The benefits and harms of bananas for men and women
Bananas are not only tasty food, but also extremely healthy, although they are quite high in calories. 100 g of fresh bananas contain about 200 kcal, and in dried fruits this figure reaches almost 300. However, the high calorie content of bananas is not a reason to exclude them from the menu. Indeed, these yellow gifts of the palm tree contain a whole set of various vitamins: ascorbic acid, B vitamins, vitamin PP, as well as carotene, enzymes and various trace elements. Banana is a valuable source of potassium and fiber.
Bananas are native to Southeast Asia. Interestingly, from a botanical point of view, a banana is a berry. Bananas are an ancient food culture and are consumed all over the world. The fruits are eaten fresh and are also used to prepare various dishes. Bananas are fried, boiled, baked, canned, made into flour, syrups, wine, marmalade, consumed with or without a peel. It is noteworthy that in Ecuador, these fruits are the main source of food for the population. In just a year, each Ecuadorian consumes about 73 kg of bananas, and in Burundi this figure reaches 189.4 kg. It turns out that bananas grow in Russia as well. You can meet them in the Sochi area. However, they do not mature enough to be eaten.
Scientists have calculated that a person who eats 4 bananas per day covers 100% of the body's need for potassium and magnesium. But it's not a secret for anyone that these two trace elements are necessary for the normal functioning of the heart muscle.
The latest scientific evidence proves that bananas are fruits that should be consumed to prevent atherosclerosis and normalize vision. It is very useful for people to eat bananas during the recovery period after illnesses. Unlike many food products, bananas are allowed for patients with various pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract.
The flesh of bananas has a delicate structure, so they are allowed for feeding children. The fruits can be included in the child's menu already in the first year of life. It is recommended to start introducing such complementary foods into the diet of infants from 10-12 months. Bananas have a soft consistency and sweet taste, so all babies eat them with pleasure.
Content:
- Composition and calorie content
- What are the general health benefits of bananas?
- The benefits of bananas for men
- The benefits of bananas for women
- Why are dried bananas good for you?
- Do boiled bananas retain their beneficial properties?
- Are green bananas good for you?
- What can banana peels do for you?
- Why is it useful to eat banana with milk and kefir?
- What will be useful for cottage cheese with banana?
- Banana harm
- How to choose bananas and how much can you eat?
Composition and calorie content
- Fats: 0.3 g
- Proteins: 1.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 22.8 g
- Water: 75 g
- Ash: 0.8 g
- Cellulose: 2.6 g
Vitamins (per 100 g): |
amount |
% RDA |
|
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) |
0.37 mg | nineteen% |
| Vitamin B7 (biotin) | 4-8 μg | 12% |
| Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) | 8.7 mg | ten% |
Minerals (in 100 g): |
amount |
% RDA |
| Boron | 372 μg | 531% |
| Silicon | 77 mg | 257% |
| Rubidium | 63 μg | 63% |
| Potassium | 358 mg | fourteen% |
| Manganese | 270 mcg | fourteen% |
Other important connections:
- Phytosterols - 16 mg (29% of the RDI)
- Purines - 11 mg (8.3% of the RDI)
- Oxalic acid - 0.7 mg (0.2% of the RDI)
Complete chemical composition ➤
What are the general health benefits of bananas?
The benefits of bananas for the body are very great.
There are many reasons why bananas should be consumed regularly, including:
- These fruits are natural antidepressants. After eating them, the body begins to produce serotonin. It's no secret that this hormone is otherwise called the hormone of happiness. Therefore, bananas are useful for people who are prone to depression and stress every day.
- Banana satiates quickly, so you can safely use it as a tasty and healthy snack in between meals.
- Bananas promote the speedy elimination of alcohol breakdown products from the body. Therefore, they can be consumed after a feast and during the holidays.
- Bananas saturate the body with potassium, vitamins B and C. All these substances have a positive effect on the functioning of the cardiovascular system.
- Banana pulp contains substances that can improve memory and improve performance.
- Bananas are high in fiber, but they are soft and non-irritating to the lining of the stomach and intestines. Therefore, bananas can be used even for diseases of the digestive system, for example, with gastritis.
-
Bananas contain a healthy amino acid called tryptophan. It works like a natural sleeping pill. Therefore, bananas should be eaten by people prone to insomnia.
- Bananas are good for diarrhea. These fruits are high in potassium, which helps replenish electrolyte stores. At the same time, the pulp of the fruit will not irritate the already inflamed intestines, and the pectin fibers quickly absorb moisture, which helps to reduce the bubbling processes in the intestines. Moreover, banana is the only fruit that doctors are allowed to eat for diarrhea.
