Banana Facts

BANANA FACTS
MUSA acuminata, as banana is scientifically called, consists mainly of sugars (glucose, fructose and sucrose) and fibre, which makes them ideal for an immediate source of energy.

Bananas taste really great. Aside from tasting great, they are easy to find and relatively cheap, as far as most fruit is concerned.

A banana contains a healthy amount of fibre. Whether young or old, eating bananas has a lot of nutritional benefits for all. Fibre assists in lowering the level of cholesterol in the body. Bananas are also low in calories, sodium, and fat. They are an excellent source of potassium and contain a measurable amount of magnesium.

Banana has in its content an array of vitamins and minerals that are essential for the overall health and wellness of the body.

The health benefits in bananas, particularly the vitamin B6, help reduce problems associated with pre-menstrual symptoms. Fresh bananas, when combined with milk, non-fat frozen yoghurt and honey to create a milkshake, ease headache, hydrate the body and give a nutritional kick-start to a slow moving morning.

Fresh bananas are relatively high in iron, which helps the body's haemoglobin function. Also, due to their content in fibre, they help restore a normal bowel function. Researches have also shown that bananas contain in high quantities important electrolytes such as potassium and magnesium, which could be depleted by diarrhoea. Bananas also contain pectin, a soluble fibre that can help normalise movement through the digestive tract. Research published in the Archives of Ophthalmology has proven that adults consuming at least 3 servings of fruit per day have a reduced risk (by 36 per cent) of developing age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), the primary cause of vision loss in older adults, compared to persons who consume less than 1.5 servings of fruit daily.

Bananas have been recommended as an exceptionally rich source of fructoligosaccharide, a compound that nourishes probiotic (friendly) bacteria in the colon. These beneficial bacteria produce enzymes that increase digestive ability and protect us from unhealthy bacteria infections. Fructooligosaccharides, probiotic bacteria can increase both in number and functionality, increasing our body's ability to absorb calcium.

However, green bananas contain indigestible short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that are very nutritious to the cells that make up the mucosa of the stomach. These cells, when healthy, absorb calcium much more efficiently.

Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. They contain vitamins B6 and B12 as well as potassium and magnesium: these substances help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal. This is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicle cases. It also helps reduce acidity and irritation. Bananas stimulate the cells on the internal stomach lining to produce a thicker mucus, which protects against acid.

Again, bananas contain protease inhibitors that help eliminate bacteria in the stomach that have been pinpointed as a primary cause of ulcers. Bananas have been confirmed high in B vitamins that have been shown to improve nerve function.

Many people report that rubbing the inside of a banana peel on a mosquito bite is very effective in reducing itching and swelling

Bananas are high in potassium, which helps normalise the heart- beat and regulate the body's water balance. During periods of high stress, our body's potassium levels tend to be rapidly depleted: eating bananas is a healthy way to rebalance them without using drugs.

A study in The New England Journal of Medicine has also revealed that eating bananas as part of a regular diet can reduce the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40 per cent.

Return to Galleria Health & Lifestyle Nigerian Dishes Recipe Index