Fresh fruits are an essential part of healthy eating. A good diet consists of intake of green leafy vegetables and fresh fruits on a daily basis. Fruits provide us with a good source of vitamins and fiber and help the body fight infections. One fruit keeping up with this is banana. It is available throughout the year, is a good source of energy and provides important vitamins and fiber.
Bananas are enriched not only with potassium quantities, but also contain adequate levels of vitamin C and magnesium. It is rich in vitamin B and also has trace minerals like iodine, iron, selenium, and zinc as discussed below. When added to your daily diet lifestyle pattern, bananas have an array of benefits. They keep the heart healthy, are good for the gut and even keep the bones strong.
Have a look at the different types of vitamins bananas have:
1. Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin found in a banana. There are 10 mg vitamin C in a medium sized banana. It is necessary for the formation of collagen in the skin and subcutaneous tissue and helps the body to fight off infections. Vitamin C also has anti-oxidant properties that enable the synthesis of collagen, which helps to make blood vessels and body muscles strong.
You must know that intake of Vitamin C through banana daily helps in prevention and treatment of scurvy, common cold, lead toxicity, and cancer. People with cardiovascular diseases must eat a banana daily in the morning because it helps in lowering body’s blood pressure.
2. Vitamin B
Banana is a good source of vitamins of the B6 complex. The amount of B6 vitamin present in the banana depends on its size: An averagely sized banana consists of 0.50 milligrams of vitamin B6 or 38 percent of your daily requirement. You must know that a human body doesn’t need too much of Vitamin B6 but still, it’s an essential nutrient that plays several key roles in our body. These vitamins are essential for proper functioning of heart, brain, and nerves.
Vitamins of the B complex are anti-infective and help to boost up one’s energy. Above all, Vitamin B6 is a soluble vitamin and is responsible for the formation of antibodies to fight off any kind of infections or flu.
Lastly, if you are a gym freak and intake high protein diet regularly, bananas play an imperative role in metabolizing proteins from your food.
3. Vitamin E
Vitamin E is also a vitamin with the anti-oxidant property. It helps reduce the generation of free radicals in our body. It also helps our body to fight off infections because of its anti-infective e properties. There is 0.1 mg of vitamin E in a single medium-sized banana. You must know that Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin, which means it will get stored in your body, in case, you consume excess quantities of it. During serious injuries, infections, and clots, vitamin E in banana helps in dilating the blood vessels to improve the blood flow, thus simulates the recovery process.
On the other hand, people use banana’s face mask enriched with Vitamin E for the young looking skin. Instead of using pharmaceutical Vitamin E capsules for tightening the losing end of skin, you can switch on natural banana face masks to prevent aging of the skin.
4. Vitamin K
Banana is also a source of vitamin K which is required for formation of the clotting factors of the body. A single banana provides 0.6 microgram of vitamin K. In adults, the recommended daily value of Vitamin K is 90mcg, a 120.0 cup, slices of raw bananas can help you suffice the daily value. Bananas are a low source of Vitamin K but are enriched in Potassium and fibers. Patients who are on anticoagulants or blood thinning medications are advised to have bananas to keep their Vitamin K proportions in blood regulated.
5. Beta-carotene/Vitamin A
Banana also contains beta-carotene which is the precursor of vitamin A. Though it is present in trace amounts only, yet it makes a healthy addition to your diet. Vitamin A is required for good vision and good functioning of nerves and heart.
Eating Bananas:
No doubt bananas have innumerable benefits for health, yet we believe that you must consider the number of bananas you intake per day. If you are suffering from serious infections or you have a weak immune system, it is advised that you should take 1-2 bananas per day. On the other hand, if you are a diabetic patient, health care doctors would advise you to eat bananas in moderation, especially if diabetes is uncontrolled. Further, adults who perform workout sessions daily can consume 3-4 average sized bananas daily.
Further, Banana should be eaten in moderation with beta blockers medications, if your kidneys are not fully functional, allergic to banana or have migraines. Allergic people may experience symptoms in the mouth such as itching, swelling in the throat. So, if you are suffering from any sort of disorder it is advised that you consult with your healthcare doctor first.
Conclusion:
Hence, banana has a good amount of vitamins and minerals and also is a good source of energy and fibers. Having a banana daily can help you make smarter, combat depression, provisions immunity against infections, cancer, kidney disorders, cure skin ulcers, helps you combat morning sickness etc.