- Bananas are good for people with stomach ulcers. The fruits contain substances that contribute to the destruction of bacteria that provoke ulceration of the mucous membrane of the digestive system. In addition, the fruit stimulates the production of mucus, which is needed to coat the ulcer.
- Banana is a product that quickly replenishes energy losses. Therefore, the fruits must be consumed by people engaged in hard physical labor.
- Bananas are an excellent remedy for constipation. They promote gentle bowel cleansing due to their high pectin, fiber and dietary fiber content. Together, these substances enhance intestinal peristalsis, but they do it gently and imperceptibly.
- Bananas should be included in their diet for people with flatulence and bloating.
- Bananas act as natural probiotics because they provide a breeding ground for beneficial bacteria in the intestines.
- Bananas help smooth out hormonal levels, which is especially important for women during PMS.
- With the help of bananas, you can increase the level of hemoglobin in the blood, since this fruit contains an impressive amount of iron.
- Bananas, due to their unique composition, help to strengthen the general immunity of the body.
- It is useful to eat them for people with high blood pressure, since these fruits normalize the water-salt balance in the body, simultaneously saturating it with potassium and magnesium. Therefore, the inclusion of bananas in the menu is an excellent prevention of hypertensive crisis and other diseases that occur at the peak of high blood pressure.
- Bananas are excellent anti-smoking helpers. Recent research suggests that including bananas in your daily diet can help you overcome the addiction barrier faster.
The benefits of bananas for men
The benefits of bananas for men primarily lie in increasing potency, because it is not for nothing that this fruit resembles the male genital organ in shape. Regular consumption of bananas in food allows you to make an erection longer and more resistant. This is especially true for older men who want to maintain excellent sexual shape.
Bananas also have an effect on sperm quality. Thanks to their use, the number of spermatozoa increases, they become more active and mobile, which means that the chances of successful fertilization increase. Therefore, men planning to have a baby should regularly include bananas in their diet. In addition, bananas have a positive effect on male libido, as they act as a natural aphrodisiac.
For the use of bananas to have a good effect on male potency, the fruits must be chosen correctly. It is necessary to give preference to those fruits that have a rich yellow color and intact skin. Black spots on a banana are a sign of ripeness, but these spots should not be large and cover the entire surface of the fruit. Mold is a sign of fruit spoilage, and eating such bananas is dangerous to health. The smaller the fruit, the sweeter it is.
Banana for a man is a valuable food product that must be present in his diet. Moreover, fruits are useful both fresh and in various dishes.
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The benefits of bananas for women
Bananas are very useful for pregnant women. Eating these fruits stimulates the production of oxytocin. This hormone contributes to the normal course of pregnancy and also enhances the production of breast milk.
In addition, bananas are a real storehouse of vitamins and microelements, therefore, with their help, you can saturate the body of a pregnant woman and a developing child with useful substances. You can use bananas to reduce the severity of toxicosis, as they normalize digestion and muffle the feeling of nausea. Bananas rarely provoke allergic reactions, which is very important for women in position.
All women, without exception, should eat bananas during menstruation, as they can ease muscle spasms. This fruit will be useful for women engaged in hard mental and physical labor. You can include fruits in your diet to improve your mood and relieve depression.
Since bananas contribute to quick satiety, they can be eaten even by those of the fairer sex who follow a diet and seek to lose weight. But it is necessary to observe the measure.
Why are dried bananas good for you?
Dried bananas are as good for human health as fresh bananas, however, the calorie content of such products is higher. 100 g of dried bananas contain about 346 kcal. Therefore, overweight people should refuse to use the product. It is not recommended to include dried bananas in the menu of patients with diabetes mellitus.
Offer dried bananas to children as an alternative to chocolate and candy. The child will definitely like this dessert and will also benefit the body. After all, the vitamins and minerals contained in fresh bananas do not go anywhere from dried fruits.
Dried bananas are a great source of potassium. Their use in food helps to normalize the condition of the heart and blood vessels. Fruits are useful for nails, hair, skin. Dried bananas are a source of energy and strength. With their help, you can get rid of depression and improve your mood. Dried bananas rarely cause allergic reactions.
It is useful to eat dried banana fruit for people prone to constipation and anemia. This product can be included in the menu for diseases of the digestive tract. The fruits contain a lot of ascorbic acid, which helps the body fight infectious diseases.
For people involved in active sports or hard physical labor, dried bananas will quickly replenish energy reserves. Eating them helps to normalize blood pressure.
