8 Surprising Banana Health Benefits

Bananas are one of nature’s great snack foods, but did you know just how good for you they are and how many different and unusual uses they can have? Ahead are 8 banana health benefits for better health and even improving the way you look and feel.

Top 8 Banana Health Benefits

1. Potassium

Bananas are among the most convenient food sources of potassium. This mineral is essential for maintaining proper heart function and regulating normal blood pressure. Numerous studies have shown the effectiveness of potassium rich foods like bananas in lowering high blood pressure. The potassium in bananas is also beneficial for your kidneys and bones.

2. Helps Digestion

Bananas are a great source of dietary fiber that most of us don’t get nearly enough of. Fiber helps the food you eat, move smoothly through the digestive tract and improves elimination. A couple of bananas may be a healthier choice than laxatives to treat occasional constipation. Turning to another important element of digestion, bananas are rich in fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS for short thankfully).

FOS is known as a prebiotic since it feeds the important friendly bacteria in the digestive tract that help us absorb nutrients more efficiently. Bananas are also known to help relieve the symptoms of heartburn. So once again, try reaching for the natural cure with banana rather than antacids.

3. Good for Ulcers

Eating bananas regularly may help protect against stomach ulcers. Compounds in bananas seem to create a thicker protective barrier in the stomach against hydrochloric acid. Bananas also contain protease inhibitors that work to eliminate certain bacteria in the stomach implicated as a major cause of stomach ulcers.

4. High in Vitamin B6

Bananas are particularly high in vitamin B6. This vitamin is important for creating hemoglobin for healthy blood. B6 is also involved in maintaining proper blood sugar levels, synthesizing and breaking down amino acids and producing antibodies for a stronger immune response in your body. Just one banana has a full fifth of your recommended daily intake of vitamin B6. And they taste much better than vitamin pills too!

5. Vitamins and Minerals

Alongside the high levels of potassium and vitamin B6 already mentioned, bananas also have good levels of vitamin C, magnesium and manganese. They are also a source of most of the other B vitamins, and smaller amounts of trace minerals like iodine, iron, selenium and zinc.

6.  Skin Conditions

Even the skins of this amazing fruit have their uses. Banana skins have been used externally to treat skin conditions like psoriasis and acne. The freshly peeled inside of the banana skin is gently rubbed over the affected area and the residue left on. This might be better done on a day indoors or before bed to avoid the banana smell when out and about.

Note too that in the case of psoriasis, there apparently may be some further reddening initially, but this should improve after a few days of use. Patch test on a small area first if you have any concerns. It also usually takes several weeks to get the full effect from this treatment.

Banana peel treatments are even used to heal warts. You rub a small piece of banana peel over the wart and then tightly tape it there overnight for at least a week, possibly several, changing it to a new one each night.

7. A Cancer Fighter?

Recent Japanese animal research linked bananas that are fully ripe (with the dark spots) to the production of a compound called tumor necrosis factor. This compound is a cytokine which is believed to have the potential to increase white blood cell count, thus enhancing your immunity and combating cancerous cell changes.

8. Improving your Mood and Reducing Stress

Bananas are a good source of the amino acid tryptophan, which your body converts to serotonin. Amongst many other things, proper serotonin levels help improve your mood, reduce stress and enhance your general outlook and happiness levels. It also helps regulate good sleep patterns.

Tryptophan is considered an essential amino acid because the only way your body gets it is through your diet. Bananas, while certainly not the highest source out there, are one of the easiest ways to get a little more tryptophan. Another reason why bananas make such a great snack for those stressed out at work.