Bananas have a lot of benefits, they are really delicious and they are one of the most famous and important tropical fruits in the world. They are a fruit of genus musa, of the family Musaceae. The banana is grown in countries with tropic weather and it’s very consumed in those regions.
The banana is a very valued fruit around the world for its flavor, nutrition value and their versatility they have to be consumed in so many recipes, like juices, salads, ice cream, etc. They can be used to flavor muffins, breads, or cakes, they can even be used to replace the sugar in some cases, the bananas are grown extensively on the tropical regions and they are important for their economy. The Cavendish banana is the most common and is the most imported by the non-tropical countries.
How much calories are in a banana?
The banana is full of benefits for you health and is rich in nutrients. Normally the people know that they are really healthy but they wonder how mander carbs and calories are in a banana.
a medium banana can contain 105 calories, but the calories in 1 banana depends on its size, here we show you an approximate of sizes and the amount of calories:
- Small: (6 to 7 inches, 101 grams): Can contain 90 calories
- Medium: (7 to 8 inches, 118 grams): Can contain 105 calories
- Large: (8 to9 inches, 136 grams): Can contain 121 calories
- Extra large: (9 inches or bigger, 152 grams): Can contain 135 calories
93% of the banana´s calories come from carbs, 4% from protein and 3% from fat. So if you were wondering if are there any calories in bananas, sure there is, but they are very healthy and are recommended for the people who do exercises and sports.
Bananas benefits for your health
The bananas can contain several benefits for you, can help you have a better digestion, heart health and if you don’t know if is a banana bad for weight loss, actually, they can help you to lose weight, the health benefits of bananas are huge and here we will show you.
1. Banana is rich in nutrients
This is a native tropical fruit from southeast Asia, but they grow in many warm countries, they have different colors and shapes.
They contain a good amount of fiber and antioxidants, here you’ll see other nutrients and vitamins in banana:
- Protein: 1.3 grams.
- Potassium: 9% of the recommended per day.
- Copper: 10% of the recommended per day.
- Magnesium: 8% of the recommended per day.
- Fiber: 3.1 grams
- Fat: 0.4 grams
- Vitamin C: 11% of the recommended per day.
- Vitamin B6: 33% of the recommended per day.
- Manganese: 14% of the recommended per day.
- Net carbs: 24 grams
2. High Fibre content to improve digestion health
One of the benefits of eating banana is that they are full of fibre, both the fibre you can find, soluble and insoluble. The soluble fibre can help you to slow down your digestion and help you to feel full for a long period of time, this is one of the most important reasons why this tropical fruit are included in breakfast, with this you don’t have to be worried about the next meal and if you want to eat less this is a great option.
3. Eating banana can regulate blood sugar levels
They are rich in prictin, this type of fiber can give the flesh that spongy structural form. The unripe bananas are full of resistant starch, this works like soluble fiber and escapes digestion.
Both of them (prictin and resistant starch) can regulate the blood sugar levels after each meal, the bananas has a low or medium glycemic index, which isa measure of 0 – 100 of how quickly foods increase the sugar levels in blood.
The glycemic index in an unripe banana is around 30, and ripe bananas can contain about 60, this means that this fruit should not cause a big spikes in the sugar levels in blood.
4. Heart health
The food that contain a high level of fiber are good for heart, this is a very important bananas health benefits we can find. According to a study done by the University of Leed in the UK, increasing the consumption of food which are rich in fiber like bananas, can low the risk of cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease.
5. Powerful antioxidants
Fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidants and the banana fruit is not the exception because they are full of them, they contain different types of powerful antioxidants, including catechins and dopamine.
These type of antioxidants are related to a lot of health benefits, like to help reduce the heart disease and degenerative illnesses.
There is a misunderstanding that says that the dopamine in the banana acts as a feel good sensation in your brain, but actually, the dopamine in bananas don’t cross the barrier between blood and brain, the function of this type of dopamine is act like a strong antioxidant instead of altering any hormones.
6. High source of potassium
One of the biggest benefits of eating banana is that they are full of potassium, they are very known for this benefit around the world. This property can help you to regulate the heartbeat, blood pressure and keeps the brain alert, for this reason is a very recommended fruit for those who study. So make sure you add this delicious fruit to your diet and take advantage of the numerous benefits of bananas.
7. Unripe banana can improve insulin sensitivity
Insulin resistance is a huge risk factor for many serious diseases, like type 2 diabetes. Studies reveal that 15 to 30 grams per day of resistance starch may improve insulin sensitivity by 33% to 50% in 4 weeks. The unripe banana is rich in resistant starch and you should include them to your diet too.
8. Improve the blood presure
Is a well known fact that salt is one of the most important guilty when we talk about high blood pressure, bananas has low salt content and are rich in potassium, this property make this fruit ideal for those people who are suffering this disease. This is a really great benefit o banana we can found.
How much sugar is in a banana?
If you don’t eat banana because of their sugar content, you should reconsider it. You are not taking advantage of a delicious and healthy snack that can provide a lot of nutrient and vitamins. When health organizations like American Heart Association, recommend talking out the sugar of the diet, they are talking about added sugar and not the natural sugar you can find in fruits. The sugar in banana is not bad for your health.
Here we will show you how much sugar is in a banana:
A medium banana with a weight of 118 grams can contain 14 grams of sugar. This amounts to be 53%of its total 105 calories. The banana sugar content is primarily naturally occurring fructose.
When a pure fructose is added to a product, this can cause an elevation of triglycerides when you eat in excess. But when you intake natural fructose like the one you find in banana,and comes with bundle of nutrients and fiber, it’s not bad for your health. So the sugar in a banana is not bad for you and you can consume it without any problem.
How much proteins are in a banana
According to the USDA, you can find approximately 1.3 grams of protein in a medium size banana, but the amount may vary depending on the size. Here you can see the amount of protein in banana depending on tehri size:
- Extra small: 5 inches long or less 0.88 grams
- Small: 5 – 7 inches long 1.10 grams
- Medium: 7 – 8 inches long 1.3 grams
- Large: 8 – 9 inches long 1.48 grams
- Extra large:9 inches or longer 1.66 grams