Let’s find out if you can eat bananas every day and who should not do it
Bananas are “brain food”, an energy boost before a workout, a great addition to breakfast, and a good snack to take with you. For many, this versatile fruit has become part of the daily diet, but is it actually healthy? A nutritionist tells us what happens if you eat bananas every day, and who should be careful with this fruit.
What happens if you eat bananas every day
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the average banana has about 105 calories, 27 g of carbohydrates, 14 g of sugar, 5 g of fibre and 422 mg of potassium. This fruit is also a good source of vitamins C, B6, magnesium, sodium and potassium, writes the US publication Delish.com.
Apart from this, bananas have a number of other benefits as well.
Energising
These fruits are rich in carbohydrates, which are best eaten in combination with healthy fats and/or proteins. This is because carbohydrates digest faster than proteins or fats, so if eaten alone, they can spike blood sugar levels and then crash. But if a banana is eaten with a handful of nuts or yoghurt, the energy boost will last longer and blood glucose levels will stay stable for longer, according to Eatingwell.com.
Help maintain a healthy weight
When eaten as part of a balanced meal, bananas can help you stay satiated for longer. The feeling of fullness between meals reduces the likelihood of uncontrollable cravings, which can lead to weight gain over time.
And, while there is no evidence that bananas directly contribute to weight loss, when it comes to how bananas affect your figure, they are a convenient and readily available food option that can be easily incorporated into your weight loss diet.
Detoxify and improve bowel function
One banana contains 3g of fibre, which most people don’t get enough of in their diet. Fibre, as mentioned above, keeps you feeling fuller for longer. In addition, the pectin contained in bananas helps the body to get rid of toxins more efficiently, i.e. it is a broom for the intestines.
By the way, there is more pectin in greener or slightly ripe bananas than in overripe bananas. Bananas also contain a type of fibre that works as prebiotics and improves bowel function.
Good for the heart
These fruits are an excellent source of potassium, one medium banana contains 422 mg of potassium and this is 9% of the recommended daily dose. Potassium is very important for heart health, which is why bananas are commonly advised to be included in the diet of people at risk or diagnosed with heart disease. Potassium also helps lower blood pressure, one of the leading causes of cardiovascular disease.
A banana smoothie or overnight oatmeal with a banana promotes heart health.
Reduce the risk of cancer
A lesser known fact about bananas is that they are rich in antioxidants, which may have anti-cancer effects, especially for pancreatic and breast cancer. High levels of antioxidants help the body control inflammation and tissue damage, which becomes a cause of heart disease, diabetes, cancer and others.
But bananas may not be the ideal choice for everyone. According to registered dietitian Lauren Manaker, people on a low-potassium diet and those who have “spikes” in blood sugar levels after a meal should be careful with this fruit. Since bananas contain carbohydrates and sugar, the benefits for people with diabetes may be questionable. At the same time, according to the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, bananas release less glucose into the bloodstream than, for example, white bread.
Hyperkalemia occurs when blood potassium levels are too high, although this condition is rare. According to the Cleveland Clinic, only 2-3% of people have high potassium levels.
“A generally healthy person is unlikely to develop hyperkalemia from eating one banana a day, especially if the rest of their diet does not contain an excessive amount of potassium-rich foods,” says the nutritionist.
So yes – a banana a day is probably safe. Whether you can eat more depends on your individual health and diet. For example, for someone with a stomach condition who can only digest bananas, eating more than one fruit is probably acceptable. But it’s not a good idea for those who eat a lot of bananas on top of “huge amounts” of carbohydrate-rich foods, notes the nutritionist.
When it comes to whether a child can eat bananas every day, experts generally advise giving them to a child only from the age of three and not more than one. Schoolchildren can eat two fruits a day.
