9 health evident benefit of banana in the body

Bananas are extremely healthy and delicious.

They contain several essential nutrients and provide benefits for digestion, heart health and weight loss.

Aside from being very nutritious, they are also a highly convenient snack food.

Here are 11 science-based health benefits of bananas.

1. Bananas Contain Many Important Nutrients

Bananas are among the world’s most popular fruits.

Native to Southeast Asia, they are now grown in many warm parts of the world.

Bananas vary in color, size and shape.

The most common type is the Cavendish, which is a type of dessert banana. Green when unripe, it yellows as it matures.

Bananas contain a fair amount of fiber, as well as several antioxidants. One medium-sized banana (118 grams) also boasts (1, 2 Trusted Source, 3 Trusted Source):

• Potassium: 9% of the RDI
• Vitamin B6: 33% of the RDI
• Vitamin C: 11% of the RDI
• Magnesium: 8% of the RDI
• Copper: 10% of the RDI
• Manganese: 14% of the RDI
• Net carbs: 24 grams
• Fiber: 3.1 grams
• Protein: 1.3 grams
• Fat: 0.4 grams

Each banana has only about 105 calories and consists almost exclusively of water and carbs. Bananas hold very little protein and almost no fat.

The carbs in green, unripe bananas consist mostly of starch and resistant starch, but as the banana ripens, the starch turns into sugar (glucose, fructose and sucrose).

SUMMARYBananas are rich in fiber, antioxidants and several nutrients. A medium-sized banana has about 105 calories.

2. Bananas Contain Nutrients That Moderate Blood Sugar Levels

Bananas are rich in pectin, a type of fiber that gives the flesh its spongy structural form (4).

Unripe bananas contain resistant starch, which acts like soluble fiber and escapes digestion.

Both pectin and resistant starch may moderate blood sugar levels after meals and reduce appetite by slowing the emptying of your stomach (5 Trusted Source, 6 Trusted Source, 7 Trusted Source).

Furthermore, bananas also rank low to medium 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, while ripe bananas rank at about 60. The average value of all bananas is 51 (8, 9 Trusted Source).

This means that bananas should not cause major spikes in blood sugar levels in healthy individuals.

However, this may not apply to people with type 2 diabetes, who should probably avoid eating a lot of well-ripened bananas — and monitor their blood sugar carefully if they do.

SUMMARYBananas can help moderate blood sugar levels after meals and may reduce appetite by slowing stomach emptying

3. Bananas May Improve Digestive Health

Dietary fiber has been linked to many health benefits, including improved digestion.

A medium-sized banana has about 3 grams of fiber, making bananas a fairly good fiber source (10).

Bananas contain two main types of fiber:

• Pectin: Decreases as the banana ripens.
• Resistant starch: Found in unripe bananas.

Resistant starch escapes digestion and ends up in your large intestine, where it becomes food for the beneficial bacteria in your gut (11 Trusted Source, 12 Trusted Source, 13).

Additionally, some test-tube studies propose that pectin may help protect against colon cancer (14 Trusted Source, 15 Trusted Source).

SUMMARYBananas are fairly rich in fiber and resistant starch, which may feed your friendly gut bacteria and safeguard against colon cancer.

4. Bananas May Aid Weight Loss

No study has directly tested the effects of bananas on weight loss. However, bananas do have several attributes that should make them a weight-loss-friendly-food.

For starters, bananas have relatively few calories. An average banana has just over 100 calories — yet it is also very nutritious and filling.

Eating more fiber from vegetables and fruits like bananas has repeatedly been linked to lower body weight and weight loss (16 Trusted Source, 17 Trusted Source, 18 Trusted Source).

Furthermore, unripe bananas are packed with resistant starch, so they tend to be very filling and may reduce your appetite (19 Trusted Source, 20 Trusted Source).

SUMMARYBananas may aid weight loss because they’re low in calories and high in nutrients and fiber

 5. Bananas May Support Heart Health

Potassium is a mineral that is essential for heart health — especially blood pressure control.

Despite its importance, few people get enough potassium in their diet (21).

Bananas are a great dietary source of potassium. One medium-sized banana (118 grams) contains 9% of the RDI.

A potassium-rich diet can help lower blood pressure, and people who eat plenty of potassium have up to a 27% lower risk of heart disease (22 Trusted Source, 23 Trusted Source, 24 Trusted Source, 25 Trusted Source).

Furthermore, bananas contain a decent amount of magnesium, which is also important for heart health (26 Trusted Source, 27).

SUMMARYBananas are a good dietary source of potassium and magnesium — two nutrients that are essential for heart health.

6. Bananas Contain Powerful Antioxidants

Fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of dietary antioxidants, and bananas are no exception.

They contain several types of potent antioxidants, including dopamine and catechins (1, 2 Trusted Source).

These antioxidants are linked to many health benefits, such as a reduced risk of heart disease and degenerative illnesses (28 Trusted Source, 29 Trusted Source).

However, it is a common misunderstanding that the dopamine from bananas acts as a feel-good chemical in your brain.

In reality, dopamine from bananas does not cross the blood-brain barrier. It simply acts as a strong antioxidant instead of altering hormones or mood (2 Trusted Source, 30 Trusted Source).

SUMMARYBananas are high in several antioxidants, which may help reduce damage from free radicals and lower your risk of some diseases.

 7. Bananas May Help You Feel More Full

Resistant starch is a type of indigestible carb — found in unripe bananas and other foods — which functions like soluble fiber in your body.

As a rule of thumb, you can estimate that the greener the banana, the higher its resistant starch content (31).

On the other hand, yellow, ripe bananas contain lower amounts of resistant starch and total fiber — but proportionally higher amounts of soluble fiber.

Both pectin and resistant starch offer appetite-reducing effects and increase the feeling of fullness after meals (20 Trusted Source, 32 Trusted Source, 33 Trusted Source, 34 Trusted Source).

SUMMARYDepending on ripeness, bananas harbor high amounts of resistant starch or pectin. Both may reduce appetite and help keep you full.

8. Unripe Bananas May Improve Insulin Sensitivity

Insulin resistance is a major risk factor for many of the world's most serious diseases, including type 2 diabetes.

Several studies reveal that 15–30 grams of resistant starch per day may improve insulin sensitivity by 33–50% in as few as four weeks (35 Trusted Source, 36 Trusted Source).

Unripe bananas are a great source of resistant starch. Therefore, they may help improve insulin sensitivity.

However, the reason for these effects is not well understood, and not all studies agree on the matter (35 Trusted Source, 37 Trusted Source).

More studies should be conducted on bananas and insulin sensitivity.

SUMMARYUnripe bananas are a good source of resistant starch, which may improve insulin sensitivity. However, more research is needed.

 9. Bananas May Improve Kidney Health

Potassium is essential for blood pressure control and healthy kidney function.

As a good dietary source of potassium, bananas may be especially beneficial for maintaining healthy kidneys.

One 13-year study in women determined that those who ate bananas 2–3 times per week were 33% less likely to develop kidney disease (38 Trusted Source).

Other studies note that those who eat bananas 4–6 times a week are almost 50% less likely to develop kidney disease than those who don't eat this fruit (38 Trusted Source, 39 Trusted Source).

SUMMARYEating a banana several times a week may reduce your risk of kidney disease by up to 50%