When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Bananas provide a wealth of health benefits. Bananas banana loaf packed with nutrients and provide a wide variety of health benefits.

Can you eat too many bananas? Are green bananas good for you? A wide variety of health benefits are associated with the curvy yellow fruit. Bananas are high in potassium and pectin, a form of fiber, said Laura Flores, a San Diego-based nutritionist. They can also be a good way to get magnesium and vitamins C and B6. Bananas are known to reduce swelling, protect against developing Type 2 diabetes, aid in weight loss, strengthen the nervous system and help with production of white blood cells, all due to the high level of vitamin B6 that bananas contain,” Flores told Live Science. Bananas are high in antioxidants, which can provide protection from free radicals, which we come into contact with every day, from the sunlight to the lotion you put on your skin,” Flores added.

Bananas are also good for your heart. They are packed with potassium, a mineral and electrolyte, which carries a small electric charge. Not only do bananas provide a slew of health benefits, but they are one of the world’s most popular fruits. Global banana exports reached about 24. 2020 according to a preliminary report by the United Nations.

About half of them were imported by the United States and the European Union together. Bananas can be helpful in overcoming depression “due to high levels of tryptophan, which the body converts to serotonin, the mood-elevating brain neurotransmitter,” Flores said. Plus, vitamin B6 can help you sleep better, and magnesium helps to relax muscles. A diet rich in fiber from bananas and other healthy foods can support gut health. Bananas are high in fiber, which can help keep you regular. Vitamin B6 can also help protect against Type 2 diabetes and aid in weight loss, according to Flores. In general, bananas are a great weight-loss food because they taste sweet and are filling, which helps curb cravings.

Bananas are particularly high in resistant starch, a form of dietary fiber. Resistant starch increases the production of short-chain fatty acids in the gut, which are necessary to gut health. A fit woman is eating a banana after a workout. Bananas can be a helpful snack during exercise. For replenishing energy and electrolytes, bananas can be more effective than sports drinks. They compared athletes refueling with Gatorade every 15 minutes with athletes refueling with a banana and water.

Researchers saw that the athletes’ performance times and body physiology were the same in both cases. But the banana’s serotonin and dopamine improved the athletes’ antioxidant capacity and helped with oxidative stress, improving performance overall. Bananas may not be overflowing with calcium, but they are still helpful in keeping bones strong. These are non-digestive carbohydrates that encourage digestive-friendly probiotics and enhance the body’s ability to absorb calcium. Some evidence suggests that moderate consumption of bananas may be protective against kidney cancer. Women eating four to six bananas a week halved their risk of developing kidney cancer.

Bananas may be helpful in preventing kidney cancer because of their high levels of antioxidant phenolic compounds. Eaten in moderation, there are no significant side effects associated with eating bananas. However, eating the fruits in excess may trigger headaches and sleepiness, Flores said. She said that such headaches are caused by “the amino acids in bananas that dilate blood vessels. Overripe bananas contain more of these amino acids than other bananas.

Bananas are a sugary fruit, so eating too many and not maintaining proper dental hygiene practices can lead to tooth decay. They also do not contain enough fat or protein to be a healthy meal on their own, or an effective post-workout snack. Eating bananas becomes significantly risky only if you eat too many. If you eat dozens of bananas every day, there may be a risk of consuming excessively high amounts of vitamins and minerals. It can have serious consequences, but you would have to eat about 43 bananas in a short time for any symptoms of hyperkalemia to occur. 500 milligrams of vitamin B6 daily can possibly lead to nerve damage in the arms and legs. You would have to eat thousands of bananas to reach that level of vitamin B6.

It turns out that the biggest risk from a banana peel might really be slipping on it. In fact, they’re edible and packed with nutrients. Banana peel is eaten in many parts of the world, though not very common in the West,” Flores said. It contains high amounts of vitamin B6 and B12, as well as magnesium and potassium.