An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but if you want to be as mighty as Kong, you might want to grab a banana instead.
According to nutritionists, Americans’ favorite yellow fruit has an appeal that goes far beyond its peel’s comedic effect. It’s not even the peel that readily tells you if that banana is ripe or not ““ it’s that bananas have more health benefits that you probably know. Packed with nutrients and other ingredients that help you get or stay healthy, here are five top surprising reasons:
Bananas vs. sports drinks
Bananas have simple, healthier carbohydrate sources than sports drinks. Those simple carbs help you better prevent dehydration. They also are packed with antioxidants and vitamins like B6 that you don’t find in sports drinks, making them quite possibly the perfect post-workout snack.
Controlling blood sugar
Doctors advise one way to battle high blood pressure is to take in more potassium. So, guess what has a ton of potassium? You guessed it: Bananas. The type of potassium found in bananas, potassium citrate, is particularly effective in reducing high blood pressure. And since it is high in potassium, it’ll also help you avoid cramping. An average banana has about 10 percent of the recommended daily helping of the substance.
Bone strength
Yet another benefit of all that potassium? Researchers have found that high-potassium diets lead to stronger bones and less of a chance of developing osteoporosis. Bananas also contain around 15 percent of the daily allowance of manganese, a nutrient that helps stave off arthritis.
Appetite control
An average-sized banana serves up 12 percent of your recommended daily portion of fiber, too. Fiber has been shown to slow down digestion and help you feel full longer. So, if you’re trying to diet and are constantly finding yourself hungry, try a banana. Fiber has an added benefit of being linked to reduced risk of developing diabetes, too.
Cancer fighter
Another benefit of the fiber bananas provide is that is helps maintain healthy bowels and reduces the risk of colorectal cancer. Bananas also have about 17 percent of your daily allowance of vitamin C, which has been shown to lower cancers of the mouth, throat and stomach.
When you consider these benefits, along with the fact the an average-sized banana comes in at around only 100 calories, it’s easy to see why Americans eat on average around 10 pounds of bananas each year. We eat around 17 pounds of apples per year, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Maybe it’s time for a new top banana in the fruit hierarchy.
