Don’t go wild, but take a bite out of one

Bananas are a threat on screen. Just ask Charlie Chaplin, Bugs Bunny, or any Mario Kart player.

Bananas, on the other hand, can be beneficial to your diet. Experts find only a few ways the elongated yellow fruit could harm your health, and they have a lot of reasons to adore them.

Colleen Spees, associate professor of medical dietetics at Ohio State University Medical Center in Columbus, said, “They’re rich in minerals and fiber.” They’re delectable. They’re not too pricey. They’re all appropriate choices. “

They’re the most popular fruit on the planet, and they’ve been farmed for at least 10,000 years. According to some experts, the enticing fruit in the Biblical Garden of Eden sounds more like a banana than an apple. Bananas have been found in religious traditions all around the world.

Banana trees are herbaceous plants, and the fruit is a berry. The term “bunch” refers to a group of bananas that have been harvested. A “hand” is a small group of bananas, and a “finger” is a single banana.

Bananas, whatever you call them, are a good source of potassium, according to Spees. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, one medium banana has 375 milligrams of potassium. This amounts to around 11% of a man’s daily potassium needs and 16% of a woman’s.

“Potassium is an essential mineral for heart health, particularly in terms of blood pressure control,” Spees explained.

(While some foods, such as lima beans and beet greens, are higher in potassium, she points out that “how many people are eating beet greens?”) Bananas also include magnesium (32 mg), as well as phytochemicals and antioxidants that are good for the body.

A medium banana has about 5 grams of total dietary fiber, which helps people feel full. Banana fiber has “very fascinating” properties, according to Spees.

Resistant starch, which is found in unripe and somewhat unripe bananas, acts as a prebiotic fiber. Probiotics, the “good” microorganisms that live in the gut, eat these indigestible prebiotics.

Gut bacteria are important for digestion and have been linked to immunity, brain health, and other benefits.

According to Spees, the resistant starch in bananas is broken down into natural sugars as they ripen. That’s why a somewhat ripe banana is sweeter than a slightly ripe banana.

She explained that there are some instances that necessitate prudence.

Although bananas, like most fruits, can be part of a balanced dietary pattern for people with uncontrolled diabetes, a medium banana contains about 26 grams of carbohydrates, which must be factored into stringent regimens.

Potassium consumption must be constantly monitored in people with late-stage renal failure. Potassium-rich foods may potentially interact with several drugs used to treat high blood pressure and heart failure.

According to Spees, it would take more than one banana to boost potassium levels to a harmful level. However, if you have a medical condition or are concerned about whether bananas are safe for you, you should talk to your doctor about it.

What’s troubling, she says, is assuming that putting them in a banana split or banana bread makes them healthy. Banana chips are in the same boat.

“The majority of banana chips are dried and fried,” Spees explained. “And some of them are covered in either oil or syrup, which adds a large amount of sugar, calories, and fat.”

Bananas, on the other hand, thicken and sweeten smoothies well, according to Spees. “It’s fantastic if you combine a frozen banana with, say, Greek yogurt, frozen berries, and other nutritious components.”

She claims that the banana’s convenience is part of its appeal. It can be sliced and added to whole-wheat porridge in the morning. “It’s a terrific snack later in the day,” says the narrator. Bananas are sometimes eaten with nut butters or combined with yogurt.

So, for most people, her tally favors the banana at the end of the day. “Bananas clearly fit into that rainbow,” Spees remarked, referring to the idea of eating a variety of fruits and vegetables.