Health Benefits of Banana

Plantain / Banana, Kela(Hindi), Vaazhai(Tamil), Kadali (Sanskrit) Musa paradisiaca Linn (botanical name)isconsidered as one of the holy fruits in India. It is being included in all rituals, poojas and neivedyams. It is being consumed by infants, convalescents, old aged people and even sages and rishis.

Banana trees are growing rapidly from its rhizome. These herbaceous perennials are cultivated in more than 100 countries. The leaf sheaths forming in concentric layers constitute pseudo stem or trunk. The true stem actually arises from the corm and grows through the center of the trunk. Each true stem produce a terminal inflorescence which later bear banana fruit. The oblong, tapering inflorescence has tubular, whitish female and sterile flowers encased in purple colored sheaths or brackets.

The flowers develop into clusters of fruits (also called hands) without pollination (parthenocarpical). The fruit is categorized as berry. The number of fruits may vary with the variety and species. The raw banana appears in deep green color with thick outer skin. The ripened fruit has soft yellow or red skin and its length may fall between 2 to 10 inches and width may fall between 1 and 2 inches.

The firm raw banana is astringent with colorless latex. The typically favored, starchy, soft, tender ripened fruit tastes mild and sweet. Most of the bananas are seedless varieties.

Nutrition Data on Banana: Banana is rich in potassium (467.28 mg). Potassium maintains your electrolyte balance. The mineral also maintains nerve impulse transmission, fluid and cell integrity, muscle contractions. It also comprises manganese (0.18 mg). It shows rich diet fibers (2.83 g) and this fiber content is used as laxative and gets rid of constipation.

Vitamins Available in Banana: Banana is rich in vitamin C (ascorbic acid) (10.74 mg). It also contains other vitamins such vitamin A (96.9 μg β-carotene and 104.9 μg α-carotene per 100 g) and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) (0.68 mg), especially folate.

Calorie Value of Banana: Banana has around 90 to 93 calories per 100 g. Your body digests and absorbs banana quickly and hence it is recommended for children, aged and the convalescents. Weight gainers please be sure that you will gain weight if you consume three to four bananas every day with milk. Weight reduction is also possible since banana has less calorific value. Eat banana as your one time meal in the night. Thus banana can be used as your weight gainer as well as your weight reducer.

Health Benefits of Banana:

1) You have seen the nutrition rich banana could be made as your complete diet. Now you may not view banana in the same way as you viewed it before.

2) Your banana is rich in fiber as well as three popular fruit sugars i.e. sucrose, fructose and glucose. Therefore it gets easily digested and absorbed quickly. You will get instant and quick energy on consuming banana. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. It helps you to regain your lost energy so quickly. How amazing it is? It is more recommended for athletes.

3) Banana is also recommended for people suffering from depression. Many sufferers from depression felt much relieved from depression after eating a banana. The reason could be tryptophan, a typical banana protein constituent converted into serotonin. Serotonin relaxes your mood and makes you cheerful and happy.

4) Banana is your Vitamin B6 health pill. Your blood glucose level is monitored by Vitamin B6 and this preserves your health and cheerful.

5) Banana guards your-self from anemia. The rich iron content helps you to maintain hemoglobin level in blood. It is more recommended for pregnant women and infants.

6) Banana maintains your normal blood pressure level. The rich potassium and low salt present in banana will definitely help you to beat your blood pressure problems.

7) Banana boosts your brain power. The rich potassium content will definitely boost your brain activities and keeps you always alert.

8) Banana is your sure remedy for constipation. You know that banana is rich in diet fiber. It has good laxative properties. Both these constituents make you free from constipation.

9) Banana is your re-hydration agent and reequips your depleted sugar levels quickly.

10 )Banana is an excellent antacid. It keeps you free from your heartburns. Treat bananas as your natural antacid and eat banana to calm down your acidity and heartburns. Banana also neutralizes hyper acidity and prevents the possible stomach ulcers.

11) Banana skin has been proved as an excellent remedy for warts. Just attach the skin (yellow side out) around your warts and cover it with plaster or surgical tape. You see quick relief from warts.

Source:

1) Plaintain / Banana - http://www.ecoheritage.cpreec.org/04_01_Sacred%20trees/PlantainBanana.htm

2) HubPages - Bananas - http://hubpages.com/hub/_Banana_

3) California Rare Fruit Growers, Inc. - Banana http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/banana.html

4) The Worlds' Healthiest Foods - Bananas- http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=7