Originating in Indo-Malaysia, Asia and the Australian tropics, bananas are a staple of many diets around the world. There are several advantages to eating bananas. They are low in fat and provide several vitamins and minerals that are needed for the body to function properly. You can incorporate bananas into your diet by eating them raw, adding them to ice cream and baked goods or mashing them for baby food.
Fiber
One important nutrient found in bananas is fiber. Fiber is an indigestible carbohydrate that helps maintain a healthy digestive system. It relieves constipation, lowers cholesterol, regulates blood sugar levels, prevents diabetes and heart disease and makes you feel full longer, which prevents overeating. Medline Plus suggests that bananas also help relieve upset stomach and heartburn by stimulating the production of mucus from the stomach lining. A medium banana has 3 g of fiber.
Potassium
Bananas are extremely rich is potassium, which is a vital mineral for various bodily functions. Potassium is considered an electrolyte, which helps with electrical processes in the body. Other functions of potassium include assisting with protein synthesis and carbohydrate metabolism and regulating the electrical activity of the heart. It is also required to build muscles. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, high levels of potassium lower your risk of stroke. Eating bananas after a workout is also helpful in preventing muscle cramps. There are 422 mg of potassium in a medium banana.
Magnesium
There are 32 mg of magnesium in 118 g of bananas. As suggested by the Office of Dietary Supplements, magnesium is the fourth-most abundant mineral in the body and is needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions. In addition to bananas, magnesium is naturally found in the bones, cells and blood. In fact, it is a plays a vital role in strengthening bone and maintaining a healthy immune system. Magnesium also helps with normal nerve function.
Vitamins
Bananas are rich in vitamins A, C and B-6. Vitamin A is important for vision, reproductive functions and cellular activity, and vitamin C is needed for the skin, bones and connective tissues. Both vitamin A and C contain powerful antioxidants, which help eliminate free radicals in the body. Vitamin B-6 is especially important because it is needed for protein synthesis and red blood cell metabolism, and it helps maintain the nervous and immune systems. A medium banana provides 76 international units of vitamin A, 10.3 mg of vitamin C and 0.68 mg of vitamin B6, which is 34 percent of the recommended daily requirement.
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