Banana is a healthy and nutritious tropical fruit of bright yellow color. Unfortunately, bananas are not available to all people, because they can bring the body not only benefits, but also significant damage. In the article, we consider the content of useful trace elements and vitamins in bananas, and also tell who you can and should not eat this fruit.
The benefits of bananas for men
Tropical fruit is rich in amino acids that contribute to the production of sex hormones. Many doctors believe that banana enhances 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 acquire offspring need to include bananas in their diet every day.
What is the fruit useful for women?
The banana content of ascorbic acid explains the incredible benefits of fruits. By regularly consuming the flesh of a banana, women can prolong their youth. This is due to vitamin C, which acts as an antioxidant.
It is important to include bananas in your diet if you need to restore reproductive function, since this fruit normalizes cholesterol, which is considered the basic "building material" for the production of sex hormones. During pregnancy, it is beneficial for women to eat bananas to prevent anemia. During the period of gestation, the woman’s body experiences an increased need for iron, the content of which is impressive in the banana - 0.3 mg / 100 g.
In women after 50 years, a rather difficult period of emotional instability sets in. And here the tropical tropical fruit comes 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 children
Dietitians advise such fruits to be included in the menu for children aged 10 months, since the vitamin content in a banana is high (see table).
| Vitamin | 100 g amount |
| BUT | 15 mcg |
| IN 1 | 0.03 mg |
| IN 2 | 0.07 mg |
| IN 3 | 0.7 mg |
| AT 4 | 10 mg |
| AT 5 | 0.4 mg |
| AT 6 | 0.4 mg |
| AT 9 | 18 mcg |
| E | 0.1 mg |
| FROM | 9 mg |
A natural product is considered nutritious, helps to strengthen the immune system and rarely causes an allergic reaction. Ripe bright yellow fruits contain essential amino acids. It is in them 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 digestion and restores normal microflora in the digestive tract. An interesting fact is that in children after a year of eating bananas, there are almost no eating disorders.
How much sugar is in a banana?
Remember that from the place of growth to the point of sale, the green fruits are mainly transported in special vacuum bags and in refrigerators that maintain the temperature within 10-13 degrees. Before they go on sale, fruits are initially “resuscitated” in specially equipped gas chambers, and then bananas continue to ripen in the rooms even at normal room temperature.
Such a process of artificial ripening leads to the fact that the content of sugar in a banana increases. This is due to the fact that fiber and starch, which is in the fruit, begin to gradually transform into sugar and other fast carbohydrates with a high glycemic index. That is why the content of sugar in bananas can fluctuate and averages about 12 grams (per 100 g of product). That is, the more ripe the fruits you eat, the more sugar they will contain.
Potassium and calcium levels
There are myths that consuming 1-2 bananas per day can lead to increased levels of potassium in the body. But this is not true. The potassium content in bananas is approximately 400 mg / 100 g. This is approximately 10 to 20% of a person’s daily requirement.
The concentration of calcium in the fruits is small: 5 mg per 100 grams with a daily requirement of the body of 800-1000 mg.
Is there starch in a banana?
Depending on maturity, starch is contained in various amounts: immature, green fruits are rich in insoluble and resistant starch, which is a substance that is not absorbed in the small intestine of a person. Such starch is fermented only in the large intestine, causing an increase in gas formation and in the stomach. In ripe fruits, starch turns into sugar, which is why the taste of ripe bananas has a pronounced sweetness.
What carbohydrates are present in a banana?
The fruit contains slow (polysaccharides) and fast (simple) carbohydrates. If a person needs to fight hypoglycemia, a banana is perfect for this. Up to 90% of the carbohydrates in a banana, the content of which (total) is about 23 g, are simple monosaccharides. If the main goal of a person is to lose excess body weight, then slow polysaccharides should be consumed.
Despite their low number, there are many times more polysaccharides in an exotic fruit than in any other fruit. The product is famous for the high level of fiber necessary for the body. This allows you to feel full for a long period.
Fruit water content
The water content in the banana (in fresh and ripe fruits) is up to 74 grams per 100 grams of 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 large supply of energy. In this he is the winner. Only two bananas, and the person received an energy reserve for an hour and a half! Not for nothing that the players and tennis players during the breaks of the match have a snack with bananas.
They contain natural sugars, namely sucrose, glucose, fructose. Also, the fruit is rich in fiber. Doctors advise bananas for those who are diagnosed with diabetes mellitus and heart pathologies, as well as to strengthen the heart muscle and increase the general tone of the body. The protein content in a banana is 1.5 grams, fat - 0.1 grams, carbohydrates - 22.1 grams. Calorie content of fruit - 96 kcal / 100 g.
Who needs to eat bananas with caution?
Bananas are not among the fruits that are completely devoid of contraindications. Possible harm from their frequent use include the following:
- the fruit is able to remove fluid from the body, improves coagulation and blood clotting; this fact is unfavorable for those with varicose veins, and for men who have problems with erection; for the same reasons, exotic fruits should not be consumed by patients with thrombophlebitis, ischemia, as well as those who have high blood coagulation;
- for many people, bananas can cause frequent bloating, and therefore their use is not recommended for people with irritable bowel syndrome;
- nutritionists do not recommend bananas to people with high body weight, because they are considered a high-calorie product; this exotic fruit is not so much necessary to completely remove from the diet, but how to use it in small doses;
- Artificial ripening of fruits helps to ensure that some of the complex carbohydrates (fiber and starch) are processed into carbohydrates with a high glycemic index, and therefore this banana is converted from useful for diabetics into junk food.
Bananas that are grown under artificial conditions in industrial greenhouses may contain the carcinogens thiabendazole and chloramisole. First of all, these are pesticides that 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.
Unripe fruits will be sweet if they are 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 eating a banana
Bananas are considered a very high-calorie product. Their excess in nutrition will almost inevitably lead to problems with excess weight. For the digestive system, bananas are considered quite 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 afternoon.
Studies by scientists show that consuming more than three bananas per day increases the risk of a sudden onset of migraine. They contain a large amount of phenylethylamine and tyramine. Their overabundance also causes bouts of headaches. As for the various banana diets, which are recommended to consume 10-14 fruits during the day, it is hardly worth saying that such experiments with your health are fraught with negative results.