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HANMANTHRAOPANTHULU AYURVEDACHARYA's Blogs >> ayurvedam by ayurvedacharya Health Benefits of Bananas

A potassium rich food, bananas also contain good levels of vitamins C and B6. Eating bananas can increase energy levels and also help control blood sugar.
a healthy food. Bananas contain good levels of fibre with around three to fours grams of fibre per banana. They are also a potassium-rich food and one medium sized banana contains around 420mg of potassium. Potassium helps maintain cell integrity, electrolyte and fluid balance and a steady heartbeat.
Eating bananas can increase energy levels. This is because a drop in potassium can make the body weak and tired. Low potassium levels have been linked with muscle cramps. There is also strong evidence that eating potassium rich foods may stabilize blood pressure. The US Food and Drug Administration allows the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke. Another Swedish study, published in the International Journal of Cancer, found those who were eating bananas regularly had a much lower risk of kidney cancer. Banana Nutrition Facts Apart from being a potassium-rich food, bananas also contain good levels of fructoogliosaccharides. These work in much the same way as probiotics or "friendly" bacteria that are found the digestive system. One medium banana also has good levels of vitamin C and B6 along with manganese. According to a recent survey carried out by MIND, those suffering from depression felt better after eating a banana. This may be because bananas contain tryptophan, which the body converts into serotonin, the feel-good brain chemical. Control Blood Sugar The glycemic load of one medium banana is 12. The glycemic load of a food is considered low if it is under 10 and high if it is over 20. Anything between 10 and 20 is the middle of the road. So one banana is at the bottom of the middle scale. For most people, eating a banana between meals will not upset their blood sugar levels. However, eating a handful of raw almonds with a banana will help to control blood sugar if this is an issue.