Nutrition Facts Banana

Bananas are a great convenience food and tucked away under its yellow jacket it is jam packed with vitamins A, B6, C, E, manganese, dietary fiber and iron.

They are also loaded with potassium at 467 mg and only 1 mg of sodium per banana, which proves to have many health benefits beyond what you would ever expect.

Sports enthusiasts love this fruit, for the very reason that it replenishes electrolytes and vitamins that have been lost through working out and training.

It can be taken as a snack pre-workout – 2 bananas 1 hour prior to working out provides you with enough sustainable energy to work out for an 1 hour and a half, or as a post-workout snack in a protein smoothie with the tasty whey protein.

Let’s take a look at this super fruit in more detail.

• Bananas are loaded with fiber which promotes regularity. This has a significant impact on our weight because the more toxins you reduce from your body daily the more weight you are able to keep off and maintain.
• They prevent anaemia because of the amount of iron that they possess, which promotes healthy hemoglobin and red blood cells.
• These little yellow fruits also help with fluid balance, by regulating fluid and replenishing lost minerals.
• They are extremely vital in preventing vision problems and macular degeneration of your eyes.
• By increasing absorption of important nutrients it promotes strong bones and healthy organs.
• Bananas act as an antacid within our stomachs by inciting the mucus within our stomach to be produced protecting us from harmful acids that may eat away at our stomach linings. Particularly people who are stressed produce more acid and therefore are more susceptible to ulcers or colitis.
• They nourish the prebiotics in our gut which are healthy bacteria that keep everything running smoothly. Without the prebiotics the bad bacteria take over and this is what can cause disease.
• Despite green bananas being unappealing they are actually very appealing to the lining in our intestines as that lives off of what they are composed of. This also helps increase absorption of calcium insuring good bone strength and density.
• Maintains healthy blood pressure because of the high amounts of potassium which lower blood pressure and balances out sodium.
• Need food for a good mood? Look no further than the banana which contains excellent levels of tryptophan and serotonin which both work to lift your mood.
• It is also beneficial for athletes who suffer from aches and pains as it increases B vitamins. Thus allowing nerves to calm down and preventing cramps and post workout pains.
• Regular consumption of bananas reduces stokes by up to 40%!
• Snacking on a banana helps prevent your blood sugar from dropping too low and giving you that sluggish, tired feeling.
• An instant stress relief is provided when you eat a banana due to the high content of B vitamins that it contains, because during periods of stress your potassium levels significantly drop causing low brain function which can contribute to stress and depression.
• Due to the levels of phenolic compounds and being rich in sulphur they are excellent detoxifiers of the kidneys.

Source: http://weightlossandtraining.com