Bananas: vitamin content, nutritional value

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Banana is a he althy and nutritious tropical fruit with bright yellow color. Unfortunately, not all people can eat bananas, because they can bring not only benefits to the body, but also significant damage. In the article, we will consider the content of useful trace elements and vitamins in bananas, and also tell you who can and cannot eat this fruit.

Benefits of bananas for men

Tropical fruit is rich in amino acids that promote the production of sex hormones. Many doctors believe that banana increases male power. The pulp of the fruit increases potency and at the same time improves the quality of seminal fluid. Therefore, men who plan to have offspring need to include bananas in their diet every day.

How is fruit good for women?

The content of ascorbic acid in bananas explains the incredible benefits of fruits. By regularly consuming banana pulp, women can prolong their youth. This is due to vitamin C, which acts as an antioxidant.

Important to include in yourbananas diet, if it is necessary to restore reproductive function, since this fruit normalizes cholesterol levels, which is considered the basic "building material" for the production of sex hormones. During pregnancy, it is useful for women to eat bananas to prevent anemia. During the period of bearing a child, a woman's body experiences an increased need for iron, the content of which in a banana is impressive - 0.3 mg / 100 g.

Women over 50 experience a rather difficult period of emotional instability. And here a sunny tropical fruit will come to the rescue. Banana increases the production of melanin and serotonin, which in tandem restore mental balance. Under the influence of these hormones, mood improves, normal sleep is restored and overall well-being improves.

For kids

Dietitians advise to include such fruits in the menu for children aged 10 months and older, as the content of vitamins in a banana is high (see table).

Vitamin	Amount in 100g
A	15 mcg
B1	0.03mg
B2	0.07mg
B3	0.7mg
B4	10mg
B5	0.4mg
B6	0.4mg
B9	18 mcg
E	0, 1mg
С	9mg

Natural product is considered nutritious, helps to strengthenimmunity and rarely causes an allergic reaction. Ripe fruits of bright yellow color contain essential amino acids. It is they that the growing body of the child needs.

In addition, the fruit has a positive effect on the development of cognitive abilities, improves attention and memory. Banana puree improves the digestion process and restores the normal microflora in the digestive tract. An interesting fact is that after a year of eating bananas, there are almost no eating disorders in children.

How much sugar is in a banana?

Remember that from the place of growth to the point of sale, green fruits are mainly transported in special vacuum bags and in refrigerators that maintain the temperature within 10-13 degrees. Before going on sale, fruits are initially “reanimated” in specially equipped gas chambers, and then bananas continue to ripen indoors already at normal room temperature.

This artificial ripening process causes the sugar content of the banana to increase. This is due to the fact that the fiber and starch that is in the fruit begin to gradually transform into sugar and other fast carbohydrates with a high glycemic index. That is why the sugar content in bananas can fluctuate and averages about 12 grams (per 100 g of product). That is, the more ripe fruits you eat, the more sugar they will hold.

Potassium and calcium levels

There are myths that eating 1-2 bananas a day can lead to an increase in potassium levels in the body. But this is not true. The potassium content of bananas is approximately 400 mg/100 g. This is approximately 10 to 20% of a person's daily requirement.

Calcium concentration in fruits is small: 5 mg per 100 grams with a daily requirement of 800-1000 mg.

Is there starch in a banana?

Depending on maturity, the amount of starch it contains varies: unripe, green fruits are rich in insoluble and resistant starch, which is a substance that is not absorbed in the human small intestine. Such starch is fermented only in the large intestine, causing an increase in gas production and bubbling in the stomach. In ripe fruits, starch turns into sugar, which is why the taste of ripe bananas has a pronounced sweetness.

What are the carbohydrates in a banana?

The fruit contains slow (polysaccharides) and fast (simple) carbohydrates. If a person needs to fight hypoglycemia, a banana is great for that. Up to 90% of the carbohydrates in a banana, which (total) content is about 23 g, are simple monosaccharides. If the main goal of a person is to lose excess body weight, then you need to use slow polysaccharides.

Despite their low amount, polysaccharides in an exotic fruit are many times more than in any other fruit. The product is famous for its high level of fiber needed for the body. This allowsfeel full for an extended period.

Fruit water content

The water content in a banana (in fresh and ripe fruits) is up to 74 grams per 100 grams of the product, which is a percentage of 74% of the total volume of fresh fruits. Dried banana - dried fruits from exotic fruits - contains up to 18.8 grams of water per 100 grams of product.

How much protein and energy are in bananas?

Exotic fruit has a lot of energy. In this he is a winner. Only two bananas, and the person received an hour and a half energy reserve! It is not for nothing that football players and tennis players snack on bananas during match breaks.

They contain natural sugars, namely: sucrose, glucose, fructose. The fruit is also rich in fiber. Bananas are recommended by doctors for those diagnosed with diabetes and heart disease, as well as to strengthen the heart muscle and increase the overall tone of the body. The content of proteins in a banana is 1.5 grams, fat - 0.1 grams, carbohydrates - 22.1 grams. Fruit calories - 96 kcal / 100 g.

Who needs to eat bananas with care?

Bananas are not among the fruits that are completely devoid of contraindications. Possible harms from their frequent use include the following:

• fruit is able to remove fluid from the body, improves blood clotting and thickening; this fact is unfavorable for those who have varicose veins, and for men who have problems with erection; for the same reasons, one should not consume exoticfruits for patients with thrombophlebitis, ischemia, as well as for those who have high blood clotting;
• bananas can cause frequent bloating for many people and are therefore not recommended for people with irritable bowel syndrome;
• nutritionists do not advise bananas to people with high body weight, because they are considered a high-calorie product; this exotic fruit is not so much to be completely eliminated from the diet, but to use it in small doses;
• artificial ripening of fruits helps some of the complex carbohydrates (fiber and starch) to be converted into carbohydrates with a high glycemic index, and therefore, such a banana is converted from he althy for diabetics to unhe althy food.

Bananas, which are grown in artificial conditions of industrial greenhouses, may contain carcinogens thiabendazole and chloramisole. First of all, these are pesticides, which are used to control many pests.

How to choose and save bananas

Want to buy good and tasty bananas? Then pay attention to dense fruits, without defects and dark spots on the peel. If the bananas are yellow, then the tail should ideally be slightly green, not dark in color.

Unripe fruits will be sweet if stored at room temperature in a dark place for 1-2 days. Ripe bananas are not kept in the refrigerator, where they instantly begin to darken. The ideal storage temperature is +15 degrees.

Features of usebanana

Bananas are considered a very high-calorie product. Their overabundance in nutrition will almost inevitably lead to problems with being overweight. For the digestive system, bananas are considered quite a heavy food. They are digested for a very long time (up to four hours). Based on this fact, it is better to eat bananas in the morning or in the afternoon.

Scientific studies show that eating more than three bananas a day increases the risk of a sudden onset of a migraine. They contain a large amount of phenylethylamine and tyramine. Their excess and causes attacks of headaches. As for various banana diets that recommend eating 10-14 fruits a day, it is hardly worth saying that such experiments with one's he alth are fraught with negative results.