Banana Nutrition & Health Facts

Bananas aren’t just one of the most versatile fruits, they’re also one of the most nutritious. They contain many essential vitamins and nutrients, and have been shown to benefit digestion, heart health, and weight loss. No wonder then they’re one of the world’s most popular fruits!

Bananas hold very little protein (1.3 grams) and almost no fat (0.4 grams); in fact, they consist almost exclusively of water and carbs (and contain only around 105 calories). They’re rich in pectin, a type of fiber, and as bananas ripen, the starch they contain turns to sugar (glucose, fructose, and sucrose). Yet they rank fairly low on the glycemic index (GI), which is a measure — from 0–100 — of how quickly foods increase blood sugar levels (the GI value of unripe bananas is about 30; ripe bananas rank around 60).

A medium-sized banana will provide a fair amount of the Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) of several essential vitamins and nutrients — 9% of potassium, 11% of vitamin C, 33% of vitamin B6, and 14% of magnesium. It also has high levels of vitamin B12, and contains several types of potent antioxidants, such as dopamine and catechins, which are linked to a reduced risk of heart disease and degenerative illnesses.

And that potassium? That can help lower blood pressure, lower the risk of heart disease, and improve kidney function. So go ahead — start adding bananas to your diet today and put some in your cart! And you needn’t just snack on them raw either — check out some of our favourite bananas recipes here, and get cooking.

Originally published at https://www.buffalomarket.com on August 27, 2020.