Necrosis Factor than what is found in green bananas. TNF identifies and breaks down the abnormal cancerous cells responsible for developing tumors. TNF also improves immunity by helping white blood cells identify faster areas of inflammation and infection in the body.
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Brown bananas are the sweetest but have high levels of potassium. The Linus Pauling Institute says that potassium-rich foods can prevent diseases like osteoporosis. They also contain tryptophan which alters mood, improves conditions like anxiety and promotes better sleep. The thing with bananas is that the older the fruit, the faster they are digested in the body which is why brown bananas are best for digestive problems. But, the problem with bananas and any fruit is that the older they are, the less the nutrient content which is why you should keep them in the fridge to keep the loss to a minimum.
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Bananas are super healthy and very versatile where you can use them just about for anything. The peel of a banana protects the fruit from the effects of pesticides and pollution. Regardless of your age, you can always eat bananas although if you are diabetic go slow on the sweeter ones and eat the green ones ideal for you.
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Two bananas a day are definitely going to meet your health requirements and from the figures below you can calculate how they benefit you. One medium-sized banana weighing `118 grams will contain the following values of your RDI or required dietary intake.
• Vitamin B6: 33% • Potassium: 9%.
• Vitamin C: 11%
• Magnesium: 8%
• Copper: 10%
• Manganese: 14%
• Net carbs 24 grams.
• Fiber: 3.1 grams.
• Protein: 1.3 grams.
• Fat: 0.4 grams.
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