Bananas have a number of health benefits that can make them an excellent addition to a balanced diet. It is important to recognize that, although this fruit is very healthy, it is not a superfood, and it needs to be eaten with a combination of other healthy foods for maximum benefits. While a banana a day may help to keep the doctor away, to paraphrase a popular saying, the benefits of bananas alone are not sufficient for human caloric needs.
This tropical fruit is naturally high in fiber, magnesium, potassium, vitamin C, and vitamin B6. All of these nutrients are vitally necessary to human health, and they provide a variety of health benefits. Most verifiable claims about their health benefits revolve around the high nutritional value of the banana.
Because bananas are high in fiber, they are easy to digest, and they also promote a healthy digestion. They are often touted as a good soft food for children and people recovering from gastrointestinal issues, especially people with loose stools. The high magnesium level makes them good for blood pressure, promoting cardiovascular health, while potassium is beneficial for the muscles. Some people like to make a point of eating one after exercising to replenish minerals that may have been lost while working out.
Bananas can also make a great choice of snack food, because they are naturally sweet without a great deal of sugar or fat, making them an excellent alternative to processed sweetened and fatty snacks. The high fiber content can also help a snacker to fill up, reducing caloric intake and encouraging healthy eating as part of a weight loss plan. For snacking on the go, a banana comes with its own biodegradable packaging, and picky eaters may be willing to snack on one when they reject other foods.
Some of the other claimed health benefits of bananas are a bit more difficult to verify. For example, some studies seem to suggest that they benefit mental health, promoting emotional balance and happiness, and perhaps even acting as a mild sedative. Other claims have been made to suggest that the fruit may help prevent ulcers, heartburn, morning sickness, strokes, stress, and depression, and that it can also improve brain function. These claims have been difficult to verify. As a general rule, a long list of claims about any food should be viewed as suspect, since no food has everything the body needs.