THESE FACTS ABOUT BANANAS WILL SURPRISE YOU

AMAZING FACTS ABOUT BANANAS

1.  The Smell of Bananas May Suppress Your Appetite

According to a study performed at the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago, smelling certain foods when you are hungry can trick you brain into thinking that you’ve actually eaten them. One of those foods is bananas. If that’s not enough to convince you that you can enjoy bananas while losing weight, smell one next time you are hungry.

 

2.  Bananas May Improve Your Athletic Performance

A recent study from Appalachian State University’s Human Performance Lab found that consuming half a banana every 15 minutes during a cycling time trial test was as effective as drinking a carbohydrate matched sports drink every 15 minutes. If you’re active, bananas are a great option to fuel your muscles while providing antioxidants and other nutrients that sports drinks lack.

 

3.  Diet-Friendly

A medium banana is 110 calories and provides 30 grams of carbs and 3 grams fiber. In addition to filling fiber, bananas contain resistant starch, a type of carbohydrate you can’t digest, but helps you feel fuller longer. A banana can have 2-3 grams of resistant starch. This makes bananas a great mid-afternoon snack or a perfect pre-workout snack if you eat them 1 hour before your workout.

 

4.  Boosts Vitamin C

Vitamin C is an important antioxidant that helps neutralize damaging free radicals and helps keep systemic inflammation at bay. It also helps produce collagen that holds muscles, bones and other tissues together. If you need even more reasons, Vitamin C helps keep blood vessels healthy and is needed to optimally absorb iron and folate.

 

5.  Rich in Vitamin B6

Bananas contain 20 percent of the daily requirements of vitamin B6. Vitamin B6 helps the body make nonessential amino acids to create healthy cells. It also helps produce insulin, hemoglobin and antibodies that help fight infections.

 

6.  Bananas Are High in Blood Pressure-Lowering Potassium

A medium banana has 422 mg potassium while being sodium-free. The high potassium-to-sodium ratio helps to neutralize the blood-pressure raising effects of sodium in your diet. Various studies show that those who have diets rich in potassium are less likely to have high blood pressure and have reduced risk for stroke. Adults need 4,700 milligrams of potassium a day, so a medium-sized banana provides nearly 10 percent of the daily requirement.

7.  Mood Booster

A small banana provides 27 mg magnesium, which may help boost mood. Men and women need 420 mg and 320 mg of magnesium per day, respectively. Low levels of this mineral are linked to depression, anxiety, irritability and other mood disorders. Since many of us don’t get enough magnesium in our diets, consider a banana as your chill pill.








SURPRISING FACTS ABOUT BANANAS