In this post, I wanted to spotlight the banana.

I don’t know about you, but I love bananas. They are both delicious and nutritious. Many consumers like bananas because they are convenient to grab on the go and have a sweet taste and a creamy texture. Bananas are loaded with a bunch of nutrients your body needs and craves. They also contain a fair amount fiber, which aids in the digestion process and helps to balance friendly bacteria in the gut.

Some nutrients in the banana include the following:

  • Potassium
  • Vitamin B6
  • Copper
  • Manganese
  • Vitamin C
  • Protein
  • and More

While bananas do contain natural sugar, they rank low to medium on the glycemic index. This means they don’t increase your blood sugar level very fast, which is good, especially for diabetics.

Bananas have other health benefits too. Bananas are not only loaded with important antioxidants that benefit your well being, but may also support heart health. Bananas contain the mineral potassium, which can help lower blood pressure. Bananas can also make you feel full, as they contain a resistant starch, which is an indigestible carbohydrate and works like a soluble fiber in your body. Bananas and other fruit digest slower than most processed foods and trigger satiety hormones to help prevent over eating.

While most people assume bananas grow on trees, they actually are considered the largest herbaceous flowering plant and can grow 10-26 feet high.

Bananas grow in clusters with individual bunches known as hands. They kind of look like a pod that grows down from a branch and then opens with individual banana fruit.

It is a fascinating plant.

Many people eat bananas for breakfast or enjoy them as an afternoon snack. They also make a great post-work out food. Bananas can also be added to smoothies, yogurt or sliced over a piece of peanut butter toast. They also are great for baking and make delicious bread, muffins, pudding and pies.

Hope you are including the banana in your diet for its many health benefits.

Thanks for reading!

Barb

Source:

“11 Evidence-Based Health Benefits of Bananas .” Authority Nutrition. N.p., 17 Aug. 2016. Web. 23 Feb. 2017.

“Bananas.” Bananas. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2017.

“Banana.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 20 Feb. 2017. Web. 23 Feb. 2017.