Culinary experts actively use dried bananas in various dishes. Fruits are added to cereals, they are used to decorate cakes, pastries and other sweets.
Bananas are easy to dry at home. For this purpose, you will need to purchase ripe fruits, wash them, peel them and cut into thin slices. Then the bananas are laid out on a baking sheet, previously covered with parchment, and sent to the oven. Drying temperature should be about 50 ° C, but not more. Banana cooking time is 3 hours. The oven door should be left ajar to allow air flow and allow the temperature to be adjusted.
After the required time, the bananas are cooled and placed in glass jars for storage. Such fruits can be eaten neat, or can be added to various dishes.
Do boiled bananas retain their beneficial properties?
Bananas are eaten not only fresh, but also subjected to heat treatment, for example, boiling. After exposure to high temperatures, the fruits become sweeter, but some of the vitamins are lost. Boiled bananas preserve dietary fiber, fiber, pectin, which makes it possible to normalize the digestive tract. In addition, boiled bananas are a source of energy.
In a very limited amount, boiled bananas can be consumed by people with diabetes so as not to provoke a jump in insulin in the body.
Are green bananas good for you?
Green bananas are not unripe fruits, but special varieties called "plantains" or "plantains". Before eating, these bananas must be exposed to high temperatures - fried or boiled. They can be cooked in sugar syrup, stewed and blanched. Green bananas are better absorbed after heat treatment.
Small green bananas are considered to be the healthiest for the body. This variety is called "vegetable". Such fruits allow you to regulate the level of blood pressure, are a means for the prevention of hypertension and atherosclerosis.
Green bananas are high in potassium, which protects the nervous and cardiovascular systems from external damage. Eating green bananas is beneficial for the musculoskeletal system, as they do not interfere with the elimination of calcium from the body. Green fruits can be eaten against the background of gastric ulcer, constipation and diarrhea.
What can banana peels do for you?
Banana peels can be beneficial to human health. It contains the same vitamins and minerals as the fruit itself, but the peel is an absolutely non-nutritive product. It contains carotenoids and polyphenols, which can speed up metabolic processes in the body. It also contains serotonin to improve mood and lutein to prevent cataracts.
However, many suppliers treat the peel with a variety of chemicals that can harm the body to prevent spoilage. Therefore, before using the banana peel, it must be properly processed.
You can use the peel as follows:
- Prepare a decoction of banana peel. It must be placed in boiling water for 10 minutes, then remove the broth from the heat and cool. The peel must be thrown away, and the resulting broth can be added to any juices, compotes or smoothies. This will make your favorite drinks more vitaminized.
- The peel can be used to whiten tooth enamel. For this purpose, after each brushing of teeth, it is necessary to wipe their surface with the soft side of the banana peel. This will get rid of stains on the enamel of the teeth, and will also make it possible to reduce the harm from the use of toothpaste, which contains various chemical compounds. In addition, the peel contains minerals that are beneficial for the teeth.
- You can use ripe banana peels to improve the condition of your face. For this purpose, you need to gently massage the face with the peel, rubbing the soft contents into the skin. It is useful to perform such a massage once every 3-4 days. The banana peel will act as a gentle peeling, gradually whitening the skin of the face, evening its tone, smoothing out fine wrinkles.
- Banana peels can help get rid of warts. To do this, you just need to wipe the growth with the soft side of the peel every day before bed.
- The fruit acids, minerals and vitamins contained in the banana peel help to reduce minor inflammations on the skin. To do this, you just need to wipe the problem area with the soft side of the peel. This method can be used to reduce itching and inflammation from insect bites such as mosquitoes, wasps, or bees. In the same way, you can relieve skin irritation after shaving.
- Placing a banana peel on the bottom of the pan and then frying the meat in it will make it soft and juicy. In addition, the product will not burn or spoil. Naturally, before using the peel, you need to rinse it well.
Why is it useful to eat banana with milk and kefir?
You can often hear information that bananas should not be combined with dairy products, in particular with milk and kefir. In fact, such a combination is really capable of provoking bloating, indigestion and fermentation in the intestines, especially if a person already has diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
However, there is a diet based on a combination of milk and bananas. It is recommended for people observing it to eat 1 banana 3 times a day with a glass of milk. This will cleanse the body and saturate it with the beneficial trace elements contained in the banana.
Do not stick to such a diet for a long time. At the same time, milk should not be too fat, it is recommended to use a product with a fat content of 1.5%. In parallel, it is necessary to drink a large amount of water, which will prevent dehydration of the body. The volume of clean water drunk per day should be at least 2 liters. It should be understood that such a diet is extremely extreme and allows you to lose several kilograms of weight in a short time.
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What will be useful for cottage cheese with banana?
The combination of cottage cheese and bananas is very often recommended to be included in the diet when following various diets. Thanks to these products, you can replenish the reserves of carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals in the body. In addition, after eating cottage cheese with bananas, the feeling of hunger does not come for a long time. For example, there is a diet, following which you need to eat only 200 g of low-fat cottage cheese and 2 bananas during the day.
To prepare a healthy dish, you need to mash a banana with a fork, and rub the cottage cheese through a sieve. The resulting ingredients should be mixed, portioned, and eaten throughout the day. Such a diet will allow you to quickly get rid of several kilograms, as well as saturate the body with useful substances. Eating cottage cheese with a banana throughout the day, a person will not feel hunger, if the interval between food breaks is 2-3 hours.
Banana harm
Bananas can not only benefit, but also harm.
There are certain diseases in which bananas should not be consumed, including:
- Ischemic heart disease.
- Diabetes.
- Thrombophlebitis.
- Increased blood viscosity.
Obese people shouldn't get too carried away with bananas, as these fruits are quite high in sugar.
Although bananas rarely cause allergic reactions, allergy sufferers should also avoid eating them in very large quantities. In addition, the calorie content of bananas, despite all their advantages, remains quite high. Therefore, overweight people need to observe the measure in the consumption of these fruits.
You should not eat unripe fruits, as they have a high starch content, which is difficult for the digestive system to process. As a result, a person will experience symptoms of bloating, fermentation and gas formation in the intestine will intensify. Therefore, if unripe fruits were purchased, you need to wait for them to ripen. Over time, the starch will turn into sugar.
As a rule, fruits on store shelves are treated with chemicals. For this purpose, phenols E230, E231 and E232 can be used. They are used to keep food fresh for as long as possible. When ingested in high doses, these chemicals can provoke various diseases, including oncology. Therefore, all fruits must be thoroughly washed before being eaten.
Do not offer this product to very young children. Some doctors recommend refraining from introducing a banana into a child's diet for up to a year. This recommendation is based on the fact that eating a banana can cause bloating, upset stools, and diarrhea. Banana is an overseas fruit, which means that if the child's digestive system is imperfect, it can provoke allergic reactions. Moreover, banana has a high content of vitamin K. Its excess in the child's body can lead to the development of hemolytic anemia and jaundice.
Much of the harm that bananas can cause depends on the way the fruit is stored and transported. All bananas are brought to Russia unripe, and they are already ripe in warehouses. To do this, they are fumigated with ethylene. This gas allows the fruit to ripen faster, become softer and sweeter. The bananas are then treated with chemicals that contain phenol. This makes it possible to increase the shelf life of already yellowed fruits. For the human body, phenol is extremely toxic, even its insignificant ingestion can provoke the development of oncological diseases. Therefore, before proceeding with peeling a banana, it must be thoroughly washed.
Bananas should not be consumed by people suffering from irritable bowel syndrome. These fruits can further aggravate unpleasant symptoms. Doctors do not allow bananas to patients who have had heart attacks, strokes, patients with thrombophlebitis. This is because bananas increase the viscosity of the blood.
Unripe bananas are bad even for healthy people. They contain a lot of starch, have an unpleasant taste and smell. These bananas will irritate the intestines and harm digestion.
How to choose bananas and how much can you eat?
To choose bananas that will bring the maximum benefit to the body, you need to pay attention to the following signs and characteristics of the fruit:
- The banana shape should be streamlined.
- The rind should be smooth and matte.
- The banana should be yellow. Green bananas are immature, which means they are dangerous to eat. Such fruits should ripen, for which you can leave them in a warm place for several days.
- Banana peels may be covered with black dots, which indicate the ripeness of the fruit. However, you need to eat these bananas as soon as possible.
- Large black spots on bananas are a sign of rot. Such fruits should not be bought.
- If the peel of the banana turns gray, it means that the fruit has been frozen. Gray bananas are not edible.
You should not get too carried away with bananas. A healthy, non-obese person should not consume more than 2 fruits per day. As far as diabetics are concerned, the possibility of taking bananas for food should be discussed with the doctor.
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The author of the article: Kuzmina Vera Valerievna | Endocrinologist, nutritionist
Education: Diploma of the Russian State Medical University named after NI Pirogov with a degree in General Medicine (2004). Residency at Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry, diploma in Endocrinology (2006).
